A Speech on Leadership, Commitment and the Future
On September 15, during HEC Montréal’s convocation ceremony, Widad Mas, valedictorian of the 2026 McGill HEC Montréal EMBA cohort, delivered a moment unlike any other.
Accompanied on guitar by her classmate Frank Gilbert, Widad chose slam poetry to address her fellow graduates. Delivered with emotion and conviction, her poem explored leadership, commitment, and the responsibility of leading in a changing world.
Being named valedictorian means representing one’s cohort at the convocation ceremony and speaking on its behalf. Widad chose to do so in her own words, with her own voice, and with a presence that left a lasting impression on the audience.
“I invoke the act of leading as one chooses to love: with the strength to commit without ever losing oneself.”
And this question, posed to her fellow graduates:
“In a world fractured and losing its bearings, how will you lead without ever losing yourself?”
Discover Widad Mas’s full slam and relive this powerful moment from the convocation ceremony.
