Fullerton College Celebrates the Class of 2023 at 108th Commencement on May 20
More than 900 graduates are preparing to cross the commencement stage to receive their diploma at Fullerton College’s 108th Commencement on May 20 at 9 a.m. This year’s event will celebrate the Class of 2023 and recognize an array of student achievements, faculty accomplishments, and institutional accolades.
The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. and will be livestreamed on the college’s YouTube channel. The livestream will be fully captioned.
“Commencement will be a beautiful time to celebrate all of our graduating students and their achievements while recognizing the many friends, family members, faculty, advisors, and staff members who provided each student with support to get to this moment in time,” said President Cynthia Olivo. “This is a community celebration, and we applaud all of our graduates for their hard work and determination.”
Fullerton College is proud to recognize 4,094 degrees applied for during the 2022-2023 academic year. Of the number of degrees applied for, 1,225 degrees have been awarded to graduates of summer and fall 2022 terms. Any student who completed the requirements for graduation during the 2022-2023 academic year is eligible to participate in the Commencement ceremony.
Click here to view the Commencement program
Many students in this graduating class began their journey at Fullerton College in 2020 when the campus transitioned to online learning due to Covid-19. Some graduates who completed their senior year in 2020 may not have had a traditional high school graduation ceremony, so Fullerton College’s Commencement could be their first in-person traditional graduation. The theme of the commencement is “Hornets Take Flight.”
Author and television writer Rafael Agustín will deliver the keynote address and Student of Distinction Rosemary Han will provide remarks on behalf of the Class of 2023.
Agustín is an alumnus of Fullerton College. After moving to the U.S. from Guayaquil, Ecuador at age seven, Agustín attended public schools and Fullerton College before receiving his B.A. and M.A. from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film & Television. He is an alumnus of the CBS Diversity Comedy Showcase and was a writer on the award-winning The CW show Jane The Virgin. He is also a Sundance Fellow for his TV family comedy Illegal, based on his life as a formerly undocumented American. Agustín co-created and co-starred in the national touring, award-winning autobiographical comedy N*gger Wetb*ck Ch*nk, which received acclaim from the LA Times, New York Times, and Denver Post, and won awards for its advancement of social justice in the arts. His other accolades include: LA Weekly one of the 50 most essential people in Los Angeles, speaker at the United Nations 70th Anniversary Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, CEO of the Latino Film Institute, and Board Member of Mother Jones, the oldest nonprofit investigative newsroom in the U.S. and the National Film Preservation Board at the Library of Congress.
Student speaker Rosemary Han is a biology major and an aspiring astrobiologist or biomedical scientist. During her time at Fullerton College, she said she experienced personal growth and achievement toward her goals. Han enjoyed being a member of the Speech and Debate Team because it positively changed her perspective on life. Han will transfer to the University of California Irvine in the fall to pursue a bachelor’s in Biological Sciences.
The ceremony will also include recognition of outstanding achievements, including Students of the Year Paloma Foster and Julianne Le, and honor the 2023 Faculty of the Year, Ethnic Studies Adjunct Faculty Member Dr. Rosie Kar. Kar was recognized by Fullerton College and NOCCCD at a Board of Trustees meeting in March.
The ceremony begins promptly at 9 a.m. on Sherbeck Field. Three sections of temporary bleachers have been installed on the field to accommodate the anticipated crowd. The college is also in the process of installing permanent home and away game bleachers, however, that project is not yet finished.
Following the commencement ceremony, Associated Students and Fullerton College will host a reception for graduates and guests in the quad.
Parking and attendance are both free, however, graduates are limited to six guests. Event details are available on the Commencement website.
