Cheers to the Santiago Canyon College Class of 2025 ...Middle East

Santiago Canyon College honored its graduating Class of 2025 during the commencement June 5 at Fred Kelly Stadium on the campus of El Modena High School. Graduates are transferring to institutions across the University of California and California State University systems as well as private institutions including Chapman, USC and Yale.

Here is a message to the graduates from SCC President Jeannie Kim:

Today, we don’t just celebrate the end of something. We celebrate the beginning. A beginning you have created with courage, curiosity, and relentless determination.

You are not just graduates. You are the prototype of a new era.

The first generation of post-pandemic, AI-era learners, the ones who didn’t follow the script, you actually rewrote it. With late nights, early mornings, part-time jobs, full-time jobs, full-time responsibilities, and of course, full hearts. Some of you studied between nursing or restaurant shifts. Some of you logged in after putting your kids to bed. Some of you are the first in your family to ever walk across a stage like this. And all of you are here because you didn’t give up.

A personal reflection

I want to share something with you, not just as your college president, but as a mother, as a woman who has walked through storms and still stood, and as someone who believes deeply in the power of education to transform not just individuals, but generations.

Some of you know that I’m the mother of a beautiful, now 27-year-old son named Nathaniel. He’s nonverbal, fed through a gastronomy tube in his stomach, and no longer able to walk or stand. He is medically complex and requires around-the-clock support because he is 100% dependent on others for care. Our days are filled with both beauty and battle, and yet every day Nathaniel teaches me that strength is quiet, presence is power, and love is far greater than anything we can measure.

And just a few weeks ago, I sat in the audience of another graduation for my 25-year-old daughter, Elise, who earned her master’s degree in school counseling from NYU. As she crossed the stage, I was flooded with memories of scraped knees and whispered fears, of school projects and hard conversations about life and relationships. But we also celebrated the small everyday moments that slowly shape a human soul. Watching her become the kind of woman who will help others find their way through academics and life, that was a full-circle moment for me because raising children and inspiring students isn’t about control. It’s about cultivating something sacred, the ability to imagine, to care, to question, to dream, to rise, no matter what this world or life throws at you.

To the parents, families and supporters

So let me take a moment to speak directly to you, the parents, the grandparents, the siblings, the mentors, the chosen families sitting in the crowd holding back tears or beaming with pride.

This day belongs to you, too. You were there through the late-night doubts, the financial sacrifices, the emotional breakdowns, the red-eyed drives, and the whispered, “You’ve got this.”

Whether you were cheering from the sidelines or silently praying from the room next door, you helped raise not just graduates but compassionate, resilient, powerful human beings. You didn’t just nurture minds, you nurtured their futures. And for that, I thank you.

Standing at the edge of change

Class of 2025, you are stepping into a world defined by change, rapid, relentless, and remarkable.

Artificial intelligence is already shaping the world you’re walking into. It can write code, compose music, diagnose disease, and yes, even write a decent essay. But what it can’t do is dream. It can’t care. It can’t imagine a better world and then build it.

That’s where you come in. Because while the future may be built with algorithms, it will be led by humans. Humans with empathy, with vision, with heart. Humans who have the courage to ask, “Just because we can, should we?”

Where you’re headed next

I won’t pretend the road ahead will be easy.

Some of you will launch startups, some will continue or return to jobs, some will transfer to four-year universities, join nonprofits, raise children, or change fields entirely.

Many of you will reinvent yourselves again and again, and that’s okay.

But wherever you go and whatever you do, I want you to remember this: You already know how to adapt. You already know how to overcome. You already know how to lead, because you’ve done it here.

Today, as you walk across the stage, you carry more than a degree. You carry the spirit of a builder. You are not waiting for the world to invite you in. You’re shaping it, daring to imagine what’s possible and boldly creating the future you want to live in.

So, here’s my advice

First, stay uncomfortable. That’s where growth lives. Growth doesn’t happen in the comfort zones. It happens when you stretch beyond what you thought you were capable of.

Second, be both dreamer and doer. Don’t wait for perfect plans. Just start. The world needs your vision, but it needs your action as well. Dreams without motion stay locked in our minds but when you begin, even imperfectly, courageously, and without all the answers, you turn ideas into impact. And if you fail, let failure teach you. You don’t need a flawless roadmap to move you forward. You need belief, initiative, and the willingness to figure it out as you go.

Three, keep learning. The diploma is just the beginning. In a world that’s changing faster than ever, your willingness to keep learning will be your greatest advantage.

Number four, use technology but don’t lose yourself in it. We are living in a time of breathtaking innovation. Where artificial intelligence, automation, and digital tools can amplify what we create, how we solve problems, and the speed at which we move. But with that power comes responsibility. Technology should serve your purpose, not replace your presence.

And lastly, most of all, have integrity and be kind. It’s the most underrated form of leadership in the world. In a world that often rewards ambition, speed, and visibility, never underestimate the quiet power of character. Integrity means doing what’s right, even when no one is watching. It means choosing honesty over convenience, values over shortcuts, and consistency over applause. It’s the anchor that keeps you grounded when success tempts you to drift. And kindness, real intentional kindness, is not a weakness. It is a strength with open hands. It’s listening when it’s easier to talk, lifting others up when you’re still climbing yourself, and treating every person with dignity, no matter their title or their role. Kindness disarms. It builds trust. It opens doors that credentials alone cannot. So, lead with your heart as much as your mind. The world doesn’t just need brilliance, it needs goodness, and you are capable of both.

You are not the future – you are the now

The world won’t be transformed by the smartest machines. It will be transformed by the bravest humans, people like you, who have faced challenge with grit, led with heart, and stood firm in the moments of doubt.

So go boldly forward, live with purpose, lead with empathy, dream without apology, and never forget, you are the authors of a future we cannot yet imagine, but desperately need.

Take flight and continue to soar as only an SCC Hawk can.

Congratulations, Class of 2025! The world is not waiting for you, it is depending on you.

Santiago Canyon College By the Numbers

Graduates: 1,400

Age of graduates: 17-77

Degrees and certificates conferred: 3,600

Military veteran graduates: 17

Unique class highlights:

Pairs of twins: 4

Pairs of siblings: 11

Sets of parents graduating with their children: 2

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