Fresno State will be the site of joyous celebrations this weekend as more than 6,100 graduates collect their diplomas, including the 2,259 undergraduate students who were denied the opportunity for a high school graduation because of pandemic restrictions.

The ceremonies will be held Friday and Saturday, and affinity celebrations will be Saturday and Sunday.

One of the highest-profile speakers will be U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who will deliver the keynote address at the Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration on Saturday evening. It’s one of the nation’s largest Chicano/Latino celebrations, according to the university.

Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval will preside over the ceremonies for each of the university’s eight schools and colleges. And if you can’t attend in person, you can still watch the livestream on the Fresno State commencement website.

Fresno State will award honorary doctorates to three individuals this year — Robert R. Davila, who is an advocate for the deaf and hard of hearing, Hinds Hospice founder Nancy Hinds, and Fresno arts advocate Lilia Gonzales-Chavez.

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Top Graduating Programs

Although graduation numbers are still estimates, it appears that the biggest number of graduates are in the College of Science and Mathematics (1,069), followed by the College of Health and Human Services (994), College of Social Sciences (971), Craig School f Business (818), and Kremen School of Education and Human Development (784).

The top five majors in the Class of ’24 are psychology (563), liberal studies (48), kinesiology-exercise science (247), criminology-law enforcement (233), and biology (220).

The psychology graduates will include Bryan Vazquez, a first-generation college student who had to overcome the challenges of learning how to register for classes online — and figuring out which classes to register for — as a freshman.

He wasn’t alone in tackling those hurdles. The university says that about 60% of the Class of ’24 were first-generation college students.

But Vazquez was highly motivated and determined to succeed. His background included working in the fields of Dinuba alongside his mother during summer breaks. “Pursuing higher education is not just for myself but my family, too,” he told Fresno State News.

Other numbers for the Class of 2024, according to Fresno State: They include 5,230 students who received a degree in summer or fall of 2023 or are pending final review for their baccalaureate degree this spring, and 886 graduate students who received a degree in summer or fall 2023 or are pending final review this spring for their post-baccalaureate degrees.

Craig School Inspiration Award Winner

The graduates also include Erin Hirschkorn, winner of the Craig School of Business 2024 Inspiration Award. The award goes to the graduating senior who overcomes significant challenges while completing a degree.

Hirschkorn took some college classes after graduating from Kerman High School but then opted to enter the work world. When her employer, Church & Dwight, offered to cover her college expenses, Hirschkorn enrolled at Madera Community College. She was set to enter Fresno State when she received a serious medical diagnosis — breast cancer.

She juggled surgeries and treatment with her new studies in the Accelerated Bachelor’s of Business Administration. Hirschkorn credits her cohort — students who enroll in the program simultaneously and take classes together throughout — as a major support both for her studies and her health.

Hirschkorn told Fresno State News she’s pondering her next steps and how she can use her education to help others.

“Could I start a nonprofit for breast cancer survivors or for people living with genetic conditions? I also want to model that it’s never too late to go back to school to improve yourself and pursue your dreams,” she said. “Whatever your dream is, go for it. It might be hard, and it might be a struggle, but, in the end, it’ll be worth it, and you’ll be a better person for doing it.”

Graduation and Affinity Celebrations Schedules

Graduations ceremonies will be held at the Save Mart Center:

• Craig School of Business, 8 to 9:30 a.m. Friday.
• College of Social Sciences, 10:30 a.m. to noon Friday.
• College of Arts and Humanities, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Friday. (Gonzales-Chavez will receive an honorary doctor of fine arts and will be recognized during this commencement ceremony.)
• Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, 3:30 to 5 p.m. Friday.
• Kremen School of Education and Human Development, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday.
• Lyles College of Engineering, 8 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
• College of Health and Human Services, 10:30 to noon Saturday. (Davila and Hinds will both receive an honorary doctor of humane letters, and both will be recognized during this college commencement ceremony.)
• College of Science and Mathematics, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Affinity celebrations will be held at several locations:

• International Convocation, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Satellite Student Union.
• African American Student Recognition Ceremony, 5 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Student Recreation Center.
• Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Save Mart Center.
• Rainbow Graduation Celebration, 11 a.m. to noon Sunday, Satellite Student Union.
• Asian American and Pacific Islander Graduation Celebration, 12:30 to 2 p.m. Sunday, Student Recreation Center.
• American Indian Graduation Honoring and Celebration, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, The Ruiz Ballroom (Resnick Student Union, first floor).