The University of Regina (UofR) has hosted its fall 2022 convocation ceremony.

923 students are now graduated and have joined the UofR alumni community.

At the ceremony, a local entrepreneur was awarded an Honorary Degree, the University’s most distinguished honour.

Rachel Mielke was raised in Regina and is an UofR alum with a Bachelor of Administration.

She has gone on to become to CEO and Founder of Hillberg and Berk Jewelry Company, a multimillion-dollar company with eight stores across the country and international online jewelry sales.

“It started as a one-person business operating from her kitchen table right here in Regina… (She now has) a client list that includes Carrie Underwood, Michelle Obama, Barbara Walters, Celine Dion, and even the late Queen Elizabeth the Second,” says Gina Grandy, Dean of Business Administration, during Mielke’s introduction at the ceremony.

Mielke is also a dedicated volunteer, philanthropist, and advocate and mentor for women and women’s issues. She has also funded many scholarships for female students entering the UofR.

“I feel deeply humbled and honoured to have been chosen to receive this degree. Saskatchewan and Regina are foundational elements of my personal journey and the spark of my life’s work,” says Mielke during her acceptance speech.

“The University represents so much of what makes this city and province special and I am so honoured by how the community has rallied around my big dreams. This honour I graciously accept as an ongoing champion of the school and community… 19 years ago I sat in this audience (the convocation) awaiting my degree, filled with self-doubt and uncertainty; not in my wildest dreams did I think my life would unfold to lead to this moment today,” says Mielke.

After having recently overcome a cancer diagnosis, Mielke plans to continue to grow her business and be an advocate for women and the community.