As the city of Chico was just beginning to wake up Sunday morning, over 550 students, along with their family and friends were awake and excited about their graduation to come.
With a cool breeze in the air, students, staff, friends and family packed into University Stadium to celebrate the accomplishment of the 2025 graduating class in the college of humanities and fine arts with the college of natural sciences.
There was a mixture of excitement and serenity as the graduates lined up and awaited their turn to walk across the stage.
“I am feeling very nostalgic and euphoric, this is just very surreal,” nutrition and dietetics graduate Hannah Maldonado said.
This ceremony was special because it was the final commencement of the six that Chico State held beginning on Wednesday.
As Provost Leslie Cornick spoke, she strayed from her script to highlight that this week has been “so joyous, and that it is sad that this is the last one.”
President Steve Perez then took the podium to congratulate the graduates and to pay special thanks to everyone that made these graduations possible. He thanked the event crew, law enforcement and the faculty that worked throughout each of the ceremonies to keep it running.
“Here’s to everybody that makes this happen, this is a special place because you make it special,” Perez said.
Interacting with the students, Perez asked a few to read some of his favorite quotes including ones from the Dalai Lama, Jane Goodall and the Lorax.
Student commencement speaker Miles Trejo received his bachelors in music, He reflected on his time at Chico State, he pinpointed specific staff and instructors that helped him in his college journey, quoted Aristotle while focusing on the importance of the friends that support students throughout their entire time in college.
“And while we came here to get an education, the friendships we made were just as transformative,” Trejo said.
Perez spoke again, sharing the same sentiments of Cornick and wanting to drag the last ceremony on. But the graduates buzzed with excitement and made their way to the stage to receive their diplomas.
“I wanna graduate,” shouted students as their names began to be announced.
When the time came, graduates were asked to stand, move their tassels and transform from students walking the campus or attending classes online to Chico State alumni.
“Once a wildcat, always a wildcat,” Perez said as the confetti cannons went off. Caps soared into the air as students rejoiced in their achievement.
Brynna Garcia can be reached at [email protected]
