Allan Hancock College on Friday celebrated its 100th graduating class, whose members persevered through the COVID-19 pandemic to complete this phase of their education and participate in the drive-thru commencement.
Virtual speeches, available here on YouTube, were accompanied by morning and afternoon drive-thru ceremonies, which were livestreamed, to celebrate the Class of 2021 on the Santa Maria campus.
“As the graduating Class of 2021, I implore you to use the skills you’ve learned at Allan Hancock College to be a force for change. Be a force for honesty and integrity,” Superintendent/President Kevin Walthers said. “Be a force that values those who use their education to promote the greater good.
“This may be the end of your journey at Hancock, but the ending is just the beginning of a new adventure.”
It was the second — and likely final — time that the drive-thru ceremony occured after debuting in 2020 because of public health concerns related to COVID-19.
Arriving Friday in decorated vehicles filled with supporters, graduates walked across the stage and received their degrees as windy conditions threatened to steal the caps off their heads.
Hancock representatives said that more than 500 students chose to participate in the centennial commencement, which spanned several hours.
“Today, we celebrate a historic class of graduates who successfully reached their academic goals and have reached a milestone in their journey,” said Nohemy Ornelas, vice president of student services and a Hancock graduate. “Each of you has worked toward completing your degree and moving on to the next step in your journey, whether it’s going directly to a university or going to a career.”
The college’s class of 2021 includes 1,498 graduates who earned a total of 2,742 degrees.
More than 300 of Hancock’s 2021 graduates were recipients of the Hancock Promise, a program that provides graduating high school students in the Allan Hancock Joint Community College District with their first year at Hancock tuition-free.
Other graduates included veterans, first-generation college students, DREAMers and essential workers.
Jeffery Hall, president of the college Board of Trustees, said this year’s graduates have the special honor of representing the 100-year legacy of the college.
“I know the last year was a challenging time, but you rose to the occasion. As a Hancock grad, you are well prepared to go anywhere and do anything,” Hall said.
Because of COVID-19 concerns, this year’s graduates spent the academic year taking classes remotely while coping with the other challenges of life.
“Though it was a tough time for us all, I am grateful to have become witness to such resilience from a driven community that we have here at Allan Hancock College,” said Lennette Espinoza, a 2021 graduate and Associated Student Body Government president. “What you have done was in no way easy. Every single graduate here truly wears their cap and gown like armor for their valor. This moment is yours.”
A day earlier, Hancock celebrated an estimated 300 to 500 students transferring to universities each year. Once again, Hancock maintained the highest acceptance rate to Cal Poly, with a total of 62% of Hancock applicants gaining acceptance to the university.
On Thursday, the college hosted another drive-thru celebration for more than 100 graduates from Hancock’s EOPS/CARE/NextUp & CalWORKs, College Achievement Now (CAN)-TRIO, Puente and Men’s Support Group programs. The programs provide support and services, including for first-generation college students, students in foster care, single-parent students and others, representatives said.
The various ceremonies occurred during a busy time for the college, which on Saturday will mark the end of celebrating its centennial.
A virtual celebration featuring live musical performances and the announcement of the college’s 100 distinguished alumni list will start at 6 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are free and available to all members of the community by clicking here.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.