Capping off a successful Spring 2023 semester, Laney College held its graduation fully in person. The graduation took place on May 26 at the Laney Field and included speeches from Laney President Dr. Rudy Besikof, Oakland City Council Member Treva Reid, and Valedictorian Kenneth Z. Lester. In his speech, Lester shared some encouraging words for those who may not feel like they're "Valedictorian material":
"Academic success always seemed to me to be a realm reserved for a different type of person than I saw myself as. Valedictorians got up early, had tutors, and read the works of great philosophers in their free time. Instead, I'd stay up late and play Nintendo for 5 hours straight and curse like a sailor, and still do (sorry, Grandma). I think one of the most profound things I learned while I was here at Laney College is that that's a myth. There is no such thing as a 'Valedictorian type', just as there's no such thing as an 'athlete type', or an 'astronaut type', or an 'activist type'. There is only who you are and what you want to be, and those two things can exist simultaneously without one affecting the other whatsoever."
Congratulations to the Laney College class of 2023!
To view the full commencement ceremony, click here or watch the video below.
Here are a few photos taken during the event.
More photos from the Laney graduation ceremony are available on SmugMug here: