Graduation Photos

It's the heart of graduation season and we've got grad photos.
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Rob Varela / Star staff Carrie Locke, left, who works in enrollment services at CSU Channel Islands, hugs student assistant Janet Rattanapichetkul of El Monte upon her graduation.

Rob Varela / Star staff Chris Trieu of Thousand Oaks cheers during commencement Saturday before receiving a master's in biotechnology and a Master of Business Administration.

Julie Reyes of Oxnard remembers that when her son was a little boy he was determined to finish college someday.

To the Reyes family, a university degree was paramount, and Eddie, the oldest child, would be the first to get a chance to bring one home.

He turned 22 this year, and on Saturday, about two dozen family members and friends watched him walk across a stage at CSU Channel Islands, starting a Reyes tradition.

"I'm very proud," his mother said, smiling, as Eddie stood nearby in his long, black gown, posing for photos with his uncle and father.

"I'm the first in the family," said Eddie, who plans to get a master's degree next. "I feel humbled."

A grassy quad was packed Saturday as the Camarillo campus held its sixth and largest commencement.

The university had 1,089 undergraduate, graduate and teaching credential students receiving diplomas this year, many of whom braved the heat for the 9 a.m. ceremony.

In return, thousands turned out to help them mark the milestone.

"You set your eyes on a goal years ago, and you have risen to all the challenges that have confronted you, and now, you have accomplished your objective of obtaining a college degree," said CSU Channel Islands President Richard Rush to loud cheers.

The graduates, he said, have learned teamwork, civil engagement, knowledge and mutual respect and are ready to launch into their futures.

"Wherever those dreams take you," Rush said, "know that you will always have roots here at California State University, Channel Islands. This is your university, and you have helped create it."

Student government president Cristopher Powell, a speaker Saturday, said students have always been at the center of the campus, which opened its doors in 2002, and always will be.

After graduation, they will take on careers or advanced degrees, and, Powell told the graduates, the university will then "be defined by you, defined by your actions and your ability to make a difference in the world."

"We have made our mark on this university," he said. "Now is our time to make our mark on the world."

Deena Feldman, 21, stood surrounded by several of her bosses and colleagues at the edge of the quad Saturday.

The Camarillo resident had just received her bachelor's degree and said she knows exactly what comes next: a special-education teaching credential from her alma mater, CSU Channel Islands.

"It's a home away from home," she said.

Feldman and the other graduates walked through an arch during the ceremony, symbolizing their entry into a new phase of their lives.

CSU alumni trustee Robert Linscheid, also a speaker Saturday, told graduates to try to find time to thank the people who helped them get there.

"This is truly a gift," he said. "Enjoy this day because you will never forget it."