May 20, 2025 - Thank you for an incredible 2025 Commencement!

Dear Campus Community, 

Another awesome Commencement is in the books, and my gratitude to all of you is stronger than ever! No campus comes together quite like ours to pull off five days of major ceremonies — plus dozens of individual celebrations, both large and small. Thank you to every staff and faculty member who helped prepare for, pull off, and recover from the magnitude of these deeply meaningful events. 

A huge shout-out goes to the Commencement team, led by University Public Engagement, for making it all look effortless. My sincere thanks also go to the many campus partners who supported them, including Facilities Management and Services, the University Police Department, Alumni Engagement, the Accessibility Resource Center, Creative Media and Technology, Enterprise Applications, IT Support Services, University Communications, Grand Marshals Kim Jaxon and Lisa Ott and their team of faculty marshals, Environmental Health and Safety, Risk Management, Procurement, Graduation Advising, the Wildcat Bookstore, and the Chico State Wind Ensemble. The list goes on! Additionally, every planning committee behind each special celebration deserves recognition and appreciation.  

At its heart, Commencement season is only possible because of the hundreds of faculty and staff who go above and beyond — many as volunteers — to create an unforgettable experience for our students, their families, and their friends. You are all amazing! 

What moves me just as much is hearing our students speak. Their reflections on the challenges they’ve overcome, the pivotal mentors and lifelong friends they’ve made, and the culture of care they’ve found here affirm everything we believe about Chico State. 

Adin White, who graduated with his bachelor’s degree in anthropology, captured it beautifully in his speech: 

“I didn’t need to belong here, but I wanted to belong at Chico State. I grew up here, and I used to walk through the campus just to feel the energy. There was something about this place that had always drawn me in. I didn’t know what it was, but I wanted to be a part of it. And then I was. ... Everywhere I went, I found support and care that I could not have imagined finding anywhere, let alone at a university. ... Suddenly I felt like a valued participant in something that I shared with the community. It was the result of so many people coming together to go far above and beyond what was required of them — students, faculty, staff, everyone. ... Today more than ever, we are surrounded by mentors, peers, friends, and family who have created this tremendous sense of belonging and shared meaning. In my field of anthropology, we call that culture. And a beautiful, vibrant culture like this one can’t be forced. It can only be created by all of us here today.” 

I couldn’t agree more. Thank you — all of you — for creating the experience that draws students to Chico State and supports them every step of the way to that Commencement stage. Together, we’re doing something truly extraordinary. 

Thanks again, 
Steve Perez