Celebrating UCLA alumni
Commencement season is upon us and that means it’s time to welcome a new class into the UCLA alumni family. It’s always a proud moment seeing another group of Bruins head out into the world — and this year, they’re getting an exciting sendoff with Sara Bareilles as the commencement speaker.
As Bruins move on from UCLA, we wanted to highlight some of the incredible things UCLA grads are doing. Keep reading to learn more about the 2025 UCLA commencement speaker and messages from UCLA alumni.
UCLA commencement speaker Sara Bareilles
Sara Bareilles is this year's UCLA College commencement speaker for the class of 2025. She will be delivering the keynote speech on June 13 for all three commencement ceremonies — 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Bareilles is a UCLA alumna class of ‘03 and a Grammy Award-winning artist. As a Bruin, she joined Awaken A Cappella and performed in Spring Sing, winning the solo act in 2000 and 2003. To learn more about Sara Bareilles, check out this Daily Bruin article by clicking the link below.
The following are messages from UCLA alumni who graduated last year in the class of 2024. They share what they are doing now and advice they have for the class of 2025.
Steph
Steph graduated from UCLA last summer with a Bachelor of Arts in communication. She currently works in marketing for an event marketing company in San Diego. “I actually got the job offer during my commencement ceremony ... It was an emotional rollercoaster of a night,” shares Steph.
“My advice for the Class of 2025 (and something I have to tell myself all the time) is to not rush to have a perfect life! Your first job and first apartment out of college will likely not be ideal and that's probably a good thing — you have time to grow, so why peak early? Huge congrats, Class of 2025!”
Chance
Chance is also a member of the class of 2024 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science from UCLA. “I have had a wonderful experience since graduating from UCLA! I was lucky enough to begin working at a non-profit called Partners For Justice, which has me working within the Public Defender's office, assisting their attorneys and some of their neediest clients,” shares Chance.
“The work that I do is incredibly fulfilling and helps empower some of the most overlooked members of our communities to improve their lives and realize the incredible potential that they possess. I think that the best thing that 2025 graduates can do is to not rush and take their time finding work that they are truly passionate about.”
Rachel
Last but not least, Rachel graduated from UCLA in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience. “I now work at a medical device company, where I’m surrounded by hard-working and supportive colleagues,” shares Rachel.
“During my time at UCLA, I worked in Event Services at ASUCLA, where I learned the importance of surrounding yourself with a supportive work culture. At ASUCLA, I enjoyed working and learning alongside great coworkers who helped me grow as an individual. Now as I've left UCLA, some of those coworkers are my closest friends even miles apart. When interviewing for jobs post-grad, I knew I wanted to be a part of a company that shared similar values about work culture with me. My advice to graduating seniors is to figure out what the most important thing to you is in a job. Don’t compromise on key values that you need to grow.”
What next….?
From campus memories to new adventures, this transition is a big one, and we’re here to celebrate it. To the newest UCLA alumni: congrats, welcome and we can’t wait to see what you do next.