Another excellent graduation weekend

KSBW-TV covered the Stevenson College commencement, and the LA Times quoted me in a story about the challenge of shaking thousands of hands during graduation. Photo by Adrianne Waite.

Commencement is always inspiring, and this year was no different. I met so many excited graduates and heard from dozens of grateful parents. There's almost nothing better than hearing a proud mother or father talk about how they've seen their child grow intellectually and as a person during their years at UCSC. Our Public Affairs team put together a great video that captures the spirit of the weekend.

And yes, I estimate I shook more than 3,500 hands over the weekend--and then was quoted in a Los Angeles Times story on that very topic. I like what Lane Glenn, president of Northern Essex Community College in Massachusetts, said about smiling so much during commencement that his cheeks get tired. All in the line of duty, I say.

The campus feels pretty quiet this week. Parking lots are nearly empty, and the deer and squirrels are venturing farther from usual their nooks and crannies. We're in transition, but I know staff are hard at work preparing to host student orientation in just a few weeks. And so the cycle will begin again.

Comments or questions? Write to chancellor@ucsc.edu and put "Commencement" in the subject line.