In the morning of May 18, 2022, Paul, Nick of Pleasanton, Emily of Stanford and I gathered at 1418 Josephine Street, Berkeley to drive to Hearst Greek Theatre to attend the 53rd Engineering Doctoral Commencement. My sister's youngest daughter Stephanie and her fiancé Tyler both graduated this year as Class of 2022. In a separate car were two graduates, and their parents Ruth, and Hui & Baolin.
This is the second Berkeley commencement Paul and I had been to. The first time was for Nick's Bachelor's ceremony in 2007. Then, we were joined by Lew, Ed, Fernando, Lee Anne, and their mutual friends.
At 9:00 am sharp, the commencement began with the live singing of the American anthem. After the introductory speech from the dean, there were two speakers, keynote speech by Ann Lee-Karlon, COO of Altos Lab, and student speaker Sally Winkler, Ph.D. 2020 BioE. It was quite refreshing to see that all platform speakers were women at Berkeley. There were more than 300 Ph.D. graduates from College of Engineering, covering three years 2020-2022. After over 300 nonstop crownings, and cheers from families and friends whenever their own graduates' names were announced, the commencement ended shortly after 11 a.m., as scheduled. It was a beautiful morning, sunny and breezy, especially when one could sit on the cool stone chairs.
After the ceremony, we all repaired to the Campanile to have the reception prepared by the College of Engineering. The two honorees were busy introducing us to their advisors and schoolmates. Despite the mid-day sun with hundreds of people milling around, it was surprisingly pleasant and comforting under Sather Tower. Fortunately some things remain unchanged, with the familiar South Hall and Bancroft Library in view below us.
It was a happy occasion to celebrate together our family's latest achievements, with great endeavors from the two hosts, their parents, and cousins Emily and Nick. Paul spared no efforts either, by taking more than 400 photos of the whole event (the edited version). In order to alleviate the stress of the hosts, he volunteered to pick up and drop off Stephanie's parents from and to the San Francisco Airport.
It was also a proud moment to congratulate our five youngsters and their significant others. Among them, there are three doctors, five masters, and more to come. Congratulations to you and your future generations. Please remember all the hard work and expectations of your grandparents.
Congratulations and go bears!
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