FRIDAY,JUNE14
STUDENT SPEAKERS
DIAMOND HODGES
ELIZABETH GRANADOS JOHNSON
KEY NOTE SPEAKER
DANIEL “NANE” ALEJANDREZ
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BARRIOS UNIDOS
MERRILL CLASS OF 1981
MERRILL CLASS OF 2024
AIMS MCGUINNESS, MERRILL COLLEGE PROVOST CONFERRING OF DEGREES
CYNTHIA LARIVE - CHANCELLOR
“THE LAND ON WHICH WE GATHER IS THE UNCEDED TERRITORY OF THE AWASWAS-SPEAKING UYPI TRIBE. THE AMAH MUTSUN TRIBAL BAND, COMPRISED OF THE DESCENDANTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE TAKEN TO MISSIONS SANTA CRUZ AND SAN JUAN BAUTISTA DURING SPANISH COLONIZATION OF THE CENTRAL COAST, IS TODAY WORKING HARD TO RESTORE TRADITIONAL STEWARDSHIP PRACTICES ON THESE LANDS AND HEAL FROM HISTORICAL TRAUMA.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMAH MUTSUN TRIBAL BAND PLEASE VISIT AMAHMUTSUNLANDTRUST.ORG/
“LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DEDICATE SPACE TO RECOGNIZE THE HISTORY AND PRESENCE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND THEIR ENDURING RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR TRADITIONAL HOMELANDS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHERE UCSC CURRENTLY RESIDES LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS HELP CREATE AWARENESS OF THE CULTURAL ERASURE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND THE PROCESSES OF COLONIZATION AND SUBJUGATION THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT ERASURE THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT USED AT UC SANTA CRUZ WAS DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMAH MUTSUN TRIBAL BAND CHAIRMAN AND THE AMAH MUTSUN RELEARNING PROGRAM AT THE UCSC ARBORETUM."
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMAH MUTSUN RELEARNING PROGRAM AT THE UCSC ARBORETUM PLEASE VISIT: ARBORETUM UCSC EDU/EDUCATION/RELEARNING-PROGRAM/
PROF. AIMS MCGUINNESS - MERRILL COLLEGE PROVOST
ALEX BELISARIO -EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COLLEGE STUDENT LIFE & SENIOR DIRECTOR, COLLEGE STUDENT LIFE @ CROWN & MERRILL
DANIEL “NANE” ALEJANDREZ - FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BARRIOS UNIDOS
ELIZABETH ABRAMS - MERRILL COLLEGE PROVOST FROM 2012-23
DEAN JASMINE ALINDER, PH.D. - DEAN OF HUMANITIES
MIKE ROTKIN, PH.D. - LECTURER & FIELD STUDIES COORDINATOR
PROF. SEAN KEILEN, PH.D. -INTERIM PROVOST, PORTER COLLEGE
PROF. ALAN CHRISTY, PH.D. - COWELL PROVOST HISTORY DEPARTMENT UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR
NOLAN HIGDON, PH.D. - LECTURER
PROF. ALICE YANG, PH.D. - HISTORY DEPARTMENT CHAIR
ASSOCIATE PROF. MEAGAN THOMAS, PH.D.
ASSOCIATE PROF. NORIKO ASO, PH.D - EAST ASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM DIRECTOR
DIAMOND HODGES (SHE/HER/HERS) IS A FIRST-GENERATION
LATINA GRADUATING WITH 2 B.A.S WITH HIGHEST HONORS AND DEAN'S LIST STATUS IN PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY SHE HAS BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH STUDENT LIFE AND UCSC AS A HOUSING ASSISTANT FOR THREE YEARS, A RESIDENTIAL LIFE ASSISTANT FOR ONE YEAR, A RESEARCH ASSISTANT FOR EOP, AND AN RA FOR ONE YEAR DIAMOND WILL BE CONTINUING HER EDUCATION WITH A MASTERS IN LEGAL AND FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE WITH HOPES OF WORKING FOR THE FBI
ELIZABETH GRANADOS JOHNSON (SHE/HER/ELLA) IS GRADUATING WITH UNIVERSITY HONORS WITH A BACHELOR OF ARTS IN PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION, DEMOCRACY, & JUSTICE (EDJ). SHE IS A PROUD MERRILL AFFILIATE WHO HAS SERVED AS A PROGRAMS ASSISTANT FOR THE MERRILL PROGRAMS AND LEADERSHIP OFFICE AND THE COMMUNITY SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE FOR MERRILL STUDENT GOVERNMENT FOR TWO YEARS. ELIZABETH WILL CONTINUE HER JOURNEY AT UCSC AS A GRADUATE STUDENT PURSUING A MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION AND TEACHING CREDENTIAL WITH BILINGUAL AUTHORIZATION!
MR. DANIEL “NANE” ALEJANDREZ (B. 1949 ) IS FOUNDER OF BARRIOS UNIDOS, A VIOLENCE PREVENTION ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO PROVIDING ALTERNATIVES TO AT-RISK YOUTH AND RE-ENTRY OPPORTUNITIES TO FORMER PRISONERS BARRIOS UNIDOS GREW OUT OF THE CHICANO RIGHTS, CIVIL RIGHTS AND PEACE MOVEMENTS OF THE 60S AND 70S. THE ORGANIZATION HARNESSES THE POWER OF CULTURE AND SPIRITUALITY TO ENGAGE AT-RISK YOUNG PEOPLE, PROVIDING AVENUES TO QUELL GANG WARFARE, AND MODELS FOR BUILDING HEALTHY AND VIBRANT MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITIES. NANE ALEJANDREZ IS ALSO CO-CHAIR OF THE URBAN PEACE AND JUSTICE SUMMIT, A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS TO FORGE TRUCES BETWEEN AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO GANGS FROM THE VETERANS OF HOPE PROJECT
“PROMISEYOUWON'TFORGETME,EVER.NOTEVENWHENI'MAHUNDRED.”
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Congratulations! You are now recipients of bachelor’s degrees at a top research university, and as of today alumni of Merrill College and the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Fifty odd years ago, Merrill graduates emerged in the midst of a vastly changing world, dedicated to understanding and giving shape to those changes. You are worthy heirs to that history. May their bold spirit and readiness to build new institutions light your paths as you, too, graduate from UC Santa Cruz and set out to make your mark in the world.
