By El Nicklin
After a series of protests and other student-led efforts, the Long Beach State 2024 commencement ceremony will feature graduates walking the stage with their names read, unlike the previous 2022 and 2023 ceremonies.
Mariana Villegas is wearing a stole from Etsy that features flags representing Costa Rica, the Philippines and Mexico. The the Filipino pin honors her partner, and the Costa Rican and Mexican flags represent the origins of Villegas' parents, who are immigrants. Photo credit: El Nicklin
For first-generation college graduates and students whose parents immigrated to the U.S., having one’s name read at the ceremony represents an intergenerational accomplishment.
Fourth-year public relations major Angie Solares explained that having her name called at the ceremony will have a meaning that goes beyond the individual level.
"Honestly, being a first generation student isn't easy," Solares said. "My parents couldn't help me out with the FAFSA form. I didn't have any kind of guidance for what to get a degree in." Solares found support from her high school mentor and other members of the first-gen student community. Photo credit: El Nicklin
“Both of my parents are immigrants from Guatemala, and I’m the first person in my whole family to graduate from college,” Solares said.
“They didn’t have the opportunity to even finish middle school in their country. Getting a college diploma signifies that their journey and sacrifices weren’t for nothing.”
Solares discussed stereotypes about Latina women and said that getting a degree “proves that the statistics are just statistics.”
Having a traditional graduation ceremony is important to Solares, not only due to what it means to her as a first-generation Latina student, but because of what she missed out on during the pandemic.
“My father didn’t even get to come to my high school graduation because of the pandemic. Being able to graduate and do it for my parents and for myself is empowering,” Solares said.
Many members of this year’s graduating class finished high school in 2020, meaning that the spring 2024 ceremony at Angel Stadium will be their first time experiencing a graduation without strict COVID-19 protocol.
Nick Bellison, a fourth-year health science major, experienced a drive-through high school ceremony that he described as “sad” and “underwhelming.”
“It just didn’t feel right. I guess it was the best that they could do at the time, but I just feel like I missed an opportunity, and I think other people were feeling the same way too,” Bellison said.
He attended two commencement-related protests at CSULB and is excited to be a part of the upcoming ceremony. “It feels complete, like there’s nothing missing.”
Bellison is graduating with a degree in health science and minor in microbiology, with the goal of being a physician assistant. Bellison has been involved in student government, greek life and the Flying Samaritans Club, among other extracurriculars. He strongly advocated for a 'traditional' CSULB commencement in last year's protests. Photo credit: El Nicklin
Bellison acknowledged that the ceremony will take place off-campus, which may detract from the experience for some. “But an on-campus ceremony comes with less tickets available, [because] the space is smaller. I’m feeling good about graduating at Angel Stadium, and other classmates I’ve talked to mostly feel the same way,” Bellison said.
Given that so many members of the class of 2024 did not get a high school graduation, Bellison expressed that it was especially important this year for students to have access to as many guest tickets as possible. “It’s important to have our village there,” Bellison said.
Sandra Adams, who graduated in the fall with a political science degree, will be participating in the upcoming commencement ceremony after also taking part in the spring 2023 ceremony.
Adams (right) poses with her son. When Adams was finishing her undergraduate degree at CSULB in 2023, her son was starting his first semester at Cal State Northridge. Adams talked about how her experiences being a first-gen college student aided in her son's college journey. Photo credit: El Nicklin
“When I attended last year’s ceremony, I didn’t feel celebrated at all. I’m a first-gen single parent, and it was 90 minutes in the sun to listen to people talk and switch my tassel.”
Adams is currently in the process of organizing a need-based Beach Scholarship in her family’s name for first-generation, one-parent households.
“My own parents didn’t even show up to last year’s because my name wasn’t going to get read,” Adams said. But this year, her son is attending and will hear his mom’s name called.
For some students, the prospect of a proper commencement ceremony is an incentive to push through. Mariana Villegas, a fourth-year human development and Chicano and Latina studies student, had this experience. Villegas identifies as a non-traditional student, having transferred from Santa Monica College and finishing her undergraduate degree at 32 years old.
For Villegas, getting a degree felt like a hurdle they couldn’t cross, but it was always in the back of their mind.
“A big part of my motivation to keep going was visualizing commencement, being in the cap and gown, having my friends and family be there and just being celebrated in that moment. So when I heard last year that they weren’t calling the names out, that wasn’t part of my vision, you know?”
Villegas is an undergraduate researcher at CSULB and will be attending UCLA in the fall to pursue a doctorate in gender studies.
Villegas (right) spoke about why she chose to be photographed with her partner, Geralyn Ragunton. "It means a lot as a queer person to be recognized at school and to have her as a support system," Villegas said. "We're told that we're not enough in many ways, whether it's by family or society... I just tell her I couldn't be able to be where I'm at without her."
“It doesn’t feel real. At the same time, it does, because it’s coming up fast,” Villegas said. “I really need that event of commencement and having that transition in order to really end this chapter of being an undergrad at Long Beach.”
