School’s First Virtual Graduation Ceremony Honors 1,641 Students
By Kristin Fabos
Cabrillo College honored its largest ever graduating class in a first ever graduation ceremony held online May 22.
Cabrillo’s 61st graduating class is 1,641 students strong, a more than 11% increase over last year’s graduating class of 1,476 students. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and statewide orders prohibiting mass gatherings, Cabrillo’s graduation ceremony is a virtual ceremony, available for viewing online through Sunday, May 31.
This year, Cabrillo awards 1,034 A.A. degrees and 541 A.S. degrees.
In addition, 306 students will graduate with an Associate’s Degree for Transfer, a unique degree offered by the California Community Colleges for transfer into the CSU system. Students who earn an AA-T or AS-T Degree and meet the California State University minimum eligibility requirements are guaranteed admission to a CSU.
“In total, we saw a 23% increase in award recipients compared to last year,” said Cabrillo Superintendent and President Dr. Matthew Wetstein. “To accomplish that feat in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis is nothing short of stunning.”
Cabrillo graduates also earned 287 Certificates of Achievement and 661 Skills Certificates. The Cabrillo College Class of 2020 comprises graduates ranging in age from 18 to 76 years with an average age of 29. Of the total graduates, 61% are women and 39% are men. As a federally designated Hispanic serving institution, 47% of Cabrillo’s graduating class is Latinx.
The Cabrillo College Class of 2020 contains a record 165 students who are graduating with a 4.0 Grade Point Average, nearly a 38% increase over last year. This year 249 students graduate with high honors (3.75-3.99 GPA), 311 students graduate with honors (3.5-3.74 GPA) and 649 students graduate with honorable mentions (3.0-3.49 GPA).
This year, 75 students graduate or transfer as part of the Honors Transfer Program, having completed all of the courses required to transfer, including at least 15 units of honors coursework, while also maintaining a 3.5 or higher GPA. Of those 75 Honors Transfer students, a record 34 of them are graduating as honors scholars, achieving a 3.75-3.99 GPA with at least 15-unit hours of honors coursework.
In addition to UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Santa Cruz, Cabrillo’s Honor Transfer Program students have been accepted into some of the nation’s most prestigious four-year universities, including: Amherst, Boston University, Cal Poly Pomona, Northwestern, Oberlin College and Conservatory, Tufts, USC, and Vanderbilt, among others.
Cabrillo’s Honors Transfer Program has had a 30% increase in applicants each year for the past three years. This year, the increasingly popular program had 160 applicants by mid-March.
Honors Transfer Program Director Carolyn Jackson advises, “Students can still inquire about the Honors Transfer Program for fall, and if seats are filled, can start at Cabrillo as a regular student in fall semester, then enter the Honors Transfer Program for spring 2021.”
Cabrillo Honors Transfer Program students had a 72% admit rate into the UCLA College of Letters and Sciences for the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program, which gives priority admission into the UCLA College of Letters and Sciences for fall 2020.
Two of Cabrillo’s Honors Transfer Program participants received notable scholarships. Jasmine Ruiz received the Karl S. Pister Leadership Opportunity Award, and will be transferring to UCSC with a major in biology. The Peggy and Jack Baskin Foundation Scholarship was awarded to Alejandra Zamora-Hernandez, who is transferring to UC Berkeley and majoring in political science.
Cabrillo’s Virtual Graduation Ceremony begins with video footage from last year’s processional, followed by a welcome from Vice President of Student Services Sue Gochis. Cabrillo College President and Superintendent Dr. Matthew Wetstein, Cabrillo Faculty Senate President Dr. Robin McFarland, and Cabrillo Classified Employees Union Interim President Jessica Carroll giving congratulatory remarks.
Wetstein and Cabrillo Board President Leticia Mendoza present the class of 2020. Student Trustee Madison Raasch recognizes Cabrillo’s Transfer Students, and Associated Students of Cabrillo College Student Body President Ana Lopez conducts the ceremonial “Moving of the Tassel.”
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The Graduation Ceremonies can be found at www.cabrillo.edu, or on Cabrillo College’s YouTube page.