MiraCosta College will honor more than 1,500 graduates at its May 26 commencement. The ceremony will begin at 5 p.m. on May 26, at the Athletic Track and Field on the Oceanside Campus.
The college will award 3,241 degrees and certificates to 1,546 graduates, with many students receiving multiple degrees or certificates.
The graduates range from 16 to 76, and 188 have perfect grade point averages. Over 28 percent of the graduates are first-generation college students, and nearly 280 are military affiliated.
The commencement speaker will be Raul Ragudo, Jr. who has come far since he worked as a cook at MiraCosta College. He’s now graduating with a degree in behavioral health and social sciences toward his career goal of working to end food disparity. The Oceanside resident had previously attended MiraCosta College in 1995 to help get credits toward his high school graduation, then was later offered a job with the College’s food service company. He worked at MiraCosta for three years at the start of his career in the food and beverage industry, later working at restaurants and bars in North County and local landmarks such as the Legoland Hotel.
Proudly sober, Ragudo was a chef for the sobriety community and a wedding caterer until the COVID-19 pandemic shut down large events. Ragudo initially returned to MiraCosta College to take classes toward a career as a food and safety specialist. But as he took more courses, he shifted his focus instead to nutrition inequities and promoting healthier diets. “It’s a natural outgrowth from being a chef,” he explained.
The commencement singer will be Natalie Sumitra, who will sing “You are Love,” a song about her challenges with learning to love herself. In the past, Sumitra suffered from mood swings, irritability, and lethargy. She struggled with her relationships, but her mental health stabilized after working with her physician. During that time, Sumitra said she was critical of herself and felt she no longer recognized who she was. “It was hard for me then to be good to myself. I tried to give myself the love I needed,” she said. “I just sat down and wrote this song.” The song, the second piece that Sumitra composed, is her way of reminding herself that she is a good person, and so are the people around her. “It’s written from the perspective that you are singing to yourself because you are the person who knows yourself best,” she said. “Everyone can be more compassionate with themselves. I think that everyone is very beautiful.”
Sumitra, who graduated from Carlsbad High School, said she only considered MiraCosta College to begin her higher education. “I knew that realistically you save money. You can go to school for free for two years at MiraCosta and then transfer,” she said. “I can get a whole experience here at community college and then have a different experience at a four-year.”
MiraCosta College’s 2023 Commencement is available via stream.
