Student Union SAVOTTA congratulates all graduated student´s!

Today in Kuopio, we celebrate the graduates of Savonia University of Applied Sciences. Students are the most important part of our community, and we hope and believe that the skills learned here, along with the shared experiences, will carry far into their future working lives.

Student Union SAVOTTAs Chairperson of the Representative Council speech:

“Esteemed Rector, teachers, graduating students, and other guests,

My name is Jonne Heikkinen, and I serve as the Chairperson of the Representative Council, Student Union SAVOTTA. Today, I have the great honor of standing here to speak to you who have reached one of life’s most important milestones – you are now officially higher education graduates!

I began my own studies in 2021, and back then I never imagined that I would be speaking at the 2025 graduation ceremony—especially since I myself am not graduated. 

For many of you, this moment is surely a huge sigh of relief. Exams, deadlines, the thesis—everything is finally done. At the same time, there is a sense of nostalgia: saying goodbye to a familiar everyday life. The campus hallways, familiar teachers, shared study moments—and of course that feeling when you manage to get the very last “kanakolmio” from our best café.

However, Savonia has been much more than just lectures and classrooms. Your studies have been a time of personal growth, building networks, friendships, and memories. Making all of this possible have been student associations, the student union, tutors, and many others—people who voluntarily give their time to make student life at Savonia more easier, funnier and more affordable.

Many of you may have been involved in your own student association or worked as tutors—organizing events, taking care of student advocacy, or building a community where it has been easy to participate just as you are. Savonia spirit, student associations, and the student union together have been the force that has made studying much more than lectures and reports. Through them, many have found friends, gained confidence, and learned things that no single course could ever teach.

And even if you haven’t been actively involved in student organizations, your participation, presence, and openness have been just as important. You have played a vital role in creating a community where people feel comfortable and where the student voice is heard. Every form of participation—whether it’s fuksiaiset, an overall baptism, or even just answering a survey—has been part of this shared story.

Now your path continues forward—into working life, further studies, or perhaps out into the world. I know many of you are wondering what comes next. And that’s completely okay. Not everything needs to be clear right away. What matters most is that you trust yourselves and what you have already achieved. You have the skills, insight, and courage that the world truly needs.

And remember this: Savonia, SAVOTTA, and its community will go with you—just like a patch on your student overalls that you never want to take off.

Finally, I want to say once more: thank you. Thank you for being part of this community. Thank you for building a better student life in your own way.

On behalf of myself and the Savonia University of Applied Sciences Student Union SAVOTTA, I wish you all great happiness and success in the future!”

With these words, the Student Union of Savonia University of Applied Sciences, SAVOTTA, warmly congratulates all graduates and those about to graduate. Thank you for these years — and see you again when you need a student card or want the best coffee on campus.