More than 500 graduates take part in May 25 ceremony hosted by Superintendent/President Dr. Joi Lin Blake and attended by families, faculty and friends.

SAN MARCOS, CA (May 25, 2018) — In a celebration of the diligence, discovery and empowerment of education, thousands of students, faculty and guests attended Palomar College’s 2018 commencement exercises on Friday, May 25 at the San Marcos campus.

The ceremony was conducted by Joi Lin Blake, Ed.D., Superintendent/President of the Palomar Community College District, as hundreds of spectators gathered on the football practice field with graduates, faculty and college staff on a cool, sunny evening.

“This is a day for celebration,” Blake said. “Here with you today are your family, friends, faculty and staff who have helped you on your journey. We are all here today to celebrate you!”

This year nearly 2,500 students graduated; the college received 3,492 applications for associate degrees or certificates of achievement, and 1,509 associate of arts (A.A.) degrees, 1,511 certificates and 472 associate degrees for transfer were awarded.

The keynote speaker on Friday was Katherine Kelp-Stebbins, Ph.D., winner of the 2016 – 2017 Distinguished Faculty Award for full-time faculty. Kelp-Stebbins, an English professor who holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UC Santa Barbara, congratulated students and spoke about the value of community.

Palomar’s 2018 Alumnus of the Year, Richard Borevitz, also spoke during the ceremony. A San Marcos resident whose involvement with the college has lasted decades, Borevitz has spent years serving at Palomar College as a member of the President’s Associates and the Friends of the Palomar College Arboretum, and as a former member of both the Palomar College Foundation Board of Directors and the Proposition M Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee.