Nearly 450 graduates took part in three separate ceremonies at University of California, Merced last week. “Neither chilly temperatures nor a thick blanket of dense fog could dampen the smiles and spirits of hundreds of Bobcats as they participated in UC Merced’s Fall 2022 Commencement,” read a tweet on UC Merced’s official channel.

The UC Merced Fall 2022 Schedule kicked off with the Graduate Division ceremony on Friday, December 16. It was held in The Art Kamangar Center at The Merced Theatre. The School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts held its commencement ceremony the following morning in the same venue. The final event was held at noon by the School of Engineering & School of Natural Sciences.

In his welcome address, Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said graduation was a time to focus on success, after students had gone through years of learning and growing with the guidance of the university’s academe. In the process, Ph.D. students were now set to further human understanding, master’s students had gained the professional depth to add value, and undergraduates had become adult learners, shaping their own educational experience for the first time.

“You are all essential members of this UC Merced community, helping us build a culture of inquiry, discovery and learning that will last for generations,” the chancellor said. “You have persevered through challenges and overcome obstacles — never more so than during the pandemic — and you leave UC Merced more prepared than ever to succeed in your careers and in your lives. You are boldly setting out to contribute to a world that desperately needs your ideas, your problem-solving abilities, your passion, and your willingness to explore, create and innovate.”

“Neither chilly temperatures nor a thick blanket of dense fog could dampen the smiles and spirits of hundreds of Bobcats as they participated in UC Merced’s Fall 2022 Commencement. Nearly 450 graduates took part in three separate ceremonies.”

Neither chilly temperatures nor a thick blanket of dense fog could dampen the smiles and spirits of hundreds of Bobcats as they participated in UC Merced's Fall 2022 Commencement. Nearly 450 graduates took part in three separate ceremonies. https://t.co/jkaHTLoVDb #UCM2022 pic.twitter.com/ZXNPU1O2th

— UC Merced (@ucmerced) December 22, 2022