UCSD Graduates 100,000th
Student During Weekend Ceremonies

By Pat JaCoby I June 13, 2005

Alma Kim and her parents marched into commencement ceremonies Saturday for the 1,100 members of Thurgood Marshall College class of '05 and filed into the center section, fourth row, seats 5, 6 and 7. Taped under the seat of one of those chairs was a UCSD Alumni Association license holder with the designation "100,000th graduate" and, much to her surprise, Alma soon found herself up on the stage and in the spotlight.

Minutes earlier, Chancellor Marye Anne Fox had told the audience of more than 8,000 on RIMAC lawn that "this year we are celebrating the graduation of UCSD's 100,000th student, and we have learned that that graduate is a Thurgood Marshall student." She then asked the students and guests to look under their chairs.

Chancellor Marye Anne Fox with the 100,000th graduate, Alma Kim, and her parents.

A nervous Alma drew a laugh from the crowd when she said, "I'm not used to public speaking and I don't have a speech prepared." And then added, "it's rewarding to be here representing the 100,000th and all of you." In addition to the license plate, Alma received flowers and balloons from the Alumni Association, which had tracked the 100,000th designation from the first four-year undergraduate class of 181 in 1968. The Marshall College graduate, with a major in management science and a minor in Spanish literature, was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, but moved to San Diego with her parents when she was 5.

Chancellor Fox, who welcomed students and spoke at all eight weekend graduation ceremonies, quoted author William Styron's observation that "a great book should leave you with many experiences. You should feel slightly exhausted at the end. And you should live several lives while reading it." And she noted, "in the same way, a great education like the one you have had at UCSD has left you with many experiences: You have gained knowledge across the disciplines, you have learned life lessons in many settings, and you have connected personally with people from different cultures and backgrounds. And you probably feel slightly exhausted at the end of your undergraduate career."

A nervous Alma Kim drew a laugh from the crowd when she said, "I'm not used to public speaking and I don't have a speech prepared."

Thurgood Marshall College Provost Cecil Lytle, serving as University Marshall, told the audience that "we have 1,100 souls who have met our academic requirements.and 1,100 chances to save the world." Listing scholastic attributes, Lytle drew audience chuckles when he noted "some of you learned to shave when you were here, and some of you learned not to shave." State Sen. John Vasconcellos, D-San Jose, served as commencement speaker.

Because Marshall students receive their diplomas with two family members at their side, the graduation is the longest of any of the weekend rites. Others held on Saturday under gray skies were Muir College, at 8:30 a.m., and the International Relations/Pacific Studies graduate school at 10 a.m. Anson Chan, the first woman and first Chinese person to hold the second highest government position in Hong Kong, was commencement speaker at the IR/PS ceremony.

The five Sunday graduations started at 8:30 a.m. when Revelle College graduates received their degrees on the RIMAC lawn, followed by Eleanor Roosevelt College in RIMAC Arena, and Sixth College with its charter class of 10 graduating seniors. Members of the Graduate Division received their degrees at 2 p.m. and the busy day ended when more than 1,200 members of Earl Warren College received their degrees on RIMAC lawn and heard actor Ricardo Chavira, who plays a leading role on the popular "Desperate Housewives" TV drama and is a MFA graduate of UCSD, as commencement speaker.