Largest graduating class in college history celebrates perseverance, community and human connection during commencement at Harris Center
The sound of “Pomp and Circumstance” the Harris Center for the Arts on Thursday as teal caps and gowns moved through the theater and Folsom Lake College officially opened its 2026 commencement celebration, sending the largest graduating class in the college’s history across the stage with a message rooted in perseverance, belonging and the power of human connection.
The college honored 1,182 graduates in the Class of 2026, with students earning a combined 1,835 associate degrees and 1,018 certificates. The size of the class led Folsom Lake College to hold two commencement ceremonies Thursday, one at 3 p.m. and another at 6:30 p.m., allowing graduates and their families to experience the full ceremony inside the Harris Center on the college’s Folsom campus.
The formal program opened with the processional before Folsom Lake College President Dr. Art Pimentel welcomed the graduates, families, faculty and guests gathered for what he described as a “very special moment.”
“Today, we proudly recognize the accomplishments of the Class of 2026 and the communities of support that helped make this possible,” Pimentel said as the ceremony began.
The Folsom Lake College Falcon’s Choir, under the direction of Maria Pechanova, performed the national anthem before the ceremony moved into the official welcome and opening remarks.
The ceremony then moved into what Pimentel called “smiling season,” a phrase he used to capture the sense of pride and joy filling the Harris Center.
“As I’ve said, today is truly, for many of us, our favorite time of the year,” Pimentel said. “It’s smiling season, as we call it. It’s just incredible to see a sense of accomplishment and joy in every one of your faces as you capture this moment and this important milestone.”
Pimentel reminded graduates that Folsom Lake College often describes itself as a bridge to success, but said that bridge is built by people. He recognized members of the stage party, college leadership, faculty, classified professionals and guest representatives, including Los Rios Community College District Chancellor Dr. Brian King, Student Trustee Brianna Pham, Academic Senate President Wayne Jensen, Classified Senate President Colleen Cohen and Student Senate President Daniya Iralina. The official commencement program listed Jensen, Cohen and Iralina as part of the welcome and introductions, placing faculty, classified professionals and student leadership together near the beginning of the ceremony.
Pimentel also recognized the deans, faculty and staff who would later introduce graduates as they crossed the stage, including Jae Anderson, Dr. Lisceth Brazil-Cruz and Hana Shaik during the 3 p.m. ceremony. The evening ceremony included Sarah Aldea, Carlos Lopez and Diana Tinoco in those roles.
From the opening moments, Pimentel set the tone for a commencement address that was as much about the future as it was about the milestone at hand. He told graduates that his belief in education has always been grounded in people and community.
“When I think about why I got into education in the first place, the answer has always been simple to me,” Pimentel said. “It’s about people and community. I believe in the transformation of education. I believe education can completely change the direction of someone’s life. It did for me, and I have seen it transform other lives and their families as well.”
He told graduates he did not choose education because it was efficient or profitable, but because he believed in human connection.
“I chose education because I believed in the power of human connection,” Pimentel said. “I believe that one conversation, one class, one mentor, one opportunity can make someone believe in themselves and their potential to accomplish anything that they wanted to accomplish.”
After 21 years in the community college system, Pimentel said, he still believes that “to my core.” But he also used his remarks to challenge graduates to think about the society they are entering, particularly as technology and artificial intelligence reshape education, business and the workforce.
“We are living in an interesting time right now,” Pimentel said. “Technology is changing incredibly fast.”
He recalled the early development of Google and the fears that accompanied it, then pointed to the current pace of artificial intelligence. Companies such as NVIDIA, OpenAI and Alphabet, he said, are now worth trillions of dollars and could become future employers for some Folsom Lake College graduates.
“And to be clear, technology absolutely has our place in our future,” Pimentel said. “In fact, I want to acknowledge that Folsom Lake College has embraced that reality. We are proud to have our very own artificial intelligence department led by Professor Suha Aljibori because our students deserve to understand these emerging technologies and help shape how they are used responsibly.”
Pimentel said AI can help solve problems, create opportunities and support innovation in health care, business, science and education. But he cautioned that technology must remain in service to people, not the other way around.
“But there must be a balance because technology should support people, not replace us,” Pimentel said. “There are certain things that simply cannot be replicated by technology.”
He then moved through a series of moments from the college year that he said no machine could duplicate: the Folsom Lake College women’s soccer team winning its second state championship, students finding understanding during a tutoring session, English learners building confidence together at the Rancho Cordova Center, performers staging “Godspell” at Harris Center, students laughing while making cookies during a chemistry activity and students learning chemistry through making ice cream during Science Fridays.
“That is the real college experience,” Pimentel said. “That is the connection we need that will lead to transformation, real life experiences, and to learning.”
The message became personal as he spoke as a father, reflecting on the world his 12-year-old daughter is growing up in. He said he wants her to live in a society that still values teachers, nurses, artists, librarians, counselors, scientists, coaches and true leadership.
“More than anything, I want her to grow up in a world where people and connections still matter,” Pimentel said.
He tied that message directly back to Folsom Lake College, telling graduates the college is not just a place where students earn degrees.
“We’re an institution where students figure out who they are,” Pimentel said. “They build friendships. They build confidence. They discover their purpose and develop the importance of sense of belonging because of the connections that are made here with the faculty, a coach, a tutor, and peers who share their background and interest.”
Pimentel’s charge to the Class of 2026 was clear: embrace the future, but do not surrender community to convenience.
“Graduates, your generation is going to help shape what comes next, each and every one of you,” he said. “My hope for all of you is this: embrace innovation, learn new technologies, adapt to change, be successful, but never stop building community.”
He added, “I hope you go out into the world and chase your dreams. I hope you find success, and I hope you accomplish incredible things. But more than anything, I hope you choose lifelong learning and building community.”
Jensen, speaking on behalf of the faculty of Folsom Lake College, followed with a message centered on persistence. He congratulated the Class of 2026 and said faculty had watched students work through responsibilities, setbacks, uncertainty and barriers.
“Today is a celebration of achievement, but it is also a celebration of persistence,” Jensen said. “Faculty have had the privilege of watching you work through different challenges, responsibilities, setbacks, uncertainty, and even systemic barriers.”
He noted that students balanced jobs, caregiving, military service, long commutes, financial pressures and moments of uncertainty, yet continued moving forward.
“That perseverance matters,” Jensen said.
As a mathematics professor, Jensen framed the graduate journey through the language of equations, variables and graphs, telling students that no single transcript, ZIP code or moment in time can define human potential.
“Human potential is far more complex than any one equation can offer,” he said.
He reminded graduates that their next steps will not all look the same. Some will transfer to universities, some will enter the workforce and others are still deciding what comes next.
“All of those paths are valuable,” Jensen said. “Progress is not always linear.”
Life, he said, often looks less like a straight line and more like a graph with unexpected turns, steep climbs and occasional setbacks. But viewed over time, those movements reveal growth.
“This highlights one of the most powerful ideas in mathematics, and that is that small changes repeated consistently can yield enormous effects,” Jensen said. “A single degree adjustment can change your trajectory.”
Those “degree adjustments,” he said, may have come through a conversation with a caring professor, a class a student almost dropped but stayed in, encouragement from a family member or friend, or a moment when a student felt alone but chose not to give up.
“Those moments, those degree adjustments, they matter possibly more than you may realize,” Jensen said.
He urged graduates to use their education not only for themselves, but for others.
“Success is not only about individual achievement,” Jensen said. “It is also about what you make possible for others. Use your education not simply to better yourselves and your career, but to widen opportunity, create belonging, and strengthen communities.”
Cohen, speaking on behalf of classified professionals, brought the theme of connection back to the practical, daily work of helping students navigate college. She welcomed graduates and their families and said commencement is a celebration of the many relationships that helped students reach the stage.
“Today is really a celebration of those connections because none of you got here alone,” Cohen said.
Cohen shared that she is also a Folsom Lake College alum, though her own academic journey did not follow a straight line.
“It was more of like a 20-year gap year,” she said. “Life happened, work, responsibilities, all the things. And when I finally came back, I was wondering, can I really do this?”
She answered that question for graduates directly.
“Here’s the secret: you can,” Cohen said.
She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree at California State University, Sacramento, not because she had everything figured out, but because she stayed connected to her goal even when the path felt uncertain.
Cohen said that same concept is at the heart of classified services, comparing the work of student support to assembling a puzzle.
“Each of us holds a different piece, whether it’s admissions, financial aid, counseling, outreach, or student support,” Cohen said. “And sometimes, especially at the beginning, it can feel like someone opened the puzzle box, dumped all the pieces on the table, or maybe you lost a corner piece entirely.”
The job of classified professionals, she said, is to help students make sense of those pieces, find the edges and begin seeing the bigger picture of where they are headed.
“And graduates, you’ve done exactly that,” Cohen said.
She recognized both traditional-age students and returning or nontraditional students, telling them their presence at commencement says something about their resilience.
“To our returning and nontraditional students, you are living proof that there is no right timeline,” Cohen said. “Sometimes the scenic route is the one that teaches you the most.”
Iralina, who served as Student Senate president of Associated Students, spoke as both a student leader and a fellow graduate. She reflected on moving to the United States at age 12, growing up in a different culture and speaking a different language. There were times, she said, when she felt she did not belong and struggled to find people who understood her story.
“However, Folsom Lake College never failed to make me feel welcome,” Iralina said.
She said her years at Folsom Lake College allowed her to work alongside students and staff who made the campus the diverse and collaborative community she was proud to call her own.
“To the faculty, staff, and administrators, your tremendous work made stories like mine possible,” Iralina said. “Thank you for your guidance, for the doors you have opened, and for the welcoming space you create every single day.”
She said joining Student Senate during her first semester gave her a way to serve and connect with fellow students.
“You all are the heart of this campus,” Iralina said. “I’m so grateful I got to hear your unique stories.”
Her message mirrored the ceremony’s broader theme that every path matters, whether graduates are entering a career, continuing their education, returning to family or still figuring out exactly what comes next.
“Every single path in this room is worth celebrating,” she said.
Iralina told graduates to be deeply proud of the work that brought them to commencement.
“All of you showed up,” she said. “You pushed through, and you made it.”
She closed by asking classmates to carry the Folsom Lake College community with them.
“Carry the friendships, the lessons, and the knowledge that you’re capable of anything,” Iralina said. “And Folsom Lake College will always be here for you and believe in your success. So please now go and show the world what that looks like.”
King, the Los Rios chancellor, kept his remarks brief but memorable, turning the attention from the stage to the people in the audience and beyond who had helped graduates reach the moment.
“Graduates, congratulations,” King said. “This is such a special day.”
He asked graduates to think about one person who made a difference during their journey toward a degree, whether a faculty member, family member or someone who unexpectedly offered support during a difficult time.
“Picture that face of a person who made a difference in this journey towards your degree today,” King said.
Then he gave the graduates one more assignment.
“The challenge that I want to make to you is don’t just think about it,” King said. “Reach out to that person and share exactly why they were so important to you on the journey.”
He said that could be a conversation, a text message or, for those willing to go further, a handwritten note. “You cannot imagine what joy that would give for someone who has had an impact on your life that made such a difference,” King said.
The day, he reminded graduates, now belonged to them. “Nobody can ever take this day away from you,” King said. “Congratulations to the Class of 2026, and thanks to everyone here and everyone throughout our community who made this possible for our graduates.”
Student speakers Sofia Baratta and Keith Simmons gave the graduating class a voice in the ceremony, offering reflections on doubt, growth, community college and the unexpected confidence found at Folsom Lake College.
“Today, we are celebrating more than just getting a degree,” Baratta said. “We celebrate ourselves and the resilience, growth, and hard work that brought us here.”
Baratta said the excitement in the room was well deserved, but she asked graduates to pause and reflect on the story that brought them there. Her own journey, she said, was not unlike those of many classmates.
“Every day seems to bring a new challenge,” Baratta said. “Some I once believed I could never overcome, yet somehow did.”
She described arriving at community college uncertain, isolated and eager to transfer out as soon as possible. Like many students, she said she struggled with doubt and comparison.
“At the time, I felt that this choice reflected my worth, and I convinced myself that I was capable of more,” Baratta said. “But looking back now, I’ve achieved so much more here than I would have ever thought to, and I cannot be more grateful for my decision.”
Baratta said the choice that first felt disappointing eventually opened doors she had not imagined.
“What you may think may be the wrong choice might just lead you to a hundred better opportunities,” she said.
After her first semester, she began to push herself into campus life through small actions: joining clubs, participating in student life, taking in-person classes and simply complimenting a classmate.
“Those decisions led me to where I am today,” Baratta said.
She said students often spend years answering questions about what they are studying, where they are going and what they plan to do with their education. But those questions, she said, can overshadow a more important one.
“We tend to scare ourselves a lot with what we’re going to do,” Baratta said, before asking graduates to think instead about “who are we going to become?”
Growth, she said, became one of the defining parts of her experience. The uncertainty she once felt has been replaced by confidence in who she is and what she is capable of.
“And today, I see that in all of you,” Baratta said. “There’s so much hope for a future and still so much growth to come. If you feel that you’ve succeeded today, just wait. You’re capable of so much more.”
Baratta reflected on once believing a great college was out of reach. Now, she said, she is preparing to attend UC San Diego after being accepted to nearly every school to which she applied.
“What once felt out of reach is now my reality,” Baratta said.
She credited Folsom Lake College with becoming far more than a stepping stone.
“I came to Folsom Lake College without expectations or any prior knowledge,” Baratta said. “I never imagined that I would find a family here.”
Joining Student Senate, she said, became one of the best decisions she made.
“I looked forward to every meeting with a smile, and I’ll now look back in those moments with an even greater one,” Baratta said. “These memories will always hold a special place in my heart.”
She told classmates that the day was not only about a degree, but about the friendships, relationships and unexpected connections that shaped their time at Folsom Lake College.
“Today is just the beginning of what is to come,” Baratta said. “It is not the finish line, but proof of how far we’ve come and a reminder of how much farther we are capable of going.”
Then, closing with humor and affection for campus life, she added, “Ending on a cheesy note, shout out to the Roost Kitchen staff for making the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had.”
After the remarks, Pimentel returned to the podium for the moment the graduates and their families had been waiting for, noting that the Class of 2026 represented a historic milestone for the college.
“And now comes the part we’ve all been waiting for,” Pimentel said. “Graduates, on behalf of the faculty, classified professional administrators, and the entire college community of Folsom Lake College, it is my great honor to celebrate you and the remarkable achievement that you have accomplished today.”
He then underscored the scale of the class.
“The Class of 2026, I said it was the largest class in the history of Folsom Lake College,” Pimentel said. “It has 1,182 graduates. Together, you are earning an incredible 1,835 degrees and 1,018 certificates.”
The ceremony then shifted from reflection to recognition as graduates prepared to cross the stage. At the afternoon ceremony, names were introduced by Anderson, Brazil-Cruz and Shaik. At the evening ceremony, graduates were introduced by Aldea, Lopez and Tinoco.
One by one, graduates walked across the Harris Center stage. Some smiled broadly. Some paused just long enough to take in the moment. Others looked toward the audience, searching for family members and friends who had helped them reach the stage. The theater answered with cheers, applause and the unmistakable sound of pride from those who knew how much work stood behind each name.
The conferment completed the ceremonial transition from degree candidate to graduate. It also carried one of commencement’s most familiar traditions: the movement of the tassel. The commencement program notes that candidates wear tassels on the right before moving them to the left once degrees are conferred, signaling their new status as degree holders.
The Class of 2026 included summer 2025 graduates, fall 2025 graduates and prospective spring 2026 graduates, reflecting a full academic year of achievement. The program also recognized honors and highest honors distinctions for summer and fall graduates, while noting that spring honors recognition will be posted to student transcripts after final evaluation.
For some graduates, Thursday’s ceremony marked the completion of a transfer pathway to a four-year university. For others, it represented career education training, an associate degree, a certificate or a credential designed to move directly into the workforce. Some graduates returned to college after years away. Others balanced coursework with jobs, family responsibilities, military service, financial hardship or uncertainty about what came next. Many became the first in their families to reach a college commencement stage.
Together, their stories reflected the college’s mission. Folsom Lake College describes its work as opening minds and doors through education while embracing knowledge, experience, equity and innovation. The college serves students seeking foundational skills, career goals, transfer opportunities, associate degrees and certificates.
That mission was visible throughout the ceremony, not only in the formal program, but in the words spoken from the stage. Pimentel spoke of education as transformation and connection. Jensen reminded graduates that progress is rarely linear. Cohen told them there is no right timeline. Iralina urged them to carry the community with them. King asked them to thank the people who helped them reach the moment. Baratta reminded them that a path that once felt uncertain can become the doorway to something greater.
As the recessional began and graduates and dignitaries made their way out of the ceremony area, the formal program came to a close. But the celebration continued beyond the stage, into the lobby and the parking lot, and into the arms of families and friends waiting for photos, hugs and the first moments after the title of graduate became real.
For Folsom Lake College, Thursday’s commencement marked a record class and a major institutional milestone. For the graduates, it marked something far more personal: the end of one climb, the beginning of another and the moment the Falcons spread their wings toward whatever comes next.
Copyright © 2026, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
