La Sierra celebrates 378 graduates, Cervantes calls for grads to open doors

Milestone morning

Before and after the Conferring of Degrees ceremony, graduates and their families commented on the significance of the occasion.

Whipps, who with his family and friends traveled nearly 7,000 miles to attend La Sierra's graduation noted the importance of the milestone moment and expressed his hope that the graduates they celebrated would return to their home country and assist with nation-building through service. His niece, Kayah Iblai Flores Whipps, graduated cum laude from the Zapara School of Business with a Bachelor of Science in business analytics. His daughter's friend and former classmate Nobuyuki Yano, also from Palau, graduated with Bachelor of Arts in art and a biology minor.

Yano is aiming to attend dental school in the future, Whipps said. "We need doctors, we need dentists [in Palau]," he said.

Kyle Rumble, a graduate with degrees in business analytics and marketing from the Zapara School of Business described graduation as a moment of closure on four years of hard work of "ups and downs, and it's been a really good experience. I never really thought I would end up here, but I'm really glad that I finished here."

His educational experience at La Sierra was made significant through his ability to form connections with his professors and engage in a variety of activities, he said. "There's been so many things I've done here that I would never be able to do at other places," Rumble said. "I've gone on trips with professors, I've been exposed to so many different experiences on campus and off campus."

Ping Chuwong, who graduated with a degree in computer science, after the ceremony joined his parents and his aunt and uncle for photos in the shade of a sprawling tree on Founders' Green. His parents arrived from Thailand, his home country, and his aunt and uncle from Sacramento.

"They're excited for my future," Chuwong said, speaking on behalf of his parents.

Chuwong attended Sacramento Adventist Academy before enrolling at La Sierra University. During an interview earlier in the morning prior to the start of the day's ceremony, said, "I'm excited to graduate, definitely. I woke up a little early this morning, getting ready, a little nervous, but overall I'm excited to go graduate and get out in the world, start working," he said.

In describing his La Sierra experiences, Chuwong said, "It was great. Because of the small classes, I got to interact a lot with my professors. That was definitely the highest point of my experience here. Dr. [Enoch] Hwang and Dr. [Fuhoa] Li have been a great help to my career and building up what I can do. I appreciate them a lot."

Several students, soon-to-be graduates, gathered near the Fritz Guy Library in the cool of early morning before the start of commencement. They provided insights into their thoughts and emotions, their experiences at La Sierra and their future plans.

Sakura Pangelinan, a student athlete on the women's indoor and beach volley ball teams, earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting, graduating magna cum laude. She was one of two students to receive the dean's award from the Zapara School of Business.

"Right now I'm feeling a little nervous but I'm super excited. I think these past however many years of school led to this moment and I'm just really proud to look back and see how much I've grown," Pangelinan said as she waited in line with other graduates for the commencement processional to start. "I couldn't do it without the help of my parents, and I'm just super thankful to have this opportunity to be able to go to school and also be an athlete as well."

"[This moment] is a culmination of all the effort from the last two years coming together in one moment," said Joshua Dielmann, an MBA graduate with emphases in marketing and healthcare management with a custom concentration in strategic AI management. "Support from my wife, the long hours, the late nights, the support from Dean [John] Thomas and Professor [Robert] Kurtz, just coming together in a moment to celebrate everything that I've been able to accomplish and it feels good."

Dielmann, a native of Canada, handles marketing for Loma Linda Academy and plans to continue in his role while working toward teaching opportunities in higher education and entrepreneurial ventures while juggling requisite immigration issues.

Olivia Genobaga, a cum laude graduate earning a Bachelor of Arts in digital media and marketing expressed excitement over the milestone moment. She said the university has contributed significantly to her personal growth.

"Lots of emotions," she responded when asked what she was feeling in that moment. "I think it's really nice to see everyone all together again. I feel like I haven't seen these people since freshman year, or we see [each other] in passing. I feel very excited and emotional.

"I feel like I've grown a lot so far, and I feel like the university has played a big role in that," she said.

Brianna Barruga, who earned an MBA in healthcare management said, "I'm super excited, super excited. It's a long-awaited day."

She was emotional over leaving behind her peers from various majors. Barruga plans to take a gap year before attending medical school.

"I'm really going to miss the community around here," she said. "It's definitely going to be different not seeing each other for a long time, but I know we're gonna' stay in touch. I've built a lot of friendships and lots of connections, especially at ZSB [Zapara School of Business]."

Barbara Asare, originally from Ghana, West Africa, earned a Ph.D. in instructional leadership from the School of Education. She looks forward to a career in academia. Asare is originally from Ghana, West Africa. Nearly 50 people attended graduation to celebrate her achievement--they arrived from Ghana, Germany and New Jersey.

"This graduation ceremony, it's not only a celebration, it's also a reflection on the journey," she said following commencement. "It's been seven years in the program. It's been full of challenges and by Gods grace today reflects the goodness and the greatness and the faithfulness of God, and I am so excited to celebrate with family and friends."