With cheers, hugs and leis, more than 1,500 UC Merced graduates received a celebratory sendoff to their bright futures as a prominent keynote speaker told them to make the most of the here and now.
Hundreds of families and friends joined the graduates in three days of commencement ceremonies at the university’s Recreation Field. White picket fences lined the processional path for graduates, faculty and campus leaders of the San Joaquin Valley’s only research institution.
University of California President Michael Drake, a longtime champion of the 20-year-old campus, told graduates at Sunday’s ceremony to make the most of every moment.
“This is your life. Today doesn’t come again,” Drake said. “You need to keep your hearts and minds open. When you’re turning in an assignment or completing a project for work, always ask yourself if you’ve done your best. Great if the answer is yes, but if not, it’s always appropriate to double back and improve your effort.
“That kind of focus and engagement leads to learning. It leads to lasting relationships. It leads to success in life.”
Drake, who will step down as UC president later this year, received a Chancellor’s Medal, UC Merced’s highest individual honor, from university Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz.
On Friday night, Jennifer Alvarez’s moment included holding 3-year-old daughter Aluna as she and family celebrated her doctoral degree in environmental systems. Two years ago, Alvarez and her husband, Pedro Millan, moved from Modesto to Merced so Aluna could receive on-campus day care, and her mom could devote more time to coursework.
“It feels like everything was perfect timing,” said Alvarez, who is on a path to be a soil conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “I really needed the push of the responsibility of having a child to believe in myself and finish.”
About 120 students received advanced degrees Friday, including a limber master’s graduate who performed the splits while crossing the stage. Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Education Hrant Hratchian told the graduates that only 13% of U.S. residents attain master’s degrees and just 2% earn doctorates.
The speaker that evening noted that 10 years ago, “almost to the day,” she received a Ph.D. in psychology from UC Merced.
“I was sitting where you are,” said Kristynn Sullivan, who earlier this year was appointed director of the Merced County Department of Health.
Sullivan said her achievement a decade also brought her to crossroads. She had a baby daughter, a doctorate and two career options —a crime analyst or an epidemiologist. She chose the latter though she had little knowledge of the public health industry.
Why? Two reasons. One, getting vaccinations for her daughter through Medi-Cal was a “horrific” experience; perhaps she could effect change from the inside. Two, the job had a better insurance plan.
“Allow space for those moments, for that magic, to infiltrate, even when you have a five-, 10- and 20-year plan,” Sullivan said. “Stopping, assessing and making sure you are listening to your gut and still choosing the next right thing can lead to opportunities you never imagined. Saying yes to unexpected things can lead to the most beautiful of lives.”
Saturday’s ceremony brought together about 600 bachelor’s degree recipients from the School of Natural Science and the School of Engineering. Among the students was Simriya Sandhu of El Dorado Hills. Thanks to numerous advanced placement courses in high school and extra research work at UC Merced, Sandhu needed just three years to earn a degree in molecular and cell biology.
The new graduate joined her parents, grandparents, brother and an uncle near the Big Rufus statue on University Plaza. “I’m feeling so happy,” said grandmother Anita Sandhu. “I’m very proud of her.”
The keynote speaker that day was Shirley Collado, president of CEO of College Track, an organization that helps underserved young people overcome systemic barriers and earn academic degrees.
Collado shared the personal story that shaped her career. She is from Brooklyn, the daughter of a cab driver and garment worker who earned a scholarship to Vanderbilt University. She and her mother took a 26-hour bus ride to Nashville and a seemingly limitless future — something she now strives to make possible for students who might otherwise be left behind.
“We exist right now in a world that seems so divided, where our shared humanity feels so vulnerable,” Collado said. “This moment requires compassionate awareness, intellectual maturity, meaningful connections and the ability to have productive conversations across lines of difference.”
More than 800 graduates attended Sunday’s ceremony for the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts — the largest one-day commencement event in UC Merced history. Janet Reilly, president of the UC Board of Regents, introduced UC President Drake as the day’s keynote speaker.
After the ceremony, the throng of grads and well-wishers at University Plaza included Buya Degonbaatar, who hopes to parlay his cognitive science degree into a career in digital user experience design.
“I learned a lot of things, ranging from philosophy to computer science to artificial intelligence,” he said.
Degonbaatar’s father, Avirmed, stood next to his oldest son, beaming.
“It’s a wonderful day,” he said. “Very exciting. Wonderful things happening.”
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