Los Angeles Southwest College Virtual Graduation Ceremony 2021

[Music] so [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] welcome everyone to the 2021 los angeles southwest college virtual graduation ceremony what a year it has been we have all not only survived a pandemic but we've begun to thrive the world is opening back up and we have some exciting graduates who are going to receive their degrees today they persevered they endured and they triumphed so i want you to put your hands together for the graduates who will be receiving their degrees let's make some noise come on see you in the living room i see you somebody's outside right now oh you're barbecuing without me is that what we're doing all right that's awfully selfish but we still celebrating you because it is your day now to open us up is miss selena lopez she is the aso executive vice president greetings class of 2021 my name is selina lopez and i'm the executive vice president of your associated student organization please join me in the pledge of allegiance i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for [Music] all thank you miss lopez for leading us in the pledge of allegiance next up i have the pleasure and distinct honor to introduce our college president dr sahir wan has helped lead us through this pandemic and she deserves a round of applause she's led us every tuesday we've had reports and debriefings and she's had to show up to work while you're at home on the couch working via zoom she was in here making it happen making sure we had lunch for different things and retreats so without further ado put your hands together and give a huge round of applause for our community college president dr awan thank you johnel again i'm dr sahir owan the very proud president of los angeles southwest college welcome to our wonderful graduates your families and friends and our lasc family we are so proud of you and excited to celebrate your successes virtually i'm honored to introduce the chancellor of the los angeles community college district dr francisco c rodriguez who will share some congratulatory remarks with our amazing graduates hello la southwest college undergraduates of the class of 2021 families and friends i'm francisco rodriguez chancellor of the los angeles community college district i hope this message finds you and your families safe healthy and enjoying this moment on behalf of our board of trustees our college presidents and all of the faculty staff and administrators at the los angeles community college district are hearty congratulations yes we are again coming to you virtual this year because of prudent health and safety protocols but it is no less significant and we're here to applaud you to lift you and to recognize this important milestone of your educational career you're graduating from a community college community colleges are the backbone of california's higher education infrastructure and we have remained vigilant equity-minded resourceful united and open to all our colleges are critical to the health and well-being of this state and this nation our colleges are perfectly positioned as economic engines to fuel our local and state economies during and post pandemic by educating and retraining the region's workforce and essential workers to put it plainly our nation's strength economic health and prosperity and democracy depend on the inclusion and success of all of its participants our colleges are the nation's best investment in human capital and the most powerful equalizer for the disparities that exist you are now part of this promise and you'll always be part of our laccd family and speaking of family i also want to send a special word of thanks and acknowledgement to your parents your families your friends your partners with its help with cooking or cleaning or child care or even just letting you use the wi-fi to get online to take classes they have all been a part of getting you to this point sometimes it is their confidence in you believing in you nudging you whatever is necessary to keep you going they too are graduating so congrats on a job well done familia i also want to acknowledge our faculty professional staff and administrators who have gone above and beyond to keep your education as our top priority as we approach now 16 months of navigating this global pandemic and despite the worst that the pandemic has thrown at us laccd has never stopped delivering its educational instruction we never closed i'm so proud of how our lac city faculty staff and students have risen to the challenges this past year with amazing resilience and resolve and what a year this has been thank you faculty staff and administration for your dedication to our students thank you board of trustees for those of us who have the audacity to call ourselves educators this graduation is our reward as a society and especially as educators we cannot and will not be tone deaf to demand for racial equity social justice and criminal justice reform all necessary and interdependent ingredients of an inclusive democracy as educators i believe that is our collective responsibility to purposely serve our higher education community and at the same time to challenge it we still have much work to do on addressing the original pandemic racism and i challenge all of us all of us to be protagonists lead actors collaborators and co-conspirators until its permanent demise and influence while the state's economic recovery is much stronger than the earlier projections the recovery has been uneven and lopsided favoring those who are educated employed and insured and worsening the environment and conditions for those least capable of navigating it a good number of those individuals in the worst category are the students and the families that we serve at laccd we are working through a vision a strong vision for high quality and affordable education where no one gets left behind a vision where your destiny is not determined by your skin color your income or your zip code graduates you have all worked through perhaps the most challenging point in history more than any previous class to get to this particular point you will show them the value of grind and commitment but the work isn't over as new graduates how will you use this tool called an education and your innate talents to improve our world especially now when we desperately need it as you move forward from lacc city beyond our colleges to transfer to a four-year university or to the workplace please remember these three things first give yourself permission to excel our human nature is to excel don't curb it don't squash it and be comfortable with your ambition be aware of this thing called self-doubt they can extinguish dreams hopes and aspirations know that you are the echoes of the vision the intelligence the perseverance the hard work and the activism of those who came before us draw strength from that you will discover that your life did not begin the day that you were born that you are indeed the manifestation of the dreams and hopes of your ancestors so give yourself the permission to excel second it's not as important when you begin it's where you finish and understand that there is no shame in struggle in fact asking for assistance is a sign of strength and not a weakness you see me today as a chancellor but i also want you to know from the proud son of immigrant factory workers from jalisco mexico a product of inner city san francisco a product of the boys club of church ministry outreach of anti-gang intervention and i'm the beneficiary of affirmative action programs and financial aid and scholarships and a graduate of public higher education so it's not as important when you begin it's where you finish third your persistence is your resistance and change requires persistence so put in the work you got to put in the work to build skills to build capacity graduates there are no shortcuts so use this thing called an education as a tool for your emancipation your freedom for making positive and protective change in our communities and don't be afraid to fail failure is only temporary it's when you give up that makes failing permanent you know one of my partners says feel the fear but do it anyway and if you stay ready you don't have to get ready in my 36 years of higher education i've learned that the students who succeed are the ones who are not afraid to fail those who are not afraid to try who remove self-doubt who stick to it who are resilient and who possess grit those who are willing to grind as a first generation college graduate like so many of you i can say this more than anything else that's who determines who succeeds your persistence is indeed your resistance so finally as i close my remarks to you and what an honor it's been to share this moment of joy of pride with you and your families thank you for that be an inspiration for and serve others the more you help others succeed and this i know to be true the more success will find you for so many you the graduates are that inspiration for others i often use the term lac city proud when i write to our campus communities and i couldn't be prouder of this moment of our graduating students this graduating class of 2021 with my deepest admiration and respect congratulations to you felicidades families felicidades congratulations la southwest college you are all in and your efforts have paid off congratulations la southwest college class of 2021 go cougars thank you chancellor rodriguez for those inspirational words for our graduating class of 2021. now i would like to introduce ms michelle henderson los angeles community college district trustee who brings greetings on behalf of the board of trustees good afternoon los angeles southwest college president awan administrators faculty family friends and our esteemed graduates my name is nichelle henderson and i proudly serve as a member of the laccd board of trustees on behalf of board president steve varus and my board colleagues it is my honor to join in the celebration of our 2021 graduating class it would be an understatement to say that continuing your studies through a pandemic was a challenge but your challenges are not your story your story is in your triumph the triumph of adapting to virtual learning and attending classes while hungry and struggling to find stable shelter your personal stories inspire me as you reminisce on the joys of passing classes that you thought you'd failed and were increasingly motivated as your transcripts began to reflect your determination in the coming days you will begin to feel a sense of renewal as you realize that you are in control of your destiny on the horizon is emotional and economic recovery and better days as you move on to hbcu csu and uc campuses graduates your resilience has been demonstrated by your capacity to overcome some seemingly insurmountable odds so regardless of it having taken 2 years or 30 to complete your journey be not dismayed i completed a bachelor's degree nearly 20 years after starting my journey life happens to all of us and although life may alter your path what is important is that you persevered your faith in the vision of your future was greater than your fear today begins your renewal like a caterpillar that emerges from its cocoon as a beautiful butterfly you are ready to take on the challenges of the future continue to make your families your community and the laccd proud congratulations class of 2021 well done thank you chancellor rodriguez and the board of trustees we appreciate your support over the last year and now it's time it's time to get the party started lasc style i want to give you a personal welcome to our virtual graduation ceremony and before we get started i want you to put your snacks down we're going to have a party pause break yes i just made that up but cue the music cause it's time to get excited it's time to celebrate because you're going to graduate it's time to sell them that's not good english that's a good point but you see what i'm saying see if i didn't have all this stuff up here i'd do a little something but because i got all this stuff i want to attend enough because it ain't coming out my channel but let's make some noise put your hands together go go go go to the class of 20 21 hey make some noise make sure you know it's everybody in the house i want you to make some noise you know throw confetti or rip up some tissues since you got all that tissue from the pandemic you can use rip off some tissue toss it in the air let's celebrate the class of 2021 all right i felt good i need some water now i ain't been exercising and moving for the past year so i'm a little windy but don't judge me uh you sitting down uh watching so i'm working on my uh my breathing techniques but i want to introduce to you now the vice president of student services dr howard irvine family members and invited guests welcome to los angeles southwest college's class of 2021 virtual graduation ceremony commencement is a significant event the recognition of intense study we regret that we are unable to be with you in person to celebrate this momentous occasion so we hope that you enjoy this virtual celebration each commencement is special it is appropriate for us to give thanks in a special way for the success of these graduates our theme for the class of 2021 is recovery revival resilience and renewal which is befitting as we have endured a historic year complete with a worldwide pandemic a historic election continued voter suppression an attack on our democracy a nationwide recession and police reform and yet all of us here survive i want to also acknowledge the lac family members that we lost during this year-long struggle miss mikiona johnson administration of justice student mr obafemi amalate nursing student mr kabue chanda i.t manager ms susan peterson maintenance and operations custodian i also want to make mention of how this year's struggle has opened our eyes to what has happened and what can happen if we as a people are not vigilant and compassionate thank you thank you dr irvin and now i want to pass it to dr awan wherever she at pass it to dr juan thank you johnel i'm so thankful for this opportunity to share how proud i am of all of you and to share this moment with you and your families today we honor you and your achievements as the graduating class of 2021 and although we cannot celebrate face to face today you and your achievements deserve recognition as a first generation community college student myself i know firsthand the amount of hard work resilience and persistence it takes to be successful today is about you and your families i hope that you enjoy our virtual ceremony this year a lot of time and care went into planning for you i also want to thank all of our classified professionals faculty administrators and our campus commencement committee for their leadership to make this day special for you i want to congratulate you on graduating during this unprecedented time this past year has been difficult to say the least but here you are moving on to the next adventure in your lives having overcome not only the normal struggles of being a college student but surviving a global pandemic and still accomplishing this momentous achievement that is no easy feat especially in this current coven 19 climate as an lasc student your voice your success and your goals matter to me and our lasc family your courage to continue to pursue your dreams and persist in an online learning environment are to be commended you are one of the few the elite who not only overcame the personal obstacles in your life you thrived as you continue your journey at lasc and beyond remember there will be good times and bad but that you have the grit the determination and the skills and abilities to continue to overcome anything that stands in your way ben horowitz said the struggle is where greatness comes from and today we celebrate your greatness having faith in yourself can be a struggle at times especially in this world but renee brown said it best faith is a place of mystery where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty i encourage you to let go of fear and to not let it hold you back as you find your way in this life life is too short to have regrets or to let others dictate how you should live your life there are no limits in this world except the ones we place on ourselves don't limit your ambition your capacity or your courage have a vision of what you want your life to be and do not let fear stop you from pursuing your dreams continue to work hard to accomplish the freedom to live the life you want to live as you continue to excel in your studies and your lives remember to continue to make a difference in your life and the lives of others our world needs our kindness and our humanity now more than ever most importantly remember how powerful you are your power is infinite and can be harnessed to create a better world for all of us martin luther king jr described power as the ability to achieve our purpose and to affect change i charge you to find your purpose continue to invest in yourself and continue to affect positive change around you stay focused continue to dream big and make yourself your families and your lasc family proud congratulations graduating class of 2021. now it is my honor to introduce our commencement speaker for our 2021 virtual graduation ceremony dr michael lawson retired as a partner after 31 years with skaden arps slate meager and phlone during his tenure with the firm he was appointed to the los angeles airport commission and served as its president in addition dr lawson has been a board member of several charitable organizations loyola marymount university and morehouse college he served as a u.s ambassador in the obama administration prior to joining the los angeles urban league as its president and ceo in february 2018. he is a graduate of loyola marymount university and harvard law school as president and ceo of the los angeles urban league dr lawson continues to advocate for living wages business opportunities and personal and professional growth pathways for minorities his passion for the city of los angeles and social justice for disadvantaged populations aligns with our vision and mission as a college please join me in welcoming dr michael lawson i am honored to be here today speaking to the 2021 los angeles southwest college graduating class i thank your president dr sahir awan for inviting me to be your commencement speaker as you celebrate your graduation today with your families classmates teachers and friends be mindful that you are blessed to be here to help chart the future of your generation your sense of purpose passion commitment and hope must be commended to cover 19 panic the highly contested presidential election citizen protest marches across the country against injustices both economically and in health care illuminated the systemic problems our country has to solve you los angeles southwest college graduates in spite of all these distractions obstacles and challenges mustered the energy and courage to be here on this awesome day for your graduation kudos to you and those individuals who supported your diligent efforts getting to this day one of the best things you may have learned is you are worthy of the recovery from a tumultuous year as we are navigating through this covert 19 panic and the scientists have said the worst of the deadly virus is almost over now comes the time for renewal as you seek revival in your homes new workplaces and relationships you're about to begin remember that the boldness of the revival begins with you trust yourselves that your destiny and career growth are not the responsibility of others they are yours you should understand that you are the principal architects of your lives you should determine what skills and expertise are needed for you to function at the highest level in whatever endeavors you choose to be to engage in as despair lingered in our world you persevere to complete the attainment of your college degrees i believe your lives will be devoid of complexities if you step forward to fight against injustices while others are stepping back be resilient in your pursuits do not cheat or attempt to circumvent the process these are lessons that i learned early in my career my career didn't start at los angeles southwest college in fact i did not attend los angeles southwest college but nick make no mistake los angeles southwest college had an impact a very significant impact on me and the progress and growth that i have been able to achieve during my career how does this happen i attended loyola marymount university just a few miles away from here and when i got there fresh out of high school what i saw were upper class men and women who had graduated from los angeles southwest college not only did they put their arms around me and help me move forward they made it clear that excellence was the only standard that we had to follow bees were not good enough for them a's were the only thing that was acceptable and because of that i have been able to experience a remarkable career since that day so i have a very special place in my heart for this institution and i expect each one of you to follow the lead of those upperclassmen who gave me the guidance that i needed you must commit yourselves totally to the pursuits you choose to be engaged in you should have an unflagging and determined attitude towards your goals and objectives you must love what you do and please understand that loving what you do may simply mean being the best please learn the grunt work re begets the glory you should strive for excellence by mastering the task in the correct manner and never giving up please do not be afraid to speak up when you witness any wrong being done to any group or person it is the right thing to do to speak up against wrong i genuinely request that you should not be afraid to fail failing is instructive it will give you a sense of renewal it reaffirms that you're willing to innovate to achieve success by attempting the challenge again failing is supposed to board of most successful individuals so don't brood or gloat over mishaps dust yourself off get on with your journey and use this graduation ceremony and the challenging year that you experience as examples of your tenacity and your commitment to renewal rejoice in what you have achieved today and never give up our country needs you to lead and curb the injustices hate and racism currently being propagated by some citizens of our country you can be leaders by mastering the art of listening and showing compassion to your peers families and associates being an attentive listener is synonymous with being a wise and intelligent leader leadership counts and it is important to understand that as a leader you need to be able to listen as well as make decisions that other people are reluctant to make and know that whatever decisions you make they will have an impact on people around you and you must take responsibility for all of those actions in this country celebrate remarkable leaders the mode of operations place the people that they lead above themselves aspire to be such a leader when you are an honest leader your subordinates in the spirit of good will will give you their best effort and loyalty and return for your honesty to them they will protect you because they believe you will guide and look after them your vision and concern for their values will predicate them to follow you to the successful end of the task you undertake as a leader be intelligent and understanding understanding that most people are more important than things do this and your leadership style will rise above the fray remember to be a visionary smart strong and honest our country needs you to be leaders to give back to your community remember that there are many individuals who sacrificed and support your efforts so that you could be proud of this glorious day you should pay your goodwill forward remember that helping others without expecting anything in return is one of the greatest gifts you can give someone focus on acting in the best interests of others such as giving help providing mentorship sharing credit and making connections for others no one attains success on their own i was once told that if you see a turtle on a fencepost it didn't get there by itself we need each other your kindness sensitivity compassion and empathy can and will be invaluable resources throughout your lives if you practice helping others giving to others is powerful most people rate giving as their single most important value as my remarks come to a close today i'm elated to say to you again congratulations you did it you graduated remember that you can assist in making our world a better place for your children and grandchildren today we live in a world that is interconnected thus you must work together with individuals who sometimes are not of the same race ethnicity or have the same religious belief as you your determination and conscientiousness to seek equality justice and prosperity for every citizen in this country our noble goals to strive for in these challenging times i sincerely hope that you will trust yourselves be leaders and give back to our society with humility i say thank you for listening and now go and change the world good afternoon thank you dr lawson for your words of wisdom to our graduates we truly appreciate your continued pursuit of social justice and equity for all as a token of our appreciation los angeles southwest college would like to present you with a plaque that will be mailed to your home after the ceremony thank you again for your continued support of our college and our students now i'd like to introduce los angeles southwest college academic senate president mr robert al stewart jr who provide you congratulatory remarks on behalf of the faculty of los angeles southwest college hello my name is professor robert l stewart jr and i am the academic senate president at los angeles southwest college i bring you greetings from the faculty at los angeles southwest college the faculty of los angeles southwest college congratulates the lasc graduating class of 2021. as i pondered what i would say to you today many words popped into my head those words are the following progress accomplishment neglect discipline effort maneuver idle and completion the word progress is significant because the class of 2021 obviously made progress on their goals to graduate in spite of what has been going on during the past year the word accomplishment is significant because the class of 2021 has accomplished their goal to graduate at a time when there's been so much uncertainty and loss the word neglect is significant because the class of 2021 did not neglect themselves and kept thriving and achieving throughout this past year of chaos the word discipline is significant because the class of 2021 must have had the discipline to focus on the task at hand while also responding to and overcoming many obstacles over the past year the word effort is significant because the class of 2021 made the effort to manage their time and also to manage their self-made learning environments in spite of difficulties the word maneuver is significant because the class of 2021 was able to maneuver around all the dynamics and twists and turns that came their way over the past year the word idol is significant because the class of 2021 did not sit around idle and static while these hard times happened to them they were proactive and met those challenges head on the word completion is significant because the class of 2021 has completed their goals and will today be awarded a degree a certificate or both completion was the goal these words that i have shared with you progress accomplishment neglect discipline effort maneuver idle and completion in the order that i mentioned them together if you consider the first letter of each word spell out pandemic yes you all just did that you persevered during a time where there's a global pandemic and completed your goal of graduation the faculty at los angeles southwest college are so proud of your accomplishment today so once again on behalf of the academic senate and all of the faculty here at los angeles southwest college we salute and congratulate the los angeles southwest college graduating class of 2021 there is nothing you cannot accomplish thank you so much mr stewart and next i would like to introduce to you one of our very fine student leaders our aso student body president mr kenneth sanchez put your hands together for him as he comes to us good afternoon los angeles southwest college and the class of 2021 i am kenneth sanchez the aso president and i would like to start off by saying congratulations not just for graduating but for surviving persevering and thriving this year has been especially hard for most of us because of kovid and the instability that has caused us but we are still living proof that we are resilient and able to continue to swim even when the waves are crashing into us i know that times are still tough and we are still in a state of recovery but if we continue to tread water eventually we will end up at the shores where we will be renewed to become the best we possibly could be graduating may not seem like a huge deal for some of us but it truly is it's some of the very first steps in becoming who we need to be lasc has given me my first opportunity in becoming someone better than i once was and i hope you all can see it the same way now let me tell you a bit about my story i was born into a family of six by hard-working immigrant parents in a small one-bedroom apartment i spent most of my life moving around so that my parents could find a better job and provide for all of us but this just meant that i had to hop around from school to school honestly it has been more than a dozen schools in multiple states and cities eventually this was too much to bear and i moved out in high school with my best friend so that i could finish my year off three high schools are plenty and i did not need another one under my belt after finishing high school i spent most of my time trying to survive and provide for myself working at a nursery and doing landscaping on the side i was lost but i was comfortable in surviving unfortunately in 2015 i was convicted of evading arrest in a motorized vehicle with no evidence and a lack of advisement by court appointed attorney i took a plea deal i received no jail time but i was labeled to a felon by society i know that i don't look like a felon i don't act like a felon and i might not even sound like a felon but what is a felon in society it is typically an underprivileged minority that can afford advisement but this didn't stop me i devised a plan i went right back to work i saved as much money and decided to go back to school you may ask why i'm being so open well the answer is because i want you all to understand that although life may not have given us the same opportunities we are still in control of our lives we make the decisions and sometimes it takes us an idea some initiative and proper planning to get to where we need to be a few years ago i was just another minority label the felon but as of today i am the aso president graduating with my associates our past is not who we are yes it might make up a portion of who we are but we decide who we want to be and what we want to do with it as my last statement i would like to give you a piece of advice a few days ago i was asked if losing things worried or upset me and i answered not really yes of course i would be lying if i didn't state that it bothered me a little but my mentality is different i associate a loss with the game yes i may have lost friends families homes and just about everything but what did i gain i gained necessary knowledge experience and opportunities and people who are willing to support me we must change our mentality and stop worrying about our losses and start focusing on what we can gain my entire life has been full of harsh tides and probably will spend the rest of my life overcoming these hardships and inequalities but i am certain that i will keep swimming as i am certain you all will too so once more congratulations class of 2021 i am proud of you thank you thank you so much mr kenneth sanchez and in true lasc fashion we have an exciting halftime show coming up for you now lasc's arts and humanities very own music instructor fernando pullum presents a musical selection from the pulum center [Applause] [Music] hanging on to world as it spins around just don't let the spin keep you down [Music] [Music] respect your manly bride [Music] never mind your fears brighter days will soon be here take it from me someday we'll all be free [Music] [Music] [Music] walk in town lay your dreams right up to the sky sing your greatest songs and you'll keep going take hey just wait and see someday we'll all be free [Music] do [Music] so [Music] [Music] um a boy is born in heart time mississippi surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty his parents give him love and affection to keep him strong moving in the right direction living just enough just enough for the city his sister's black and she is shown love gritty her skirt is short but lord her legs are sturdy to walk to school she's got to get up early her clothes are old but never are they dirty living just enough just enough [Music] turn [Music] [Music] oh [Music] so [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you professor pullum for that beautiful performance as a token of our appreciation los angeles southwest college would like to present you with a plaque that will be mailed to your home after the ceremony thank you again for helping make our virtual graduation ceremony special for our students now i'd like to introduce our vice president of academic affairs dr lawrence bradford who will present the charge to the graduating class of 2021 in honor of our founding history los angeles southwest college is committed to developing socially responsible leaders critical thinkers and empowered citizens on behalf of the entire division of academic affairs congratulations class of 2021 this is truly a remarkable day over the past year covet 19 presented challenges for the entire nation and academic community as students you experienced these challenges first hand head on and succeeded frederick douglass the famous african-american orator and social reformer once said without struggle there can be no progress similarly the great labor leader community organizer and latino american civil rights activist cesar chavez reminds us that to make a great dream come true the first requirement is a great capacity to dream and the second is persistence your dreams and persistence have been realized you have completed your course of study for your associate degree and indeed the best is yet to come in line 38a of plato's apology plato tells us that the unexamined life is not worth living as you leave los angeles southwest college i charge you to examine the world and yourself in it and to be a positive contributor to social justice if you haven't decided or don't know what you'd like to do to support social justice former congressman and civil rights leader john lewis explains it best we need someone who will stand up and speak up and speak out for the people who need help for people who are being discriminated against and it doesn't matter whether they are black or white latino asian or native american whether they are straight or gay muslim christian or jews to accept the charge i welcome to the stage asl president kenneth sanchez as a member of the class of 2021 i accept the charge the associate degree is to be conferred upon the following graduates and candidates the names of each will be called by los angeles southwest college faculty members thank you so much dr bradford next i would like to introduce to you dr travis dubray who will begin recognizing the graduates of the class of 2021 hello my name is dr travis dubray associate professor of anthropology at lasc the associate degree is conferred by community colleges upon the successful completion of 60 or more units of college approved program of study graduates attired in honor courts have earned outstanding grade point averages the awarding of summa laude is conferred upon graduates who earn a gpa of 3.9 or higher magna laude owners are conferred upon fall graduates who earn a gpa from 3.7 to 3.89 laude honors are conferred upon students who are in a gpa from 3.50 to 3.69 now i will begin announcing the graduates of 2021 richmond abroco priscilla acosta stephanie acosta elizabeth adelola francisca agramonte adriana aguilar frida aguilar jennifer aguilar judith aguilera [Music] rosa e aguirre cuabena aguianem boteng anama [Music] [Music] jimenez antoinette alexander [Music] arlene alfaro allen david alvarado jennifer alvarado carla sofia alvarenga wilbur amaya crystal a amazita daniela a mesquita bianca ancheta [Music] antoinette anderson cletesha anderson monique anderson ifeoma annikuem vincent anthony elizabeth antonies popoca pauline anubondum [Music] emily arana [Music] denise mardone [Music] felicia arrowolo [Music] prince hacedo marlene astorga [Music] brandon austin [Music] luis avila [Music] anna ayala garcia carlos ayala rodriguez crystal eyers uluwatobi babu laula kirsty jeannette baker sire baker [Music] gabriela balthasar sanchez alejandra vanuelos catherine barelas [Music] alexis barnes [Music] [Music] barrarea shawn batten donald bell andrew c bennett [Music] william benson kylie berry [Music] messiah bishop rachel pauline bishop [Music] essie blackman lachandra finney bolton ilsa bonilla michelle booker sherry bradford [Music] donatia bradley [Music] brenda e bravo [Music] rihanna coquise breland [Music] nyla briggs [Music] amaya brooks latasha brofton heaven brown sheridan brown skye bryant taiji simon burks ashley in cabrera marta cabrera natalie calhoun [Music] rochelle camacho [Music] campos [Music] rihanna canales sully connor william cardona [Music] juan cardosa perez [Music] simon cardosa perez erleen carson jalonda shante carter mykia carter charles carthan david castaneda kimberly castaneda tahirah chance vivian [Music] joanne chavez elsie chica christian cinqueri gertrude chucumboa donier a citizen jonisha clemens [Music] preciado [Music] coleman [Music] samantha c collins cinethia [Music] [Music] j cooper [Music] madeleine stephanie cordon flores claudia corletto ricardo correa bernardo cortez paniagua charity cotton michaela calpers [Music] jarvis cox [Music] claudia crespin [Music] alicia kraka james crowder diego cruz celia cruz sharon davis crystal de la cruz marta de lara [Music] christian de leon castaneda javier rey de la torre enrique delgado [Music] brian diaz jorge diaz [Music] nelly diaz jessica larue dillingham britney dixon jennifer dominguez brendan flynn downs [Music] howard droni iii [Music] sky dunford [Music] jose [Music] reginald dyer earls tiffany m eason gabriela edwards deja eggleston lorena elenas [Music] thank you so much dr dubray i also want to remind all of the graduates while you're home take pictures with your family and selfies and hashtag lasc the place to be we would love to feature you on all of our social media profiles and i would like to introduce next dr maisha jones who will continue the presentation of the class of 2021 good afternoon my name is dr maisha jones i'm department chair for behavior on social sciences and associate faculty of sociology today we commend you on your dedication and commitment to reaching this milestone accomplishment congratulations class of 2021 this is a well-deserved achievement now i will continue reading the announcement of the graduates names [Music] denise ellis time ezekiel alice jessica j estrada mary anybody jose escobedo jessica escoda maria espinola [Music] jessica j estrada karen estrada sarah estrada [Music] he favors ruth ferguson [Music] vanessa ferreira cheyenne figueroa [Music] evelyn fan [Music] sarah fisher [Music] caleb flores emmanuel flores catherine flores randy flores tamika flores armando flores bartiva [Music] camille sorby rita foster [Music] maricela quintet immaculate foot samuel fuller ayanna sanchez [Music] blanca calliendo miriam galindo robin gallego aurora belghan joanna velvez [Music] alejandra garcia christopher garcia damaris garcia [Music] elizabeth garcia emma garcia cecile garcia [Music] marilyn garcia [Music] blue [Music] eula gomez marie cruz gomez [Music] gonzalez [Music] enrique from providence francisco gonzalez mercedes gonzalez [Music] anna gonzalez alvarado renee goodson evelyn gote jasmine great laura gray salia gray hermes green away [Music] azia greenwood [Music] kate greg [Music] sylvia ladarama madeleine guevara [Music] charlie jefferson gutierrez miranda teresa gutierrez ariana hamilton kennedy [Music] wyland harper deja monet harris francine harris i'm unique paris tanner harrison victoria hendrix jennifer kenyar karina perdia [Music] alyssa hernandez brandon hernandez crystal hernandez jaime hernandez jose hernandez patricia hernandez [Music] rosanna hernandez sonia hernandez victoria hernandez ruby hernandez hernandez castillo [Music] [Music] jennifer kevin hidalgo [Music] simpson clark heinz [Music] lamont hill [Music] hanvo kenneth horton julima howard [Music] tommy holler [Music] yvette hughes italy humphreys ernesto ibarra antonia is [Music] israel danielle jackson nakia jackson mark jaime [Music] cheyenne james [Music] monique james celeste holla [Music] bricksania jenkins jeffrey jenkins nancy jimenez [Music] denia johnson from tavia johnson charlene johnson protean johnson [Music] alana jones ebony jones davion jones latoya jones phillip jones raymond jones savannah jones trina jones [Music] kalia jones charity joan smith brian jordan candice jordan serena jordan alberto juarez ashley warren [Music] angel dubert [Music] and kamal adebo wally karunwi symphony kelly dana kelly cassio curtsy lauren kirkwood [Music] ianni knight lawson chelsea lexburst sharon lee kawanti lisby lindy lomeli got christopher long [Music] thank you dr jones i want to remind you all to please share in the comments all of the excitement that you're feeling right now in this moment so we can also read and join in and i want to introduce to you dr jessica st paul who will continue with the presentation of the class of 2021 hi my name is dr jessica st paul adjunct faculty in the disciplines of public health and health occupations i will now continue reading the names of the class of 2021 jessica lopez josue lopez carina lopez [Music] selina lopez katie lazoya ashley laday ricardo macapagal so fun fatima christine meloto [Music] valerie melotto alma maldonado [Music] evelyn mancia [Music] alma maters [Music] stacy manning ebony manson kilmer mandanares dania maravia reyna marquez [Music] martell sylvia martin carlos martinez christopher martinez danielle martinez elizabeth martinez kevin marcel martinez rody [Music] martinez [Music] kevin martz laura mason [Music] sierra mastan ebony mathias edwards matthews yolanda mclean jamila mcclure [Music] imani mccowen nicole mccole jamira mcdaniel scott mcdonald [Music] trinity mcgregor kenlyn mchenry darnett kelly mcmanus shaka mcneil keaney mcneely kelly meeks jessica mejia gomez norma mendoza farid merlos mesa [Music] daisy mialma luis miguel martha miller mesa monet kendra mitchell michael mitchell [Music] katie montano lana montes nancy montoya lanelle moody [Music] diamond more kaelin moore tammy moore denise darlene mooring brenda morales catherine morales diana morales janet morales johanna abigail marazzan brittany moreno mirna moreno berta morphine [Music] marthyson arlene mongia leslie muniz claudio munoz alexis morio garcia morena okay misha murphy tanisha milo maria najeda [Music] raquel nava charles the fang hillary and obizu rakesha neville's [Music] tiny newton leslie neves steve [Music] delfin quinte chittoru nandozi charisse norris amelia yamaleth nunez chiyoma daniel nwabu ochoa [Music] [Music] evelyn ojeda ikayet primus okun rosemary okofici regina okozovo balikis oladiende isaac olagunju [Music] [Music] a winner [Music] lina ordonez karen orellana david orellana mancilla martin orozco jose ortega kimberly yvette ortiz garciazo oluwabuco [Music] christine osmond [Music] amman atlee [Music] emily owens jennifer [Music] agustina pacheco [Music] naisha palmer clay shawn penn katherine perez [Music] giovanni perez kimberly perez tiara peters [Music] latasha pickford lillian pilgrim [Music] karina polanco aisha po darwin portillo estefania portillo stephen pirrit victoria quevelo evelyn quezada wendy quezada rahimi andy ramirez elizabeth giselle ramirez arvind ramirez [Music] jasmine betsavi ramirez yasnali ramirez ramirez aranda dulce ramirez [Music] adriana ramirez delgado thank you dr st paul i also am excited that not only are you graduating you get to move on with your careers and transition to the next chapter of your life so we celebrate you for that and i would like to bring out dr eram saeed who will continue with the presentation of the class of 2021 it is my honor to present the candidates for the associate in arts the associate in science and associate degrees for transfer chelsea remus [Music] kimberly remus bria m radford [Music] kiana ray monica reya cashmere red angela resurrection amirani reyes nyla rice leon richard antonia e richardson la cueta a rich way jose rios [Music] erica rivas [Music] laura rivers matey rivas [Music] tivoli rivers [Music] paul rivera patrice robertson [Music] kereda robinson [Music] danielle roche [Music] angel roddard daniella rodriguez [Music] elena rodriguez elizabeth rodriguez frank rodriguez [Music] jessica rodriguez irma rodriguez cohiba [Music] rodriguez ivan rodriguez esperanza rojas vicki rojas [Music] yesenia rojas [Music] violetta romero patricia ruby kalyn rudolph javier salamonica leslie b salas angelica saldana melanie salgado christine monique salmeron jiron sampson wendy sanabria [Music] ariel sanchez bianca sanchez can it sanchez marco sanchez melissa sanchez nancy sanchez naomi sanchez viegas alondra santana juan santos ruth santos eleonora sargassian kenny sarminto jessica a salcedo latashia a scott yvonne iscott salima el shahid tanisha shelton stephanie r shepherd [Music] sylvia shepherd [Music] kiara sherman erica sibley [Music] roxanna seguenza [Music] janette silva vincent simons [Music] brittany is smith [Music] danielle is smith [Music] ebony is smith imani o smith jocelyn is smith lavonna is smith [Music] solano villa keys soul bow francisca solis [Music] leticia soto [Music] cedric terraman speeby jr melody c esprouse omar is fry keenan stalwart camal stanford divine steward justin strickland alexis is stranger in grid is stringfellow barbara sweetwine [Music] jordan sweeney [Music] sean sykes ferdinand kano tanikan [Music] lindsey j tarver [Music] amber taylor bradley taylor [Music] jordan taylor [Music] lakisha taylor caesar tears shantae terry [Music] ashley taylor thomas christian thomas jerry thompson tanisha thompson jamie timberlake joyce ii jennifer talentin jennifer andreas evelyn taurus [Music] ariel trujillo shiron thugwell yates toleva lala f turner adra udo [Music] leonardo ugalde robles rachel raphael okay [Music] jessica ulquisa [Music] alvarez anthony valencia martha we are therese elvia vargas [Music] leslie vargas norma p vargas cynthia vazquez nicholas e vasquez alex vaughn carla vela coronado marley velazquez andrea venaby small [Music] stephanie vardusko kimberly diane vernon naily vidalis ramirez katherine yemi lit widows ema via corda irene via alba omari varnia calvin warren alicia welch lavonta wells [Music] abimbola vessi [Music] aneese whiten patricia whitman diane jackie wilkerson bernicia williams [Music] kimberly a williams tanisha l williams jamian wilson jamion wilson asha p wingo andrea woods [Music] madeleine woods rikita woods tionna wright carlos zante d paws kimberly luis janus devonna young [Music] jamie young [Music] allison zamorano alma zelaya fernanda zarita thank you dr saeed i'd like to pass it back to our president dr awan by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of the state of california and by the board of trustees of the los angeles community college district and on the recommendation of the faculty of los angeles southwest college i now confer on each of you who is eligible for the degrees for which you have been recommended with all the rights privileges and responsibilities pertaining to that degree as a representation of your accomplishments and as an outward symbol of your degree if you are wearing a cap and gown i authorize you to stand and switch the tassel of your cap from right to left congratulations class of 2021 we are so proud of you continue to do great things and make us proud thank you so much dr juan what an exciting time can you believe it you graduated i knew you threw stuff all over the house and you're excited and the family's like what are you doing but it's your time to celebrate we should almost call it 2021 wom because you won something you did not quit you persevered so i'm excited about your future and remember the world needs more workers than watchers if you want to heal the world and help out then get out and get to work put your degree to work and stay tuned because the part is not done we have some special congratulatory remarks from all of our lasc family members that are sharing special videos to encourage you along your journey and then we'll have our very own dj who's going to lead us in a dance party so that's right it's gonna be party time it's an after party to the graduation party thank you all so much thank you so so much for participating and then don't forget the after party is coming so it is now time to celebrate the class of 2021 one final time put your hands together the fireworks should be going off congratulations graduates [Music] uh [Music] wow [Music] um [Music] oh [Music] dream it work it yes cougars you did it congratulations class of 2021. greetings class of 2021 this is damien danley what amazing spirits you guys were able to display this year making it through what you did congratulations and i look forward to all the great things you're going to accomplish in the future hi graduates lauren evans here i teach art at lasc and i am so proud of all of you graduates and you have done amazing and we here at lasc are honored to have you as our family and i just want to wish you the best moving forward and go cougars hello as the proud holder of an associate's degree let me welcome all you new holders of associates degrees congratulations grads congratulations lasc cougar class of 2021 ah you made it it's miss petri here your proud lasc counselor i'm so excited and honored to um celebrate you all and to congratulate you all to give you all the light the love the encouragement as you move onward to pursuing your educational and career goals you got this it's been a tough year and so i just want to salute each one of you and send you off with the most love support and encouragement lasc is the place to be and we will always be here rooting for you later i'm so happy to share in the excitement of your graduation congratulations to lasc's class of 2021. greetings my name is dr yvette moff eops counselor on behalf of los angeles southwest college and extended opportunity programs and services congratulations to the class of 2021. i'd like to send a special shout out to all of the eops graduates we are so proud of you congratulations you are graduating class of 2021 i hope you all the best in your future endeavors congrats hey graduates just wanted to stop by and say congratulations i am so proud of you and i look forward to hearing about all of your future successes during the rest of your journey congratulations this has been a tough year but you did it great job felicidades congratulations lasc cougars class of 2021 you did it regardless of all the ups and downs you persevered and made it to the finish line enjoy this moment we're proud of you go cougars hello class of 2021 we are the dream resource center and we want to congratulate all our undocumented scholars and all students for these well-deserved success you keep dreaming big and never put a limit on your dreams [Applause] felicidades congratulations child development graduates we are extremely proud of you we have watched you come through your journey and we saw you succeed go out there and make the best of those children that you come in contact with we love you we love you we love you congratulations cougars you did it you've achieved it now go on and get yourself some more success great job as one of the many beings here at ali southwest i gotta say i am so proud of you let's keep it going congratulations the graduating class of 2021 from los angeles southwest college cougars i am extremely proud of you as a department chair of counseling i can't wait for you to come back as an alumni and tell us all the great things that you've accomplished because that's what cougars do congratulations congratulations to you all cougar 2021 that's really a big achievement i wish you all the best in academic and career pathway go cougar congratulations cougars we are so very proud of you and we wish you the best congratulations class of 2021 we are super proud of you lasc graduates and a special shout out to sociology and social justice studies graduates go out there and change the world congratulations again hello graduates congratulations on your well-deserved success and best wishes for your next adventure we are so proud of you congratulations hey this is dr zanders from the behavioral and social sciences department and we are so proud of you you managed to get through your education at los angeles southwest college even in a pandemic you are amazing and nothing can hold you back congratulations hello graduates know that my message for you comes with much praise good wishes and lots of admiration congratulations congratulations class of 2021 go forth and continue your success go cougars congratulations class of 2021 continue to pursue your goals and dreams and as stated by the late john lewis continue to practice good trouble i wish you all the best and whatever you do professor sharon asler there have been countless reasons for you to stop pushing quit going but you didn't stop you pressed harder you pushed on and now look at you you're a graduate congratulations graduate from lasc and me mrs green congratulations class of 21. you made it on behalf of aso and cowards we congratulate enormous congratulations on your graduation and best wishes for your next adventure go cougars class of 2021 we have experienced a year like no other but through it all you stayed the course and you achieve your academic goals and we are so proud of you so congratulations go cougars hello class of 2021 you have made it this far nothing can stop you now congratulations on your achievement you did it congratulations class of 2021. yay you did it can't wait to hear of all the wonderful things that you'll do we're so proud of you and your accomplishment congratulations again congratulations class of 2021 i'm dr robert wishing that you will go far and do much to help others along the way my name is saharawan and i'm the very proud president of los angeles southwest college on behalf of all of our administrators faculty classified professionals and community we send our heartfelt congratulations to our phenomenal graduates for the class of 2021. continue to be brave to be bold and make us proud go cougars [Music]

Channel: Los Angeles Southwest College (Official)

Views: 4,449

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: Los Angeles Southwest College, Virtual Ceremony, LACCD, Los Angeles Community College District, Los Angeles Community College, Southwest College, Community College, College Ceremony, lasc, lasc ceremony, 2021, Seher Awan, Honors, ceremony, show, quality college, community college los angeles, community college la, best community college, lasc 2021 ceremony, cougars, graduation, virtual ceremony, virtual graduation

Id: 3i-WqgjucsQ

Length: 121min 36sec (7296 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 08 2021