Los Angeles Pierce College celebrated its graduates at its 75th commencement ceremony in the morning on Thursday, June 8 at the college’s John Shepard Stadium in Woodland Hills.
Family and friends, with required tickets this year, cheered for the roughly 800 students who took part in the 2023 event.
This was the first time in the history of the college that its commencement took place at its big stadium, containing about 5,000 seats. The stadium on the top of a hill on the 426-acre campus was named after John B. Shepard who served from 1955 to 1965 as the college’s second president.
Students walked in a processional into the stadium to the traditional tune of Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar. Academic Senate President Barbara M. Anderson was the master of ceremonies. Qais Azizi, president of the Associated Student Organization, led the Pledge of Allegiance.
The college’s interim president Aracely Aguiar, and David Vela, president of the LACCD Board of Trustees, gave greetings to the crowd.
The keynote speaker was Los Angeles City College District Chancellor Francisco C. Rodriguez. The student speaker was Roxanne Gannon.
The ceremony was live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube. The commencement brochure, including student names of those who petitioned for graduation by the deadline, has more details (click on the graphic): bit.ly/3CgqaXR
Pierce College is a two-year community college that is part of the nine colleges of the Los Angeles Community College District (www.laccd.edu/About/Pages/Our-Colleges.aspx). It was founded in 1947 as the Clarence W. Pierce School of Agriculture.
Fun facts: the college mascot is the Brahma Bull; the first students were all male agriculture majors; the college colors, scarlet and red, were chosen in 1947 by the students.
Pierce College, 6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills. 818-710-4100. www.facebook.com/PierceCollege. lapc.edu
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