Graduation season is one of the most satisfying in higher education. Each cap tossed in the air represents not just the pure joy of success, but the inspiring story of all the toughest moments that each graduate had to navigate in order to find their way forward. Across the University of California, we’re so proud of our 84,000 graduates and of all they have had to overcome, having entered college when the pandemic was still impacting us all on a daily basis.
It’s not the easy victories that inspire us; it’s the ones that require heart and perseverance. Often, there are circles of people, near and far, helping us along the way. I’m thinking about all of the people who have had a hand in sending those caps flying into the air, whether loving family members, loyal friends, or dedicated faculty and staff. It’s important to remember that our efforts matter every day. Our community relies on our integrity and our character as individuals and as an institution. Today’s efforts yield benefits to the public good far into the future.
An example: Last week, while attending a celebration for a clinical expansion of UC Riverside Health, I had the opportunity to reconnect with a gentleman named Ernest Levister. I’ve known Ernie for decades – he has devoted years of his life to advocating for greater opportunity for students of all backgrounds who want to go to medical school. I remember him as a community activist, testifying in Sacramento in the early 2000s in his quest to create more opportunities in medicine, and to advance access to health care for communities in the Inland Empire. His was of course one voice among many, but fast forward 25 years, and the UC Riverside School of Medicine graduated its ninth class last week. Since its inception, the medical school has graduated 454 physicians, with 26 percent completing their residencies in the Inland Empire, and more on the way. This is truly a dream fulfilled; the result of a community coming together around a common goal, and then providing the energy and support to make it happen.
Keep an eye out for people around you like Dr. Levister, who are working today to create opportunities for students who will graduate 25 years from now. Take heart in the amazing community that encompasses our 10 campuses, our six academic medical centers, and three affiliated National Laboratories. And to the University of California graduates of 2025, know that we believe in you. We can’t wait to see what you do next.
Congratulations — and Fiat Lux!
Michael V. Drake, M.D.
UC President