Class 2026 SSF Resident Keila Miller Reminds Us What Graduation Means

“It’s May, the month of yes you may!”, the lyrics of the summer song in Camelot. May, the month of early summer, is also a month for graduation. So, it’s time to say you may graduate and the start of something remarkable in one’s life. The beginning of becoming.

Pam , mother of the graduating daughter invited the author to save May 22 when her eldest daughter Keila who was graduating from college. Keila Eres Miller is a thorough South San Franciscan from the time she was born to going to schools in Westborough to South San Francisco High School received her Bachelor in Education, Child Development degree from California State University, Sacramento on May 22, 2026. It was also Keila’s birthday on May 21.

The graduation was held at Golden 1 Center, NBA Kings stadium***. The large one thousand graduates were divided into two morning and afternoon groups to get proper accommodations.

The graduates were to register first to get inside the stadium. The visitors and guests with tickets waited outside the stadium , hot sun streaming before the event started. Good, Pam had pre-reserved tickets for the two cars; the streets were blocked around the stadium so there was traffic to get to the parking lot. We saw the morning graduates walking with their families out in streets.

We always hear about “commencement” upon graduation; though students meant it is the end of college tests, homeworks, projects, semesters of classes after classes. Commencement actually means a beginning in someone’s life. Graduation isn’t an end road; to advance in life , one becomes an eternal student , always taking tests and looking for solutions.

Young high school graduates are now asking if it’s worth going to college? Or is it wasting your time. Some of the richest humans on earth are college dropouts. AI advertises you don’t need college to earn $$, just create your own company. But college isn’t just about earning a living or $$, it’s educating your entire body, mind, spirit for there are several kinds of intelligence: the capacity for creativity, critical thinking, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, problem solving, self-awareness, learning, understanding, abstraction, logic, empathy.

Also, it’s time to experience grueling academic challenges from professor to figure out your assignment at the same time learn wisdom, a time for fun to experience dorm life, networking with humans of diverse backgrounds, partying, studying together, time to fall in love , question about existence or spiritual life, or dream about creating something worthwhile

A pre-ceremony started with shout-out from the supporters(parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, friends) to the graduates and back to the supporters. Crews with microphones were going around the stadium to get a shout out from supporters how proud of they are of the graduate and how much they love them. The graduates shouted back a lot of thank you and I love you for their support. It takes a village to support one student. Lots of shouts and dancing were seen around the stadium. The department for afternoon session were from the College of Education, Engineering & Computer Science, Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics) , Mathematics.

The ceremony began when folks representing their department marched in with banners & the traditional graduation marching hymn including deans, head of departments, finally with the Provost and the President of the university. Dr J. Luke Wood gave an inspirational and motivational commencement speech ; he said the university for the first time had degrees in sign language and deaf studies, part of his speech was in sign language.

Elizabeth G. Hill was the only recipient of the 2026 Recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD), a fomer Legislative Analyst, Retired from the State of California for her work on legislative research & policies.

Instead of a celebrity guest speaker, three women graduates were selected as inspirational speakers. Somaya Faruqi originally from Afghanistan received the Presidential Award for outstanding academic achievement but particularly for her projects in empowering women, innovating and inventing machines like there was a lack of respirators during Covid, she created an alternative respirator for use using her STEM skills and knowledge.

Then came the conferring of degrees and diplomas onstage first with the Doctorate degrees, Masters, Bachelors, Credentials. The President told them not to leave the stadium because the complete conferring of degrees will be until the last student left the stage. As each student received his diploma cheers were heard from family members in the audience.

Keila finally came up onstage to receive a diploma from Provost and a handshake from the President.

All the summa, magna, cum laude were told to stand up to be recognized . Finally at the end, the President said to move their cap tassels from the right to the left. Cheers erupted and words “ We did it.” were heard

After the event, the graduates posed with families for photoshoot and received flowers and gifts outside the stadium

The next day Keila celebrated with two cakes, one for her birthday, one for her graduation at the home of her uncle Paolo and Lorraine Augustin at Rocklin. The parents Pam & Bill Miller, brother Kione, along with family, friends and relatives were all proud of Keila.

The weekend was Memorial Day, we noticed a lot of traffic. Oh, Paul Anka was in Thunder Valley to give a concert.

Addendum:

Though author is Golden State Warriors fan, but let’s give credit where credit is due.

***Noteworthy facts about the NBA Kings $ stadium where graduation took place. The Sacramento Kings is the oldest NBA franchise , started as Rochester Seagrams in 1923.
The Golden 1 Center King stadium is the greenest sustainable arena in NBA : 100% solar energy , powered by rooftop panels, water conservation through reclamation, smart climate control using open innovative doors bringing fresh air breezes, using local farms for food source, zero waste through recycling , cutting edge tools with smart fiber optics. No wonder the Kings’ stadium is ranked as the best arena in the NBA by ESPN.

The greenest stadium in the NBA.