"Your day has finally arrived. And it's truly a great day.  It's not just the musical strains of Pomp and Circumstance and all the cheers that make the day feel so good. I am thrilled for where you will go next, who you will become and how you make your mark on the world," so began UC Davis Chancellor Gary May when he addressed the Graduate Studies Class of 2023 at its commencement on Thursday afternoon, June 15 in the University Credit Union Center (formerly the ARC Pavillion).

"Graduate Studies Class of 2023, you give us faith that a better tomorrow is possible," Chancellor May told them. "You are the innovators, the researchers, the scientists, the artists, the leaders and the visionaries of tomorrow. The world needs you and you have so much to offer."

"No matter what field is your specialty, UC Davis has prepared you for the next chapter," he continued, adding that "Each of you has one thing in common. You graduated from a world-class university that fully embraces intellectual curiosity and versatility."

The chancellor then asked the graduates to remember "three things":

1. "You are not alone. You are an Aggie. You are part of a community of 290,000 members spanning the globe."
2. "With a little imagination, collaboration and concerted effort, you can change the world."
3. "Everyone has their own unique super powers. Continue to use yours for good."

Chancellor May concluded: "The future is yours.  You have already demonstrated you are tenacious and resilient. Whatever path you're pursuing now, and whatever goals you have planned for the future, knock it out of the park. Make it great. Congratulations, Graduate Studies Class of 2023." (Watch YouTube for the livestreamed coverage of the commencement)

Smiles, laughter, and cheers punctuated the event. Some of the graduates decorated their mortarboards. Entomology students favored insect antennae.

It was especially heartwarming for Charlotte Herbert Alberts, who enrolled in the UC Davis doctoral program in 2015. During her studies, she married her sweetheart, George Alberts, in 2018;  moved cross-country in 2020 during the COVID pandemic; gave birth to two children (Griffin, now 3, and Marcy, 7 months); and published two of her dissertation chapters. The family lives in Silver Spring, Md.

Griffin could hardly wait to see "Mama become a Wizard." Following the commencement, he delighted in trying on what he called "Mama's Wizard Hat." The next day, when his grandparents asked him his favorite part of the ceremony, he quickly responded: "Watching Mama become a Wizard!"  

"It was great closure to walk across the stage!" said Alberts, who enrolled in the entomology graduate program in 2015. "It was a non-linear adventure, with many bumps and hurdles along the way. But it's amazing feeling to finally cross the stage and be done! Especially with my parents, George, and my children watching! I couldn't have done it without their--and many others'--support! I currently work at the Smithsonian publishing my last two chapters of my dissertation. I'm applying to post docs in the fall and taking the summer to enjoy time with my kids as much as possible!"

Here are photos from the commencement shared by graduate students and professors.