Chaffey Graduates Celebrated Through Culture, Community

Colorful flags, trumpets, drums and inspirational words filled a trio of cultural graduation celebrations at Chaffey College’s Rancho Cucamonga and Chino campuses in April and May.

Chaffey highlights the rich diversity of its graduating class every year through the events, which focus on Black, Latino and LGBTQIA+ graduates, but are open to everyone.

Helen Iris Torres, CEO of Hispanas Organized for Political Equity, told graduates at the Nuestra Celebration of Graduates on May 7 that their stories, voices and leadership matter.

“Do not shrink yourself to make others feel comfortable. Do not allow anyone to make you feel like your identity is somehow something to overcome. It is part of your power,” she said.

 

At the Lavender celebration April 30, Professor of History Ian Baldwin spoke about the gay liberation movement of the 1970s, and how graduates are playing a role to advance it. He applauded students for their commitment to authenticity.

“You probably will never know this, but you are inspiring others just by being yourself,” he said.

Student speaker Linayha Espindola emphasized that forces attempting to push LGBTQIA+ communities back into the shadows remain present today, and simply by being unafraid to be yourself is an act of defiance against those forces.

“These acts of resistance and existence are needed more than ever to show that queerness is something to be celebrated, and how lucky we are to be here tonight doing that all together,” she said.

Drummers from African Soul International led a procession of graduates, faculty and staff into the Chino Community Center where they assembled on the dance floor May 8 for Rites of Passage. The standing-room-only gathering celebrated the class of 2026 in general, but also its achievements in completing English 1A and 1B – a part of the Umoja “Language as Power” ceremony.

“The Umoja Language as Power ceremony is meant to honor our students’ voices and encourage them to continue their academic journey, by recognizing and celebrating each step along the way,” said Professor of English Charles Williams.

Williams said that Black Chaffey students are outperforming their peers in transfer-level English and since 2022, they’ve had a pass rate of 96 percent.

Professor of Communications Taisha McMickens announced Jasmine Desulma and Shawnte Finley as the recipients of $500 Black Minds Matter Memorial Scholarships. Williams was honored with the Donna Colondres Ethic of Love Award.

Chaffey College student Hussayn Khalfani-Bey, serving as keynote speaker, recalled the challenges that graduates faced to make it to graduation, such as late nights studying and unexpected life changes. He told them that the discomfort of learning is what has prepared them for their futures.

“In this room, we have future leaders, professors, business owners, counselors, artists and dancers who are going to excel wherever they go,” he said.