University of Redlands
Dear Faculty and Staff,
What a weekend! Our commencement celebrations were a great success. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to share in the joy of our graduates and their families.
This celebration is what we all work toward throughout the year. The success of each student is why we invest our effort, time, and hope. When our students walk across that stage and receive their diplomas, we are all proud—and we should be. Commencement is the culmination of our hard work and our commitment to the Bulldog community.
Over the past few days, we celebrated more than 1,500 Bulldogs receiving their degrees. We lauded our esteemed honors students. We observed special ceremonies for students in the Johnston Center, students of color, Native students, legacy students, first-generation students, and our LGBTQ+ students. We even celebrated the graduation of our beloved mascot, now mascot emerita, Addie.
We were inspired by keynote addresses from our student commencement speakers—Loren Bassil '22, Sebastian Brown '16, '18, '22, and Montserrat Pineda '22—and our guest speakers Dr. Terri Horton, Dr. Gholnecsar Muhammad, and Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler who are all leaders in their fields. I thank each of them for their unique contribution to the ceremonies.
Equally special in a different way was hearing so many stories from graduates, parents, grandparents, and loved ones who shared with me how the University of Redlands had been a transformative experience. Those one-on-one conversations energized me for the year ahead.
This celebration was possible because of the collective commitment to this institution, and a campus community that values providing a celebratory experience for our Bulldog graduates, their families, and friends. I thank Provost Kathy Ogren for her leadership of the commencement committee, and to the members of the committee who have worked for months to make these celebrations possible.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time in preparation and during the events to create these special moments that are now the treasured memories of our graduates and their loved ones.
Sincerely,
Krista L. Newkirk
President
