City Times - 2023 Commencement Edition - Promo

1945

Times City

FI RST CL A SS

San Diego City College celebrates AAPI students in historic graduation ceremony

?I t ?s j u st som et h i n g t h at w as r eal l y speci al f or m e,? sai d Samm i t t a E m , w h o r ecei ved a sch olar sh i p an d i s t r an sf er r i n g t o U C San D i ego t o pu r su e a degr ee i n i n t er di sci pl i n ar y com pu t i n g an d t h e ar t s

For E m , gr adu at i n g at an A A P I - t h em ed cer em on y m ade h er f eel at h om e an d h opef u l f or m or e even t s l i k e i t i n t h e f u t u r e

?I r epr esen t ,? On devi l l a sai d ?A n d I 'm ver y pr ou d ?

T h e cel ebr at i on w as on e of m an y even t s h appen i n g at Ci t y Col l ege f or A A P I H er i t age M on t h , w h i ch w as celebr at ed f or t h e f i r st t i m e at Ci t y

?I t t ook 100- pl u s year s si n ce sch ool st ar t ed,? sai d M asah i r o Om ae, dean of B eh avi or al an d Soci al Sci en ces an d a Ci t y al u m ?We w an t t o of f er a di f f er en t oppor t un i t y f or st u den t s t o cel ebr at e w h o t h ey ar e ?

St u den t s al on g w i t h t h ei r l oved on es an d m em ber s of t h e San D i ego Ci t y Col l ege com m u n i t y gat h er ed f or t h e cam pu s? f i r st A si an A m er i can Paci f i c I sl an der gr adu at i on cel ebr at i on at t h e A bu i l di n g pat i o on M ay 15

T h e h i st or i c occasi on br ou gh t t oget h er A A P I st u den t s an d f acu l t y f r om di f f er en t back gr ou n ds t o cel ebr at e st u den t ach i evem en t an d su ccess w i t h a f ocu s on r epr esen t at i on

T h e r ecogn i t i on k i ck ed of f w i t h t h e aw ar di n g of sch ol ar sh i ps t o st u den t s f or bot h academ i c ach i evem en t an d com m u n i t y i n vol vem en t

T h r ou gh ou t t h e cerem on y, st u den t s w er e pr esen t ed w i t h t h ei r gr adu at i on cor ds an d encou r aged t o speak on t h e podi u m t o at t en dees

?We wa nt t o of f er a di f f erent oppor t uni t y f or st udent s t o cel ebra t e who t hey a re.?

- M a sa hiro Oma e, dea n of Beha viora l a nd Socia l Sciences Cit y a lum

?I ?m st i l l pi n ch i n g m ysel f n ow,? sai d N i l o Sh aw On devi l l a, a f i n e ar t s m aj or w h o i s l eavi n g f or Yal e an d h as been at t en di n g Ci t y si n ce 1990 ?I t ?s a bi g deal E du cat i on i s t h e k ey i n sol vi n g pr obl em s ?

On devi l l a h as ch er i sh ed h i s t i m e at Ci t y an d w i l l con t i n u e t o advocat e f or h ow speci al of a pl ace i t i s H e h opes t o com e back an d t each at Ci t y Coll ege af t er h i s t i m e at Yal e

I t m ean t a l ot f or Om ae t o see A A P I st u den t s get r ecogn i zed an d h e w an t s t h ose st u den t s t o k n ow t h at t h ey ar e seen

A f t er t h e cer em on y w as over al l at t en dees w er e i n vi t ed t o t h e caf et er i a f or t h e r ecept i on

T h e caf et er i a w as f i l l ed w i t h l oved on es of gr adu at es en j oyi n g AAPI cu isi n e, i n cl u d i n g cal am an si w h i l e comi n g t oget h er t o dan ce t o m u si c i n celebr at i on of t h e st u den t ?s ach i evem en t

?I t 's gr eat t o see, peopl e ( of ) di f f eren t cu l t u r al back gr ou n ds, u p br i n gi n gs, com i n g t oget h er an d cel ebr at i n g st u den t s' su ccess,? Om ae sai d

These grads among t he many who have overcome obst acl es t o compl et e t heir degrees

F i n e ar t gr adu at e r et u r n s t o Ci t y af t er 30 year s m ot i vat ed by per son al t r agedy t o r eal i ze l i f e-l on g dr eam

M E SA P r ogr am gr adu at e w i t h a l ove f or sci en ce pu r su es aer ospace en gi n eer i n g w i t h a goal t o w or k f or N A SA

T h e 56-year - ol d f i r st - gen er at i on col l ege gr adu at e over com es ch al l en ges w i t h l i t er acy t o h el p ch i l dr en r ead

Above: Savat h n a Em r ecei ves a gr aduat i on cor d dur i n g t h e AAPI cel ebr at i on M ay 15, 2023 Bel ow: M at i l da Ch avez, l ef t , h an ds Sam m i t t a Em , r i gh t , a cer t i f i cat e dur i n g t h e sam e even t Ph ot os by Joel Nevar ez

Covering the San Diego City College community since

at t it ude of gr at it ude

AFFINITYCEREMONYGRADUATESCELEBRATETRIUMPHS, STRUGGLESWITHTHEIRCAMPUSCOMMUNITIES

At ever y t u r n i n h er j ou r n ey l ead i n g u p t o h er gr adu at i on r em ar k s at t h e 52n d Ch i can oL at i n a Gr adu at i on podi u m , San D i ego Ci t y Col l ege gr adu at e M er cedes P r eciado en cou n t er ed a f am i l i ar r espon se

?For ever y ?n o? t h at you h ear,? sh e sai d, ?h er e i s a per son w h o, agai n st al l expect at i on s an d st at i st i cs, can t el l you al l , yes you can ?

P r eci ado ? a 52- year - ol d par t i al l y deaf , Span i shspeak i n g i m m i gr an t ? began t o over t u r n t h e si gn i f i can ce of w h at i t m ean t t o be den i ed

A Ci t y Col l ege gr aduat e at t h e Ch i can o- Lat i n a Gr aduat i on h on or s h er par en t s by decor at i n g h er cap wi t h t h e ph r ase ?Par a m i s apas que l l egar on si n n ada y m e l o di er on t odo,? wh i ch t r an sl at e t o ?For m y par en t s wh o cam e wi t h n ot h i n g, but gave m e ever yt h i n g ? M ay 19, 2023 Ph ot o by Nat h al y Al vi zur es

P r eci ado i s n ow a Ch i can o St u di es an d A m er i can Si gn L an gu age St u di es gr adu at e on h er w ay t o SD SU

Or gan i zed by t h e Ch i can o L at i n a Gr adu at i on Com m i t t ee, t h e gr adu at i on cer em on y w as a cel ebr at i on f or al l st u den t s w h o ear n ed associ at e degr ees, cer t i f i cat es, adm i ssi on s t o a f ou r - year u n i ver si t y ? or an y com bin at i on of t h ose

D r essed i n gow n s an d em bel li sh ed caps, 94 gr adu at es w al k ed dow n t h e col or f u l l y decor at ed M ex i can - t h em ed pr ocessi on ai sl e t o t h e son g ?Yo Soy Ch i can o? by R am on ?Ch u n k y ? San ch ez as t h e at t en dees ch eer ed

K eyn ot e speak er J u l i o Cedi l l o, w h o i s h eaded t o U C B er k el ey an d w i l l gr adu at e Ci t y w i t h degr ees i n Soci ology, Ch i can a an d Ch i can o St u di es, an d L i ber al A r t s an d B eh avi or al Scien ces, addr essed t h e st r u ggl e of t h e Ch i can x com m u n i t y

?L et u s bear i n m i n d t h at t oday i s a cel ebr at i on an d t h at ou r j oy i s r evol ut i on ar y,? Cedi l l o sai d ?A s you l ook ar ou n d at ou r gr adu at es, t h i s w as on ce i m possi bl e I t w as a con st r u ct ed dr eam n ever t u r n ed i n t o r eal i t y

T h ose w h o cam e bef or e u s bu i l t a l egacy f or you an d m e t o be w h er e w e ar e t oday ?

St u d en t s w al k at R i t e of P assag e

T h e R i t e of Passage Cel ebr at i on , h el d on M ay 11, i s a cer em on y cel e-

?Li ve i n such a wa y t ha t your bi ogra phy woul d be ba nned i n Fl or i da .?

- Sim Sa nco, La vender Ceremony gra dua t e hea ded t o SDSU t o pur sue a ma st er ?s degree in child development

br at i n g t h e accom pl i sh m en t s of gr adu at i n g B l ack st u den t s acr oss t h e San D i ego Com m u n i t y Col l ege D i st r i ct

?I see B l ack sch ol ar s,? Ci t y P r esiden t R i ck y Sh abazz sai d du r i n g a speech ?I see t h e n ex t l aw yer s, t h e n ex t doct or s ( an d) t h e n ex t pr of essor s ?

T h e even t al so i n cl u ded st u den t speak er s on beh al f of t h ei r r espect i ve col l eges, i n cl u d i n g M esa st u den t K ar en M u k en ge

?A s w e al l k n ow, t h i s j ou r n ey w asn? t easy f or u s,? M u k en ge sai d ?We al l got di scou r aged at som e poi n t an d al m ost gave u p B u t at t h e en d, w e ch ose t o per sever e ?

- Luke Br a dbur y 2n d L av en d er G r ad u at i on c el eb r at es L G B T Q+ T h e col or s of pr i de, st r en gt h an d r esi l i en ce set t h e st age f or t h e cer em on y h on or i n g t h e L GB T Q+ com m u n i t y at t h e Ci t y A bu i l d i n g pat i o I n k eep i n g w i t h t h e i deal s of i n cl u si on an d bel on gi n g t h at Ci t y pu sh es f or w ar d an d exem pl i f i es, t h e L aven der Gr adu at i on cer em on y gave space f or t h e L GB T Q+ comm u n i t y t o ex pr ess t h emsel ves, t h ei r f u t u r es an d t h ei r dr eam s

Per f or m an ces f r om dr ag qu een s R aqu el i t a an d B ar bi e Q cen t er ed ar ou n d t h e t h em es of bei n g you r sel f an d bei n g pr ou d of t h at w i t h a m u sical t w i st

T h ou gh sever al of t h e gr adu at es cou l dn? t at t en d t h e cer em on y, t h e on es w h o di d r ecei ved t h ei r r ai n bow sash es an d appl au se f r om t h e cr ow d as P r i de H u b Coor di n at or L u cy P l ascen ci a r ead t h ei r n am es, t h ei r degr ees an d t h ei r pl an s t o f u r t h er t h ei r edu cat i on s

Si m San co, on e of t h e gr adu at es w h o w i l l be pu r su i n g a m ast er ?s degr ee i n ch i l d devel opm en t at San D i ego St at e U n i ver si t y, spok e of t h e gr at i t u de h e f eel s f or Ci t y an d h i s h opes f or t h e f u t u r e

?E ver y day w e see h ow t h e L GB T Q+ com m u n i t y i s u sed by t h ose i n pow er as scapegoat s To t h em w e say ?N o m or e ?L i ve i n su ch a w ay t h at you r bi ogr aph y w ou l d be ban n ed i n F l or i da ?

- Sha m er e G r i m es

To r ea d mor e a nd v i ew photos, sca n the QR code

Lucy Pl ascen ci a, cen t er , Pr i de Hub coor di n at or , cel ebr at es wi t h 2023 gr aduat es at t h e San Di ego Ci t y Col l ege Laven der Gr aduat i on M ay 18, 2023 Ph ot o by Luk

ak e ph ot os wi t h f r i en ds an d f am i l y M ay 19, 2023 Ph ot o by Nat h al y Al vi zur es

Want more? Check out t he digit al commencement edit ion of Cit y Times.

Scholarship winners named - Cit y at hlet es honored - Newact ing chancellor shares st ory ASGpresident t o ret urn - Alumni spot light

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