UC Berkeley graduates celebrate campuswide commencement

UC Berkeley graduates celebrate campusewide commencement

Thousands of UC Berkeley students marked a major milestone at Saturday’s commencement ceremony, celebrating years of hard work while facing a more competitive job market ahead.

BERKELEY, Calif. - UC Berkeley’s campus was buzzing with excitement on Saturday morning as thousands of students gathered for the university’s campuswide commencement ceremony - a defining moment marking the end of years of hard work and the start of a new chapter.

The mood was a mix of celebration, exhaustion, and reflection, with students running on adrenaline, and in some cases, very little sleep.

From finals to the finish line

"It's unbelievable. I finished a 7 to 10 p.m. final last night, so I got out less than 12 hours before I graduate," said Oli Maynard, a graduating student.

Many students spent their final night before commencement soaking up the last moments with classmates.

"Three hours," said Sydney Wittington when asked how much sleep they got. "We were at the Campanile. We were all hanging out with the class for the last time last night… It's been electric, it's been amazing. We were all at Tap Haus earlier, the bar near campus. We were all in photo booths, we were drinking mimosas. It's been a great morning."

Among those graduating was 2024 Olympic gold medalist Jack Alexy.

"I'll be swimming professionally," Alexy said of his post-graduation plans.

An uncertain job market

While the atmosphere was largely celebratory, there was an undercurrent of economic reality. Graduates are entering a job market more competitive than it has been in recent years, with many companies cutting back on hiring.

"It's been extremely tough. A lot of companies don't have the same positions that they were able to a couple months ago, so it's been kind of dealing with that - but staying persistent, obviously," said Nicholas Sweet, another graduate.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, fewer companies plan to hire recent graduates this summer compared to last fall. The unemployment rate for recent grads neared 6% in March, slightly lower than the year before.

Some students are opting to continue their education rather than head straight into the workforce.

"It's just been really difficult, and increasing your degree has always been beneficial. You can do a doctorate or a Master's," Maynard said.

For many families, the day marked a proud milestone.

"I'm a Cal State grad. I went to Cal State Humboldt - now Cal Poly, thank you - and she went to Davis. So we're all California public school folks, and we think it's wonderful that Berkeley is also a public school and one of the most amazing institutions to go to," said Evan Pinto, who traveled from Laguna Beach, to watch his son graduate with an economics degree.

And as with any Cal celebration, school pride was on full display - often at the expense of their cross-Bay rivals.

"It's a lot of hard work to graduate here, especially in four years. We're blessed and lucky to go to the best school in America, and thank God we don't go to Stanford," said graduate Tanner Kenin.

"Go Bears!" echoed across campus as students celebrated the end of one journey and the beginning of another.