Dear Cal State LA Golden Eagles,
Commencement 2024 is forever etched in the hearts and minds of tens of thousands. Six ceremonies held over two days last week at the Los Angeles Convention Center radiated with a profound glow unlike any other. Of the nearly 7,000 students claiming their degrees, 5,700 walked, strut, and danced across the stage cheered on by friends and loved ones.
My father used to say, “Chickens look low to pluck at the ground, eagles look high so they can soar.” This year, at Commencement, our Cal State LA Golden Eagles set their sights on the skies. It was particularly moving to see that almost all those in our graduating class are first-generation students. These firsts are changing their own lives and the trajectory of their descendants for generations to come.
Tears flowed freely. Tears of joy as dreams were finally and beautifully realized, and bittersweet tears as loved ones accepted posthumous degrees for students we lost too soon. Every story that unfolded on that stage was a testament to the transformative power of education with the care and kindness you have showed those in need.
Our graduates walked that stage with the quiet encouragement of the ancestors and the loud encouragement of Cal State LA faculty and staff. Commencement is when we celebrate our newest alumni, yet today I celebrate all of you. With each graduating class, you rewrite the narrative of countless families, paving the way for a brighter future.
Fly high, Golden Eagles. Fly high.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Berenecea Johnson Eanes, Ph.D
President
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California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 26,000 students and has more than 250,000 distinguished alumni.
Cal State LA is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex and the TV, Film and Media Center. For more information, visit www.CalStateLA.edu.
