June 2022

SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 11, 2022— More than 10,000 jubilant family members and supporters joined Santa Clara University’s Class of 2022 across the Mission campus to celebrate the University’s 171st commencement on June 11.

In six groups throughout the day, the class of 2022 —which included nearly 1,500 undergraduates and more than 700 graduate students dressed in gowns and academic regalia —walked in procession with their guests along a 0.75-mile route through campus. The procession culminated at the Mission Church, where each class member heard their name read as they crossed a stage created for the occasion.

“Our community has been made more vibrant, more connected, and greatly enriched by your time here,” said Acting President Lisa Kloppenberg in brief remarks to students. “May you use your Santa Clara education to continue being a light for one another, and to bring your light to a world that awaits, and needs you.”

The events were livestreamed for those who were unable to attend.

The undergraduate class of 2022 was composed of 51 percent female students and 49 percent males. An estimated 42 percent were white; 19 percent Asian; 18 percent Hispanic; and 8 percent two or more races.

A week of celebratory events preceded the graduates’ official commencement day, including a June 4 Golden Circle concert, featuring the band Journey, and a June 10 Campus Liturgy and Grad Bash.

At a Senior Awards and Toast June 1, undergraduate valedictorian Kendall Moore ’22, a Johnson Scholar and neuroscience and ethnic studies major, gave an address to her classmates, praising the inclusive “spaces” they created at Santa Clara.

“You're all off to amazing companies, jobs, places, and schools, and I know you'll be successful,” Moore said. But she said she was even more impressed by “actions we have taken as a class to ensure that there is support and visibility for every single person at SCU.” Moore added, “we will continue to center these values as we go into a new world and create spheres of life that have more room for more voices, opinions, and ideas, even if they go against the standard and even if it means checking and questioning pre-existing systems of power.”

Among the awards given to outstanding seniors:

• Angelus McNally ‘22 received the St. Clare Medal and Yash Tanna ‘22 received the Nobili Medal, both for seniors who demonstrate outstanding personal character, involvement in school activities, and overall contribution to the University.
• Emmanuel Ifeanyi Ifediba ‘22 received the Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J. Award, given to a graduate who exemplifies the ideals of Jesuit education.
• Jacqueline Ramirez ‘22, Katella Silva ‘22, and Alexis Takagi ‘22 received the Richard J. Riordan Award, which recognizes outstanding community service contributions.

Law and Theology Commencements May 21

On May 21, the School of Law and the Jesuit School of Theology celebrated their commencements in SCU’s Mission Gardens and All Souls Episcopal Church in Berkeley, respectively.

Arthur G. Holder, a professor of Christian spirituality and former dean at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, addressed JST’s 36 graduates, urging them to use their experiences of solidarity and “capacity for empathy” in their future ministries.

Federal District Judge Edward J. Davila addressed 233 School of Law graduates and encouraged them to build on their strong legal foundation to preserve the ideal of justice for all. “Freedom, democracy, the fundamental right to be free and live in peace in a fair and just society is not universal and must never be taken for granted,” he said.

About Santa Clara University
Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University sits in the heart of Silicon Valley—the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial region. The University’s stunningly landscaped 106-acre campus is home to the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís. Ranked among the top 15 percent of national universities by U.S. News & World Report, SCU has among the best four-year graduation rates in the nation and is rated by PayScale in the top 1 percent of universities with the highest-paid graduates. SCU has produced elite levels of Fulbright Scholars as well as four Rhodes Scholars. With undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, and graduate programs in six disciplines, the curriculum blends high-tech innovation with social consciousness grounded in the tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education. For more information see www.scu.edu.

Media Contact
Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Communications | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121