Just talking about her upcoming graduation had 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 student Caroline Williams dabbing tears from her eyes. 鈥淚 told myself I wasn鈥檛 going to cry at commencement,鈥 she said with a smile that acknowledged what is surely a lost cause.
The single mother is one of the five students 鈥 including the chair of Picnic Day 2023, the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, a coder dedicated to doing good, and the founder of a community nonprofit 鈥 selected to address the university鈥檚 undergraduate commencements at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento Friday through Sunday (June 14-16).
We鈥檒l introduce you to all of them: Williams of Winters, Nishi Bhagat of Fremont, Laicee Brown of Pinole, Jesse Goodman of Pleasanton, and Sonora Slater of Grass Valley, all from Northern California communities.
9 a.m. on Sunday, June 16 鈥 Caroline Williams, Bachelor of Science in human development鈥攃hildren and families across the lifespan specialization.
It will be the first graduation for Williams 鈥 but in her case, not because the pandemic canceled so many high school ceremonies in 2020. Now 37, she didn鈥檛 do well enough to be included in her middle-school promotion ceremony. She dropped out of high school. And it took her five tries, beginning in 2005, to earn the credits at Sacramento City College, not for an associate degree, but for admission to 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 as a transfer student in 2022.
Among the thousands of fellow students and guests listening to Williams will be her 8-year-old daughter, Amelia. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait for that,鈥 said Williams. 鈥淚f I鈥檇 done [my degree] earlier, she wouldn鈥檛 have seen the work that goes into it and now the payoff.鈥
Williams had always loved learning, she said, but she thought it was her fault that she didn鈥檛 succeed. It wasn鈥檛 until her 20s that she was diagnosed as having ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which can make it hard to focus and complete assignments.
Williams said her diagnosis was 鈥渆mpowering,鈥 and that learning to manage her ADHD was the key to her newfound academic success.
Since coming to 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图, Williams has assisted a doctoral candidate with behavioral health research while also working as a coach for others with ADHD and as a freelance writer.
After graduation, she wants to get more lab experience and then apply to doctoral programs related to neuroscience or psychology. That could be a second commencement.
Why did she apply to be a student speaker? 鈥淭ransitioning to adulthood is scary,鈥 Williams said. 鈥淚 think I might be able to provide a little comfort and a little inspiration.鈥
![Nishi Bhagat seated with a laptop open in front of her](/sites/default/files/media/images/20240603-Nishi-Bhagat-5398.72.jpg)
9 a.m. on Friday, June 14 鈥 Nishi Bhagat, Bachelor of Science in cognitive science鈥攃omputational emphasis with a minor in computer science.
Bhagat wants to continue to use her computer coding skills to have a positive impact in the world. She founded the 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 chapter of Girls Who Code, an international nonprofit that works to increase the number of women in computer science, and she has served as its president since 2022. Bhagat is also a member of the national organization鈥檚 alumni advisory council, which brainstorms innovative programming and represents the organization with industry partners. 鈥淚t is uniquely uplifting,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t inspired me to imagine a better tomorrow.鈥
The senior said she is grateful that 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 prepared her for using tech for good. As a research assistant for the Plant Artificial Intelligence and Biophysics Lab, she has done research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and agriculture.
Bhagat is also interested in entrepreneurship and community. Furthering her work in 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 Health鈥檚 , she built , a wellness application to help caregivers find resources and community. In 2023, it won the $10,000 Social Entrepreneurship Award at the Big Bang! Business Competition at 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 as well as prizes in other competitions.
Bhagat has served as the president of the at 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 since fall 2021. 鈥淭he community and impact through my involvement truly fills my cup,鈥 she said.
Bhagat plans to work in the tech industry and return to school for graduate studies.
![Laicee Brown, with Cienna, her four-year-old daughter, on the steps of the Early Childhood Lab School.](/sites/default/files/media/images/Laicee-Brown-4215.72.jpg)
2 p.m. on Friday, June 14 鈥 Laicee Brown, Bachelor of Arts in sociology with an emphasis in social services.
Counting herself among them, Brown said her speech will 鈥済ive the underdogs a little bit of shine and love.鈥
After graduating from high school in 2008, Brown worked as a logistics specialist in concert production and as an instructor at a barber college. She earned associate degrees in the humanities and math and science from Contra Costa College in 2020. When the single mother graduated, her daughter, Cienna, was 1.
Brown chose to transfer to 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 to pursue a four-year degree because of the resources for student parents, including the opportunity to have Cienna cared for at the on campus.
As vice president of the Sociology Student Association since winter 2023, Brown helped other students learn about and access campus resources including tutoring, counseling and basic needs services. With two friends, she started , a nonprofit assisting people in Contra Costa and Alameda counties struggling with homelessness and mental health challenges.
Helping others pursue higher education is her aspiration. 鈥淚 want to take the services and support I received and share that back with students like me 鈥 nontraditional students. parents, older people 鈥︹ she said. 鈥淚 want to help other students reach their potential.鈥
![Shot from above, Jesse Goodman lies on a blue picnic blanket beside a picnic basket.](/sites/default/files/media/images/Jesse-Goodman-5236.72.jpg)
9 a.m. on Saturday, June 15 鈥 Jesse Goodman, Bachelor of Arts in economics with a minor in technology management.
Goodman helped lead , the campus鈥 annual open house and one of the largest student-run events in the country with about 200 activities and 70,000 attendees. He was the business assistant director in 2021 when the event was virtual, vice chair in 2022 and chair in 2023. He said it was rewarding to help put on an event where he could walk around and see the fruits of his labor in the smiling faces of attendees.
Goodman said his three years of participation in , a student group that provides pro-bono services to companies and organizations, helped lead him to a consulting career. 鈥淭he projects we鈥檝e worked on have shaped what I want to do,鈥 he said.
He also completed internships in finance strategy with the American Automobile Association; in external audits with PricewaterhouseCoopers; and in finance strategy, operational performance and process improvement with the consulting firm KPMG.
Goodman said he will be encouraging his fellow graduates to continue to seize opportunities and hold fast to the relationships formed during university. 鈥淭he people at 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 are the best,鈥 he said. 鈥淐ontinuing those friendships through life is important.鈥
Goodman, who completed his degree requirements in March, is traveling and spending time with family and friends before heading back to KPMG this fall, now as a finance transformation associate.
![Sonora Slater stands beside a large recruitment poster for The California Aggie.](/sites/default/files/media/images/Sonora-Slater-4142.72.jpg)
2 p.m. on Saturday, June 15 鈥 Sonora Slater, Bachelor of Science in managerial economics with a minor in professional writing.
Slater, editor-in-chief of , wants to share in her speech her love of 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 and what her university experience has taught her. 鈥淚t would be the bow that wraps up my time at 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图,鈥 she said.
Slater was turned on to journalism in high school. The daughter of two Aggies from the class of 1995, she was already in love with 澳门六合彩开奖结果走势图 before she applied. And she knew The Aggie was a good student newspaper 鈥 her mother, a professional journalist, had written for it.
Slater was a copy editor, a staff writer for the science and technology desk and campus news editor before serving in the paper鈥檚 leading role this academic year.
She said that forging agreements on two editorials per week with the editorial board taught her to listen to fellow board members, learn from them and respect others鈥 opinions. 鈥淭hat has been the biggest gift The Aggie has given me,鈥 Slater said. 鈥淚f college is the place to practice that, hopefully that鈥檚 something we can take with us.鈥
Her experience in journalism includes reporting at The Sacramento Bee in the summer of 2023 and reporting for and anchoring Nevada County Now, a weekly web and cable news show, from July 2020 to March 2021.
Slater is seeking a job as a writer or multimedia journalist in local news in California and is confident she鈥檒l have her opportunity. 鈥淚鈥檝e been shown that opportunities arrive when we鈥檙e not expecting them,鈥 she said.
Student speaker selection
Graduating students apply to speak at commencement by submitting a draft speech and a video demonstrating their presentation style. A 14-member committee of faculty, staff and students selects the speakers after finalists present their speeches in person.
Other commencements
The undergraduate commencements are among the last of 13 in the spring graduation season, which began in May. The other remaining ceremonies, all on campus, are:
- Wednesday 鈥 School of Education, 4 p.m., Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts
- Thursday 鈥 Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, 10 a.m., Mondavi Center
- Thursday 鈥 Graduate Studies, for masters students, 10 a.m., University Credit Union Center
- Thursday 鈥 Graduate Studies, for Master of Fine Arts and doctoral students, 3 p.m., University Credit Union Center
- Friday 鈥 Graduate School of Management, 10 a.m., University Credit Union Center
Media Resources
with photos of student speakers
Media Contact:
- Julia Ann Easley, News and Media Relations, 530-219-4545, jaeasley@ucdavis.edu