By Alexis Alvarez, May 6, 2025
As finals week creeps up and the countdown for graduation starts, first–generation students say they are eager to finish their degrees and celebrate in May.
While many students set to graduate might celebrate differently, most share the feeling of looking forward to commemorating their new milestone with family and friends.
“Since I was a kid, I dreamed of going to college, and I dreamed of going further with my education and going to grad school and getting the highest degrees possible,” said Dajahnae Brown, a music student specializing in commercial vocal performance. “I just didn’t know that it was actually possible for me because of where I came from.”
Brown, who will be the first in her family to graduate from college, said it’s important her family will be with her to celebrate. She is looking forward to either eating Korean Barbecue or traditional soul food her mom cooks, such as smothered turkey wings, macaroni, yams and cornbread.
“For my family, I think food is just one of the ways we have community with one another,” Brown said. “I feel like you could put all of your love languages into eating together.”
Camille Tojin, a first-generation criminology student, looks forward to celebrating with her family by going to The Cheesecake Factory, the same place she went to when she graduated high school.
Tojin said being the first in her family to graduate means a lot because she is the oldest granddaughter and daughter.
“When I got my regalia, they were starting to get emotional,” Tojin said. “So did my Nina; she was crying. They’re really excited.”
Tojin is grateful for her family’s support throughout college and wants use her degree to make her family proud.
Miguel Angel Geronimo Guzman, a first-generation student majoring in computer science, said the way his family celebrates graduation is mainly kept as a surprise for him, but he is excited to be with his family from the states, and hopefully with his family from Mexico, in a big get-together.
Guzman is looking forward to being with his family for the celebration because COVID-19 made it difficult to stay connected.
“It’s an honor to be a reason for our family to come together and be an example for other male cousins, my brothers, because I’m the oldest, to be an example for them,” Guzman said. “I graduated, and that higher education is something good that they can do to better themselves for the future.”
Guzman is looking forward to his family cooking carne asada, which is thin slices of grilled beef marinated in lime juice and other seasonings, and ceviche, which is a seafood mix that can include crab and shrimp marinated in citrus juice, other vegetables and spices.
He is also excited to participate in Raza Graduation, a cultural event to celebrate graduating Latinx students held May 4.
“I think it’s really cool that setting is there because it feels more intimate,” Gomez said. “The official one by Cal Poly (Pomona), you just go up, get the thing where your certificate will go in and then go sit back down, but for the CECCHE one, a person comes up to you and puts the serape on you.”
Gomez also works for Male Success Initiatives, which will host a more intimate celebration where he will speak about his work and involvement in the program.
More cultural commencements held at Cal Poly Pomona include Native Graduation; WRC Graduation; Lavender Graduation; Asian, Pacific Islander & Desi-American Graduation and Black Graduation.
Feature image courtesy of Alexis Alvarez.
