Convocation 2013: where the grads go

They walk across the stage at Convocation Hall. They celebrate their years of learning and all the ups and downs that came along with their degree. They tweet a few photos in front of historic U of T buildings.

And then what?

While whispers of grads headed into an unstable and underemployed future can dampen the excitement of convocation season, many in the freshest crop of U of T alumni are already headed to jobs across the country and across the globe.

The numbers alone make a case for optimism. A new Statistics Canada report shows university graduates have the lowest unemployment rate among 25 to 29-year-olds compared to any other educational background. It showed university graduate unemployment rates in 2012 standing at 5.8 per cent nationally, compared with 6.2 per cent for college graduates and 8.8 per cent for high school graduates.

But for the newly convocated engineers, geologists, consultants, filmmakers, doctors, tech entrepreneurs, artistic community builders and more already working in Canada and abroad, success after graduation is more than just a statistic-- it's a whole new way of life.

The interactive maps below introduce just a few of U of T's 2013 graduates moving on to exciting opportunities across the country and across the globe.

Click your way through the two interactive maps below to meet a few faces from Convocation 2013 and learn how our new grads feel about their next steps, their big plans, and their reflections on life at U of T.

(Click on the blue pin points below to meet more of U of T's global grads. Use the "+" sign to zoom in on areas, click and drag your mouse to move the map left or right, or click here to view in a larger window. Know another 2013 grad whose degree is taking them on to international opportunities? Share their story on U of T's Facebook or email at uoftnews@utoronto.ca.)

GRADS GOING GLOBAL (Scroll down to learn more about Grads Staying In Canada)

View U of T 2013 grads going global in a larger map

Click and zoom within the "grads going global" map above to read about convocating students who are: Government policy consulting in Kosovo; Practicing law in China; Studying primates in Uganda; Starting up in Silicon Valley; Taking the Rhodes journey at Oxford; Geospatial analysis in London; Developing artificial intelligence in New York; Philosophizing at Oxford; Doing Forensic Anthropology in Scotland; Filmmaking in the Himalayas; Engineering for social justice in Malawi; Teaching kayaking in Latin America; Analyzing conflict and government at Oxford.

GRADS STAYING IN CANADA

View U of T grads staying in Canada in a larger map

Click and zoom within the "grads staying in Canada" map above to read about convocating students who are: Analyzing diamonds for De Beers in Northwest Territories; Accounting for one of the "Big Four;" Honing policy at a think tank; Performing geospatial analysis for the World Wildlife Fund; Starting up in Toronto's tech community; Bringing creativity to the medical arts; Engineering video games; Slicing into plastic surgery; From Principal Dancer to Physician Assistant; Empowering disability groups by sharing drama skills; Serving community through science; Engaging communities from the bench and beyond; Practicing opthalmology; Hands-on health with occupational therapy; Innovating in tech; Strengthening social psychology; Working for social justice; Innovating health solutions; Combining geography, health and community; Strengthening sustainability ; Prioritizing health for patients and new physicians; Providing guidance for doctors yet to come; Engineering community pride