Santa Rosa, CA —The Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) 104th Commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 27, at 9:00 a.m., at Bailey Field Stadium. Herman G. Hernández, executive director of Los Cien Sonoma County, will be the 2023 Commencement speaker. The student speaker for this year’s graduating class will be Daniella Ingargiola.
More than 1,400 students will receive degrees this year. SRJC officials expect to award more than 1,900 degrees, as many students earn more than one degree. The youngest graduate is 16 years old and the oldest is 78. Additional celebrations include the “Celebrate CE” ceremony on Friday, May 26, at 5 pm on Bailey Field. The event celebrates students who have completed over 720 Career Education Certificates in past year.
SRJC’s 2023 Commencement Speaker, Herman G. Hernández, was raised in Guerneville, and with his wife Ariana and their dog Moose, is now a resident of Santa Rosa. A graduate of San Diego State University with a degree in International Business, he was elected to the Sonoma County Board of Education in 2014, where he currently serves as board president. Additionally serving on the boards of the Made in Santa Rosa Foundation and the Sonoma County Family YMCA, in 2022 he was tapped to take over as executive director of Los Cien, a Latinx-led organization focused on civic engagement, education, and bridge-building between local communities. Hernández’s other passions include reading, running, biking and golfing.
"Santa Rosa Junior College has been instrumental in helping hundreds of students graduate each year,” said Hernández. “Many graduates are first-generation college students just like myself. Due to the quality of education at SRJC, they are better prepared to meet their future. Santa Rosa Junior College students contribute to the brilliance of our community and the local economy in Sonoma County and beyond. I know firsthand how instrumental Santa Rosa Junior College was as a milestone in my preparation to transition to San Diego State University, and how special and valuable my formative years at Santa Rosa Junior College were. Now, I have the opportunity to share some words of wisdom and encouragement and to celebrate together with the graduating class. I am incredibly honored."
Biology major Daniella Ingargiola hails from Novato, and is a recipient of the Chemistry Department Scholarship, the Dream Big Scholarship, and the Harris Family SRJC Teaching Fellows Award. She is transferring to UC Davis and plans to apply to veterinary school upon completion of her bachelor’s degree. In her spare time, she practices yoga, water color painting, and enjoys spending time in nature with her dog, Blue.
“When I was younger, I believed I was incapable of succeeding academically,” said Ingargiola. “It wasn’t until I began taking classes at SRJC and met a particular professor, I realized it only takes one person to believe in you, to fuel your success. That’s just one of many challenges we community college students face.”
The Ceremony
The graduation will be held outdoors and no masks, social distancing or vaccine verifications are required.
• Guests must have a ticket to attend the ceremony. There is no charge.
• Ticketed guests may access Bailey Field Stadium after 7:30 a.m. Enter through gates at the northeast, northwest or southeast of the stadium.
• The ceremony will be live-streamed on YouTube for those without tickets. Watch the event from any device at live.santarosa.edu.
• The ceremony lasts approximately two hours.
• Please do not bring balloon bouquets, large signs, or noise makers into the stadium.
• In the event of inclement weather, the graduation ceremony will take place as planned.
More information on 2023 Commencement is available at https://events.santarosa.edu/graduation-2023.
More information on 2023 Celebrate CE is available at https://ce.santarosa.edu/celebrate-ce-2023.
Bailey Field Stadium is located at 1501 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA. Free parking for the day is available in the parking structure adjacent to the stadium or the nearby campus parking lots.
