As the final names echoed across the sunlit lawn in front of Cal State University Northridge’s iconic library on Monday morning, a wave of cheers swept through the crowd. Graduates grinned as they turned their tassels, some raising cellphones to snap selfies, others lifting their fists in triumph—the Class of 2025 had officially crossed the finish line.

Those graduates—soon to be nutritionists, therapists, athletic trainers, public health experts, and more, earned their degrees through years marked by a global pandemic, regional wildfires, and repeated disruptions. Many are the first in their families to attend colleges, and some juggled coursework with the daily demands of caring for loved ones. So on this day, they walked with pride.

CSUN President Erika Beck recognized the determination of first-generation students and the challenges this class had overcome.

“Graduates, you are all here today because of your tenacity, hard work and sacrifice,” she said. “You have inspired us to become more inclusive, more innovative, and more responsive to the unique needs of all of our students. You have pushed boundaries, asked difficult questions and demanded excellence, not only from yourself, but also from your university.”

Beck also encouraged graduates to step boldly into a changing world.

“We live in times of increasing complexity and rapid change that presents us with challenges on a whole host of fronts, challenges that are daunting and elicit uncertainty and apprehension,” she said. “And looking out at all of you today, I have every confidence that you are up for the challenge.”

The 8 a.m. ceremony on Monday was the sixth of seven graduation ceremonies held over the past four days. CSUN expects to confer degrees on about 10,798 students — including 8,678 undergraduates and 2,122 graduate students.

On Monday, the school honored students from the College of Health and Human Development, including those graduating from the departments of Family and Consumer Sciences, Kinesiology, Health Sciences, Assistive Technology Studies and Human Services, Physical Therapy, Recreation and Tourism Management and Environmental and Occupational Health.

It began with the national anthem performed by the CSUN Jazz “A” Band. University leaders then acknowledged the Indigenous people of California who lived on the land where CSUN now sits, followed by a video from the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians offering traditional songs and congratulations.

As students marched onto the lawn to the familiar strains of “Pomp and Circumstance,” many wore graduation caps decorated with flowers, photos, and messages of pride and encouragement. Some displayed their majors and minors, while others offered affirmations like, “After the storm’s when the flowers bloom,” and “You don’t have to be sorry, you’re leaving and growing up.”

Eduardo Teran, who received his Doctor of Physical Therapy, addressed the crowd as the student commencement speaker. He reflected on his academic path, which he described as “a journey of both resilience and purpose.”

Teran first earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at CSUN during the height of the pandemic, then returned for graduate school. Seven years ago to the day, he married his wife, and today they are raising a baby boy.

“So Class of 2025, I invite you now to embrace your new roles, not just as professionals, but as advocates for hope and for change,” Teran said, closing his speech with a call to uplift others. “Help others find their strength, elevate one another and let’s move this world together.”

For Mauri Jones and her daughter, Imani Foreman, that message felt especially personal. The two crossed the stage together on Monday morning, graduating side by side—a milestone neither will forget.

“We’ve been on this journey together for awhile, so it’s been awesome to be here to share this experience,” said Jones, who earned a bachelor’s degree in health administration. “I was supposed to graduate next semester, but I discovered if I took three classes, I could cross the stage today, and I’ll be able to cross with her.”

Her daughter, who earned her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, said studying alongside her mother shaped her work ethic and determination.

“Growing up with her, her tenacity, (she’s) telling me to work hard,” Foreman said. “Then she’s also telling me to work hard and to not give up.”

For others, the journey to graduation took a little longer, not because of lack of determination, but because life had other plans.

Stephen Balian had planned to go straight to college after high school, but when his family’s restaurant began struggling during the pandemic he put his education on hold to help keep the restaurant afloat.

“I’m proud of myself,” he said. “It’s been a lot of adversity, but I got through.”

After six years, Balian enrolled in college, switched his major from culinary arts to kinesiology, and is now graduating with honors.

While some graduates returned to school after time away, others carried the hopes of their families as they crossed the stage.

For Samantha Golfo Jarencio, whose parents immigrated from the Philippines, walking the stage felt like more than a personal victory.

“It is so awesome,” said Golfo Jarencio, who earned a bachelor’s degree in public health. “Coming from immigrant households, like my parents, they came from very poor backgrounds and really just wanted the best for me. So I feel like I got to fulfill their wishes, but also reaching for my own goals at the same time.”