USD Class of 2024 Celebrates Graduation and 75th Anniversary
For a few thousand University of San Diego (USD) students, a significant life chapter is reaching its crescendo in May – graduation! And, secondly, but quite importantly, a graduation ceremony enjoyed with family and friends. Lots of pictures and videos will follow with smiles and happy tears in abundance.
The class of 2024 graduates during the 75th anniversary year of the University’s founding, eager to celebrate in person and to walk across the stage as they hear their name called. For undergraduate degree recipients who would have been 2020 high school seniors, most, if not all, have not had a proper ceremony since their festivities were canceled or greatly altered due to the Covid-19 pandemic four years ago.
The newest Torero alumni will raise the university’s overall total to 80,000 with representation in all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries – with most living in California and the San Diego region. They reflect the growing diversity of USD’s student population, which includes being a Hispanic-Serving Institution, having strong female representation in the sciences, engineering and all STEM disciplines, and helping military-connected men and women add a degree to their already impressive skill set.
Why do students attend USD, a private, independent Catholic university whose curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts tradition? What inspires them to take action as their knowledge, faith and passion help define their career path? Some reasons include: a quality faculty-student ratio; experiential learning; study abroad; collaborative research; joining a club or organization to build community connections; participate in community service learning; and to be in a campus environment that is visually unique and recognized as one of the most beautiful in the nation by The Princeton Review.
Above all, USD students become true Changemakers in the community and the region. Their experiences bring them to local businesses, nonprofit organizations or to government service. It can even propel a student to go where no other Torero has gone before – Michael Dominick ’05 (BS/BA Engineering) made USD history as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8’s mission into space earlier this year.
University co-founder Mother Hill spoke eloquently about beauty, goodness and truth and its connection to education. Ninth-year USD President James T. Harris, III, DEd, agrees, and enjoys what he sees, too.
“I think we are living out our mission and we try to do that every day,” Harris shared with GB Magazine. “People are committed to it. They talk about being mission-centered, actually use language from our mission or vision statement. When talking about addressing humanity’s challenges, you hear people discuss it in the work they do. I am most proud that we live out the mission and proud we are serving a diverse student population that keeps that mission at their core.”
www.sandiego.edu
