Commencement
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Nicholas Hidy
It’s tough being a performing arts major when all the performing arts spaces are shut down. That’s the predicament Nick Hidy, who plays the French horn and trombone, found himself in as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe. But, as they say, out of adversity comes innovation.
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Norberto Garcia
As Norberto (Norbit) Garcia interviewed 18 families about their experiences for his senior thesis, he was reminded of why he chose sociology as a major—the realization that he wanted to help communities that are underrepresented and motivate students like him to go to college.
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Sharon Valle Rodriguez
When she started at UCSC, Sharon Valle Rodriguez was unsure about everything. But she learned to be independent and emotionally intelligent. “Now I believe in myself and know I can achieve my goals,” she said.
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Simayijiang Xirenayi
When Simayijiang “Sherin” Xirenayi left home at age 19, she knew she wanted to study biology. She attended community college and then transferred to UC Santa Cruz, but it wasn’t an easy move. Her life turned a corner when she was asked to meet with a campus adviser.
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Vaishnavi Dornadula
Vaishnavi Dornadula was a leader in creating the first-ever Baskin Day celebration, which launched in February 2020. Since then, it has turned into a popular campus tradition, with students from across the disciplines, as well as off-campus visitors.
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Ray Jara
Ray Jara liked science and was good at it, but he didn’t have college in mind until his freshman year of high school. A trip to Northern California with a college-readiness organization brought him to UC Santa Cruz. His concentration now is on photonics and electronic devices.
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David Sanchez Godinez
David Sanchez Godinez arrived at UC Santa Cruz with a passion for scientific exploration. Taking a full load of science classes and getting hands-on learning honed his scientific knowledge—especially his experience working as an undergraduate researcher.
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Monica Estrada Arias
Monica Estrada Arias never met the young man. An activist, he was killed during the 2019 protests in Chile. Yet, as part of a team of UC Santa Cruz students researching the demonstrations, which erupted over cost-of-living increases and economic equalities, Estrada said she will always feel a connection to him.
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Maia Dupuis
Maia Dupuis started out focusing on computer science but added game design because of her interest in combining the creativity of arts with technology.
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Minh Anh Nguyen
It was a big change for San Jose resident Minh Anh Nguyen to move across the country to New Jersey last summer for an internship with defense contractor Lockheed Martin, but because of her experience she was able to land a job working with the C programming language at Lockheed Martin’s Sunnyvale location.
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Sergio Mendez Vargo
Sergio Mendez Vargo always knew he wanted to be in the sciences but wasn’t sure what branch.
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Ahyesha Russell
After graduation, Ahyesha Russell is headed for a well-paid job with Capgemini in Seattle as a technical consultant—something she hadn’t thought was possible in her wildest dreams.