UCLA’s class of 2026 prepares to break barriers and shape a changing world

It took a little doing, but Justin Dixon's sister finally got his mortarboard pinned onto his full head of curly hair.

"It means a lot," Dixon, a Michigan native, said of the degree in economics he would earn just a short time later at the commencement ceremony in UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. He made minor adjustments as his sister looked lovingly on. His graduation was, he made clear, more than just a personal achievement.

"It opens up a lot of doors for my family," he said, citing in particular "the social mobility of being Mexican American and African American."

Nearby, Salome Scott, a first-generation university student who was graduating with a political science degree, stood with her adoptive mother, Minerva, who proudly donned a blue UCLA jersey with "Salome's Mom" printed on the back.

Adopted out of the foster care system when she was 3, Scott earned her GED at 14 and went on to collect two associate degrees at community college before transferring to Westwood to study political science.

"I widened my horizons," said Scott, from San Diego, who plans to become a policy analyst and work on legislation. "I met a lot of new people, I got introduced to a wider job market and it's gotten me comfortable with being farther from home."

Long before the first UCLA College commencement ceremony began at 11 a.m., the campus was buzzing. Families dressed in shades of blue posed for selfies, proud parents fussed over regalia, phones were held aloft for pictures, and friends exchanged hugs and promises to stay in touch.

Propelled by a sense of accomplishment and the pride of their families and friends, Scott and Dixon soon joined thousands of other Bruins in the arena for the first of three UCLA College graduation events hosting 6,500 graduating students and 25,000 of their guests.

The UCLA College grads were among a cohort of some 10,300 undergraduates and 5,500 graduate students earning their degrees as part of the class of 2026. And across campus, commencement season features more than 70 celebrations hosted by schools, departments and organizations.

A future filled with pressures and promis e

In his second commencement address as UCLA's chancellor, Julio Frenk congratulated graduates on reaching a milestone that represented years of dedication, perseverance and growth.

Reflecting on the memories students created during their time at UCLA - from their first walk down Bruin Walk to late-night conversations on the Hill and unforgettable moments inside Pauley Pavilion - Frenk reminded graduates that their UCLA experience had transformed them in ways that would last a lifetime.

"The talent and ambition you brought to UCLA has been transformed," he said. "You are leaving with a deeper understanding of yourselves, of others, and of the world you will now help shape."

The chancellor also acknowledged the challenges facing graduates as they leave campus.

"We are living in a moment marked by an unprecedented mix of pressure and promise," he said.

While new discoveries and technological advances are expanding what is possible, Frenk noted, society is also grappling with political polarization, declining trust in institutions and rapid changes in the labor market driven by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

"These challenges will help shape the future you inherit," he said. "They also offer opportunities for you yourselves to shape the future."

The chancellor urged graduates to carry forward the values they absorbed at UCLA, including the search for truth, freedom of expression, respect for difference, service to others and a commitment to inclusive excellence.

Drawing on his own family history, the chancellor spoke about how his grandparents fled antisemitism in Germany in the 1930s and rebuilt their lives in Mexico after being welcomed by strangers.

"That kindness saved my family," he said. "It allowed them to rebuild their lives. And it made my own life possible."

At a time when divisions often seem to dominate public discourse, Frenk encouraged graduates to embrace what he called a simple but powerful act.

"In a time when it is easy to retreat into our own silos, kindness is a way of building connection," he said. "It reminds us of our shared humanity. And it opens the door to understanding."

Breaking through barriers

Student speaker Raquel Ladabaum, a physics major whose research has spanned physics, chemistry and biology, offered her classmates a lesson drawn from the world of quantum mechanics.

Reflecting on the role that uncertainty and chance have played throughout the college experience, she noted that not every outcome in life can be predicted or controlled.

"Much of our experience was shaped by chance," she said.

She introduced the concept of quantum tunneling - the phenomenon in which particles overcome barriers that seem impossible to cross.

"This idea - that a seemingly impossible barrier can be overcome, given the smallest probability - is something that extends far beyond physics," she said.

For some graduates, she noted, earning a college degree may once have felt like such a barrier. Yet through hard work, resilience and the support of family, friends and mentors, they found a way through.

"Our UCLA education has equipped us with the tools to tunnel barriers we will encounter beyond this beautiful campus," she said.

Ladabaum encouraged her fellow graduates to approach the future with confidence and courage.

"Let's step into the world with the mindset that the impossible is really possible," she said.

The life you create

That message was reinforced by the day's keynote speaker, UCLA alumna and six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, whose life story stands as a testament to perseverance, excellence and service.

Introduced by Frenk as "the greatest female athlete of the 20th century," Joyner-Kersee was celebrated not only for her achievements on the track but also for her decadeslong commitment to creating opportunities for young people through the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation.

She offered a deeply personal reflection on resilience, community and the transformative power of education.

Joyner-Kersee recalled arriving at UCLA as a first-year student from East St. Louis, Illinois, uncertain of her future and struggling with severe asthma. She also recounted losing her mother unexpectedly during her first year and questioning whether she should return to UCLA at all.

Instead, she chose to continue.

"I realized, I have a scholarship. I live in a dorm room. I have my own bed. They have a cafeteria with all the food that I could ever want to eat," she said.

Her decision to stay changed the course of her life.

Joyner-Kersee described how the support she received from teammates, friends and the UCLA community helped sustain her through difficult moments and inspired her lifelong commitment to serving others.

"You can't do anything alone," she said.

Addressing the graduates directly, she reminded them that their accomplishments were the result not only of their own hard work but also of the communities that supported them along the way.

"It is a celebration because you've been through so much," she said. "At this moment, it's just a moment. But from this moment, we become milestones."

Again and again, she returned to a central theme: The future belongs to those willing to take ownership of it.

"The life that you have created is the life that you will live," she said. "Your creation comes from you. The path that you will take is up to you."

As the ceremony concluded, Joyner-Kersee left graduates with one final piece of advice.

"Remember to be kind to yourself," she said. "Self-respect, determination and grit. Critical thinking and service. And be the best version of yourself."

Ready for what's next: A generation prepared to lead

Throughout the ceremony, university leaders highlighted the accomplishments of the graduating class and the role UCLA graduates will play in tackling some of society's most pressing challenges, from climate change and public health to social inequality, technological transformation and global conflict.

After Chancellor Frenk formally conferred their degrees, thousands of students shifted their tassels from right to left as a rendition of "Hail to the Hills of Westwood" echoed through Pauley Pavilion.

Afterward, the new graduates poured back into the Westwood sunshine.

Crowds of families milled about expectantly, waiting for their graduates, more than a few carrying cardboard cutouts of their students' faces on long sticks so that they could more easily be found.

The large family of Zaia Eugenie Hammond was among them - parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and siblings, all of whom had made the trip from New Orleans to watch Zaia walk the stage. The women were decked out, Sunday best-style, in bright yellow dresses and skirts, the men in blue suits and blue ties.

"I've made my best friends here for life," Hammond said about her fellow Bruins. And she spoke about the support she received from her professors. "I've been able to get so many opportunities."

As her mother, Tara, talked about her accomplishments, Hammond teared up with emotion.

"I'm relieved, excited and proud," her mom said. "This is the culmination of a lot of years of hope."

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