The College of Business Administration (CBA) was the second group of 2022 Stanislaus State graduates to receive bachelor degrees during commencement Thursday. The ceremony was the second of four planned through Friday at the outdoor amphitheater on the Turlock campus.
The business degrees awarded to students in attendance allotted for 439 of the 3,130 total bachelor or post-baccalaureate degrees awarded within all four colleges; another 306 students were awarded credentials this semester.
Temperatures were expected to hit 90 degrees by the 4 p.m. ceremony start time, but a breeze rolled in, making for a pleasant evening. The two days of ceremonies mark the first large, in-person commencement events at the university since prior to the pandemic.
Graduates were able to invite up to five guests to this year’s graduation and sit with them throughout the ceremony. The intimate experience of sitting among family members was something last year’s graduates expressed a desire to continue, according to Kristina Stamper, Director for Communications & Creative Services.
Unlike last year’s much more socially distanced event, this year students were allowed to bring up to five guests; last year greater social distancing regulations meant each graduate could only have two guests.
In remarks given by Stan State President Ellen Junn, she commended the class of 2022 for having succeeded through the challenges brought on by the pandemic, and left them with some advice for success.
“My advice is to always take the high ground, use integrity and ethics as your moral compass to guide you in your decisions and your actions, and never forget that kindness can coexist with principal decisions and ethical actions,” Junn said. “Kindness will always keep you connected to a greater sense of humanity and equity for all people, from all walks of life.”
Speaker for the faculty, Dr. Dana Nakano, deviated from his original speech which he said had been filled with great jokes and wisdom, however, in light of the recent mass shootings in New York and Texas, he felt they were no longer appropriate, instead sharing excerpts from “Kids Who Die,” a 1938 poem by Langston Hughes, which he noted still holds true today. 
He said that the newly minted college graduates are reentering a world in need of repair, but hopes they’ve been given the tools to take it on.
“So, it is my hope that we as faculty have prepared you for this reality, that it is not to say that this burden is solely yours to bear, or that you will leave here with all the answers in hand,” Nakano said.  “Rather, my hope is that we have provided you with the tools that will allow you to be engaged citizens of your communities, our region, our country, and the world.”
Kayla Lindquist (Bachelor of Science, Business Administration) was the student speaker for the CBA.
“I have no idea what I am doing, and I’m sure many of you don’t either,” she said, “and that’s okay.”
She said that while college may be just a pit stop along the way for those ready to start their adult life, for others, it’s more than just a pit stop.
“It’s validation that we have come, conquered, and showed up for ourselves every step of the way,” Lindquist said. “We may not know exactly where we’re headed, but we know that with a diploma in our hand, we have the potential to make something amazing of ourselves.”
Juan Dicochea (MBA, Business Administration) was happy to be part of a graduating ceremony that felt closer to pre-pandemic normalcy.
“This is a big accomplishment, it means a lot,” he said. “You know with the pandemic and with campus being closed down and not being able to be out, to be here as one of the first ones to graduate, it feels special.”  
Ceremonies for the College of Science will take place at 8 a.m. Friday May 27, with the College of Education, Kinesiology & Social Work to take place at 4 p.m.
Signal Graphic Artist Kimberly Horne contributed to the story.
Watch for continued updates to this story throughout the day and separate coverage for the ceremonies for the colleges of Science, Business, and Education & Kinesiology.