UC Merced honors graduates

More than 900 students crossed the stage to collect their diplomas over the weekend at UC Merced.

The UC system’s newest campus prepared to award 871 bachelor’s, 18 master’s and 30 doctoral degrees. Those walking the stage came to the school from 40 California counties, two other states and seven countries. The youngest of this year’s participants is 20 years old and the oldest is 73, according to officials.

“Commencement marks a significant milestone in a student’s life,” Chancellor Dorothy Leland said in a news release. “It signifies the beginning of a new journey and the start of a lifelong affiliation with UC Merced as an alumnus.”

Michael Huerta, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, addressed about 500 students from the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts on Saturday.

A degree is the “magic ticket that gets you through the front door,” Huerta told the gathering, according to the official Twitter feed of UC Merced. “Don’t freak out. Life has a way of sending you little surprises.”

Huerta, who was sworn into office in January 2013, is responsible for the safety and efficiency of the largest aerospace system in the world. He is an experienced transportation official whose reputation for managing complex challenges led him to the international stage when he was selected as managing director of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

The graduate speaker was Domonique Jones of Hercules, who worked in a political science research lab and held leadership positions in the Political Science Student Association. After graduation, she plans to take part in the Capital Fellows Program in Sacramento for the next year and then apply to law school, according to a news release.

Dado Banatao, managing partner of Tallwood Venture Capital, spoke to nearly 400 from the schools of Natural Sciences and Engineering on Sunday.

Also on the podium during Sunday’s ceremony was Laura Showalter, a Merced native who worked in two research labs on campus. She is looking into graduate schools where she can simultaneously earn a doctorate and medical degree.

“You are within reach of any dream you have been yearning for, even the ones that seem insurmountable,” Showalter said, according to the UC Merced Twitter feed.

This story was originally published May 15, 2016 at 4:16 PM with the headline "UC Merced honors graduates."