Welcome 2020 Graduates
Congratulations to the Class of 2020 and welcome to life as a Pioneer alum! We celebrate you, your hard work, your perseverance, your resilience. We are so proud of you and look forward to seeing what you will accomplish!
We know you're disappointed we can't celebrate in person — and we are, too — but we have enlisted the help of fellow Pioneer alumni to send you some congratulation notes.
Congratulation Notes from Pioneer Alumni
Congratulations to all the new graduates of CSUEB! I can remember the sweltering hot day in June 1976 while wearing our black robes in the hot sun-wishing it was over fast. I am sorry that our world-wide pandemic will preclude you from that experience-but be assured that we all wish you great success and a bright future as the new grads and alum of the university.
–Paul Fanning, BA Political Science 1976
I send you a note of congratulations!! All your hard work has paid off and now you will move forward onto your next phase. Though this has been a most challenging time, you continued to learn and grow. Just remember that like college, all things that are worth it take time and effort. Continue to follow your dreams. The future is a far different one than we all thought it would be but you can do this because you have this education to help guide you!
–Jo-Ann Maggiora-Donivan, History Major/ Art Minor 1974
Let me extend a heartfelt congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2020. What an outstanding accomplishment. Although the world is going through some trying times right now, know that when we come out of it, you will be well equipped to deal with whatever comes your way. For, you are well equipped with the tremendous learning experience that you have received from Cal State East Bay.
So go out into the world and make your unique footprint of success.
Best Wishes and Continued Success
Jerome Childs, MPA in Public Administration, 1981
BA in Human Development, 1977
Congratulations, Class of 2020! The greatest asset you have is YOU. Be brave and bold enough to bring your whole self to every room you enter. YOU ARE ENOUGH! Don't dim your light for anyone. Shine bright!
–Rev. Dr. Ronné Wingate Sims, B.A. Sociology, 2009
Hello!
My name is Chase Meë graduated from East Bay twice and I feel for all of you that were graduating and were looking forward to crossing the stage and celebrating with your parents and loved ones. I remember at commencement East Bay gives stats about each class as they graduate and East Bay has large amounts of first gen graduates so this may have been a lot of your familys’ first time celebrating a college graduation. This is how it was in my family, and there’s no replacing those moments, but at the end of the day the main goal was to get your degree and congratulations you did that, and now you’re entering a strange job market, some of you are in debt, some of you had career fields that might not exist in a year, but don’t fret, deal with that tomorrow, today it's about you and the people that have invested their time into you to make sure you become everything you’ve become. There isn’t a bright future, but there’s a future nonetheless, we’re in tough times, but we, California State University East Bay Pioneers, will lace them up and go out and get it.
Best,
Chase Meë B.A. 2013 M.A. 2016
Congratulations! Your effort and perseverance have led you to this day. The future is before you. What you have gained is yours for life. Build on that strong foundation. Live, learn, serve, work, love.
–Robert Lieber, Special Degree-Small Group Ritual
Despite the circumstances you have persevered! You will continue to push through and you will succeed. Wishing you the best! Congratulations CLASS OF 2020
–Ashley Morales, Sociology 2018
Congratulations! Welcome to the World!
–Darlene Langston, BA 1983
So incredibly proud of all the work you have put in and how you quickly adapted to all online classes. Wishing you continued success. Stay in touch with us at CSUEB. We want to know all about what you are up to! Georgianna Lear, Criminal Justice Administrative Assistant, CSUEB
Congratulations to Tyler V. (Cousin lol), I'm so proud of you for graduating and continuing your education further. Reach for the stars! :)
–Markel Porter, Bachelor's Degree & 2018
Congratulations; feel the depth of your accomplishments and be proud!
–Barbara LaVey, Human Development 1998
Your dedication & hard work paid off...Whoo Hoo-Congratulations!!!
-Fred Shelton, English/Advertising Minor 1993
Congratulations to the commencement class of 2020! You did what you did and will remember this moment forever, even if it is not what you imagined this big day to be, your hard work and sleepless nights deserve to be celebrated. Best wishes on your next endeavors, continue to grind, and be proud! Also, CONGRATULATIONS TO MY SIS!!!!
–Rhodelyn Laurente , Human Development 2017
Nothing can cast a shadow on your achievements! Be proud and be strong. Congrats, class of 2020!
–Dana Demercurio, MA: Media and Communications 2013
Always be you and be humble. Feel the joy, the pride, the happiness as you head off to your bright tomorrow! Congratulations class of 2020!
–Byron Solis, Psychology minor in Human Development, 2016
Congratulations Class of 2020!!! Take in the moment. You’ve just completed a daunting task and promise lies ahead. May God bless you in your new endeavors.
–Christie Verarde, Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Child Development
You deserve to be celebrated, you accomplished your goal. Now life awaits you, ENJOY!
–Juanita Barbera, 2003 BA Soc 2006 MPA
Congrats Graduates! 💐
–Norma Guardado, B.S Business Administration 2010
Congrats class of 2020! Although things didn’t go as planned for graduation, just know you have achieved a milestone. Now go out there and turn the next chapter of your life! Note to all: never feel intimidated by anyone in the workforce, just know they were exactly in your shoes not too long ago. Always be confident, you got this!
–Shabnam Nazari , Business/Accounting 2017
You are awesome to work hard & finish the school academy. We are proud of your successful achievement. Keep work ethic & strong mindset & empower yourself.
–Serena Wang, Fiance & 1994
Congratulations, You made it! Keep moving forward!
–Kelvin Liang, Master of Business (2012)
During these challenging times of 2020, I hope all graduates from California State University East Bay all the best in their future endeavors.
–Joesph Blyden, 1997
Congratulations...Hopefully you have lots of Good memories for life during these few years of learning.. I definitely have a lot of good memories..
–Jaykrushna Vyas, 2019
Congratulations on your achievements! Best wishes for your next adventures!
–Celeste Agana, B.S., 1988
Congratulations on graduating, you've accomplished so much. Follow what you love to do, be kind to people and success will follow you wherever you go!
–Liezel Cruz, 2011
Congratulations Class of 2020! Your hard work and perseverance will pay great dividends. It's now up to you to take advantage of the excellent education that you have received and make an impact on the world. There are so many wonderful opportunities to contribute your talents and CSUEB alumni have a wonderful reputation of being hard-working and reliable game changers. Welcome to the alumni!
Congrats!
–Brent Grech, BS Finance, 1994
Congratulations class of 2020, you've accomplished so much. Follow what you love to do, be kind to each person, and success will follow you wherever you go!
–Liezel Cruz, 2011
As an alumni, I congratulate you on your great accomplishment. Our community looks forward to your bright and fresh minds to lead our society into the future. Whatever you do keep learning, growing, exploring, and following your passion but most of all be proud of yourself for what you have become and what you're about to become. Welcome to the Pioneer Alumni Family!
–Irmina Sanchez, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, 1981
Congratulations, class of 2020! You are on your way to new explorations, new careers, new opportunities. Your fresh faces come with fresh insights and fresh ideas in these awkward times. As the world forges its way forward, I wish for you challenges to which you rise with grace, clarity, and powerful and effective solutions. May all your dreams come true, and may you and your loved ones stay healthy and prosper!
–Robin West, B.S. 1984, M.A. 2008 (Sonoma State)
Graduating college is no small feat. Many think it is just a normal path everyone is supposed to take, however, you’ve been given an opportunity many will never be privy to. Your college degree is in just a piece of paper. Your college degree means so much more in the real world. It means you committed to something, worked hard and stuck to it through whatever was happening in your life. You will experience this in every situation in your life, and your career, for years to come. If you ever doubt yourself, just remember you made it through college and that was not easy. It’s not just going to class every day and submitting assignments. It’s dealing with multiple offices, multiple plans, parking permits, student IDs, all these things may seem small but when you list them all together it is quite an accomplishment to have managed doing all of these things in the timelines that were given to you year after year until graduation. I am only one voice, however, I am very proud of you. I hope you are proud of yourself as well. Good luck in all you do and if I can ever be of assistance as an alumni, I will gladly take the opportunity to congratulate the class of 2020.
–Liv Piercey, Business 2016
So PROUD OF YOU Joyce Dizon!! Love you!!
–Angelique Dizon, BS Business Administration
Congratulations class of 2020!! Your education is the best investment. Knowledge is power. You did it!!!
–Maria Perez , 2015
Congratulations Frances! I'm proud of all the hard work you've done to achieve this. To your next accomplishments in life.
–Khyle Lumanlan, Business Administration 2017
Congratulations upon your college graduation! Welcome to the Pioneer Alumni Family!
–Rosalie Calhoun, BS 1982
Congratulations class of 2020! We’re all so proud of you! Thank you for waving our flag high and I hope that you make us proud bringing that CSUEB name to the highest heights! If you ever wonder if you can do something, you can. If anyone can, you can!
–Sar Bargzie, 2011
Congratulations grads! Tough times to be moving from academics to a professional career. One thing to remember: passionate and driven people are always hard to find, no matter what the economy looks like. If the fire is dim, turn up the fuel. If it hasn’t been lit, light it. The saying: the cream always rises to the top is 100% true, and it rises faster after turbulent times. Good luck and make us all proud.
–Michael Crossley, 2017
Congratulations Class of 2020! You managed to persevere despite the Covid-19 crisis. Do not let the lack of a CSUEB commencement make you feel like this accomplishment was without merit. Yours is the first class in the history of this university to have worked under such a stressful time. You have made history. Onward and upward!
–Cat Cyr, Marketing 2015
Congratulations class of 2020!!! We’re very proud of you!!!
–Bryan Kim, Business AdminIstration option in IT Management
Welcome to the Pioneer Alumni Family! Congratulations and wishing you well in your future endeavors! Push forth and make a positive contribution in our world!
–Jaliza Johnson , Business Administration option in marketing and advertising, 1999
Congratulations! Wish you all a great success in your endeavors!
–Lionel Wirjo, MBA, 1989
Congrats and best wishes for future endeavors!
–Kashefa Ahmed, MBA 2015
Congrats to all of the graduates of 2020! I wanted to shout out my cousin, Sophia Bribiesca, on her graduation! You have overcome so much to reach this point, and the girls and I are so proud of you! We love you, prima!
I truly hope that the current state of the world does not take away from or make any of you feel any less proud of this achievement. Graduating with a degree in any field took so much work, dedication, time, money, commitment, sacrifice, late nights, early mornings, weekends spent studying, cramming, stressing, and so much more. No matter how long it took you- two years, four years, six years-you have finally made it and deserve to truly celebrate this accomplishment. No one will ever be able to take this away from you.
Graduating during these times of Covid-19 must be putting a damper on your last few months leading up to graduation. From all classes going virtual, no graduation ceremony, no grad parties, no walking the stage, and everything else that has changed or been canceled. Just know that some of your fellow alumni can relate on a smaller scale. The economy totally crashed in late 2008, and by 2010, we were really feeling the effects. Millions of people were getting laid off, businesses were closing, and renters were getting evicted. It was a very scary world, and job market, to graduate into at that time.
No journey to graduation is easy, and you all have persevered so much. These current times are no exceptions. We will all overcome this, together. Congrats again to the CSUEB class of 2020, and welcome to the Pioneer Alumni family!
–Adrian Martinez, Bachelors of Science, HR - 2010
To my little brother, you rockstar. Very proud of you! Can’t wait to see what the future has in stores for you!
–Danielle Lemucchi, Kinesiology & 2019
Many congratulations! All the hard work, long hours, and patience has paid off. Best Wishes for a bright future. You have the distinction of graduating at a time of world upheaval, when the future will change dramatically and you will be the ones to blaze the trail for the future graduates. God Bless the Class of 2020!!!
–Marcia Siebert, Language Arts 1990
Congratulations to all CSU-EB graduates and best wishes for a bright future. Do not be discouraged by the current challenges: be honorable, be hopeful, and persevere--and you will succeed!
–Ruth Ann Hunt, M. S., Counseling, 1998
Congrats to all our class of 2020, may the sky not be your limit, to a prosperous future.
–Alvin Burns, Master of Education 2006 & Master of Technology 2010
Congratulations to all of you!
Be the difference in the world, and wish you all the best!
–Jessica Pablo, M.S. Educational Leadership, 2017
Congratulations to each and every one of you in the CSUEB Class of 2020!
Best Regards - Ted Sager, BS Geology 1997
Congratulations on graduating! You have persevered and continued to follow your dreams during an unprecedented time. You have not only graduated as part of the Class of 2020, but you have made history, and are officially considered an actual Pioneer! Way to go, and best wishes for the future ahead of you.
–Lisa Scranton, Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics (2016), Single Subject Teaching Credential (Mathematics) (2017)
Congratulations to you all.
–Oyejoke Ajala, BSN-2015
So proud of your huge achievement in getting your Bachelor’s!! My advice is to keep going if what you want to do requires you to get a master’s or graduate degree. You’re gonna feel done, exhausted and want a break...but just push yourself to get it done! It’s easier to keep going when you’re in school mode than wait a few months and years, then get back in the game. Trust me! We all love you and be proud of yourself. You are so awesome.
–Jocelyn (Jocy) Martinez, Health Science, 2011
Congrats class of 2020!
–Sanket Annigeri, Master of Science, Engineering Management 2019
I know this was an odd way to end undergrad but you made it and I couldn’t be any more proud! Congratulations to the Class of 2020. Yay !
–Jessica Robin Nagal, Health science pre clinical 2018
Congratulations GRADS of 2020!! This journey was hard and long for most of you but well worth it, NO ONE can take away what you have earned for yourself! This is a BEAUTIFUL MILESTONE. CONGRATS again grads of 2020 #foreverpioneers #classof2020
–Kwa'Wayne DeFils, Criminal Justice Administration Community Alternatives and Corrections & 2019
Congratulations Class of 2020! Although you will not have the traditional graduation ceremony you had hoped for, keep in mind all of the sacrifices and hard work you have put in to get to this point in your life. I am very proud to say I am a CSUEB alumni and I am extremely proud of each and every graduate. Best of luck to all of the CSUEB graduates in your future endeavors!
–Jessica Brandt, Criminal Justice Administration, 2015
Congratulations, all, from one who was there at the start of the institution, and has seen it grow and change mightily over the years! Welcome to the ranks of the Pioneers!
–James Livingston, B.Sc., M.Sc., Mathematics, 1965
Congratulations fellow pioneers! I know it seems a little disappointing to not have the opportunity to have a graduation ceremony to mark this wonderful achievement but I hope you are still proud of your accomplishments. You probably have more to be proud of having graduated in such trying times under very difficult circumstances. We are cheering you on and hoping you will be able to feel proud on this day and share the joy with those you love. Stay safe and Go Pioneers !!!
–Mal Murad, B.S. Healthcare Administration and Administration 2018
Congratulations to the Pioneers class of 2020! In these uncertain times, one thing is certain: you have worked hard to earn your degree, but the journey to make this world a better place continues. Continue to challenge yourself and to reach for the stars as you make the transition from student to contributor of society. The alumni is proud of you!
–Gus Hernandez, MS Recreation and Tourism
Best Wishes as you embark on your journey ahead. May your years ahead be as fulfilling as mine were as I graduated from CSUEB 36 years ago!
–Sue King, MS Chemistry 1986
Congratulations to the class of 2020!!
–James Gbetrah, Environmental science
Good job on making it through to your degree. The road ahead may look daunting and dark, especially with the recent events in the world. However, you have already climbed mountains and passed obstacles to get to this point in your life. This gives you an edge to conquer the unknown and make your mark in the world.
–Kirk Lesser, Computer Science 1996
Congratulations, your hard work and dedication has set up a path of success for life!
–Denise Barajas , Health Sciences, 2016