More than 5,000 students graduate from Cal Poly in 6 commencement ceremonies

In six ceremonies over the weekend, Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo is celebrating its graduating class of 2023 at Alex G. Spanos Stadium, recognizing the accomplishments of more than 5,000 students.

“I’m proud to welcome them into our expanding family of Mustang alumni and wish them success and happiness as they begin their journeys, whether starting careers or continuing their studies here at Cal Poly or at universities across the nation,” Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong said in a written statement to The Tribune.

“These future leaders didn’t do this alone,” Armstrong added. “Our pride and thanks extend to the thousands of their family members, friends and supporters who played equally important roles in helping these students succeed in school and in life.”

Cal Poly graduation by the numbers

In total, 5,018 students were eligible to graduate from Cal Poly. Of those, 4,424 were undergraduates while 594 were graduates, according to the university.

The Orfalea College of Business, which held its commencement ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, had 838 students in its 2023 graduating class.

At 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, the university honored 673 graduates from the Bailey College of Science and Mathematics.

And at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, the College of Liberal Arts celebrated its 881 graduates.

On Sunday, 952 graduates from the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences were set for an 8:30 a.m. commencement ceremony, followed by 420 grads from the College of Architecture and Environmental Design graduates at 12:30 p.m. and 1,254 students from Cal Poly’s College of Engineering at 4:30 p.m.

3 sisters graduate from Cal Poly on same weekend

Some families had a busier graduation weekend than others.

Three sisters — Stephanie, Clarissa and Erica Arredondo of Santa Maria — each earned their degrees from Cal Poly over the weekend.

Erica Arredondo, 23, walked across the stage on Saturday to earn her degree from the university’s Orfalea College of Business.

On Sunday, Stephanie Arredondo, 25, was set to graduate from the Philip and Christina Bailey College of Science of Mathematics and Sciences and her 21-year-old sister Clarissa from the College of Engineering.

“We all went through college at different rates,” explained Clarissa Arredondo, who came to Cal Poly directly after graduating from Pioneer Valley High School in 2019. Her sisters attended Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria to receive their associate degrees.

“It’s a complete accident” that the three sisters ended up graduating from Cal Poly at the same time, she said.

The trio said Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing philosophy helped teach them how to approach their goals, realize their passions and gain experience in their fields of choice. They also credited their family with pushing them to succeed and earn their degrees.

“When I first came to campus, I was shy and had low confidence that I would succeed, especially through all the adjustment from transferring,” Erica Arredondo wrote in an email. “And now I am about to graduate, with assurance and confidence of my qualifications. Looking back, I would tell my younger self: ‘No matter what happens, you are going to make it.’ ”

Cal Poly grad gets ready for the medical field

Maryland native M.W. Kaplan earned a degree from Cal Poly’s College of Liberal Arts after weathering the COVID-19 pandemic with a compromised immune system.

“My time at Cal Poly was difficult, but it also gave me a lot of opportunities to grow and create change,” said the 21-year-old graduate, who uses they/them pronouns.

Kaplan carries a cane and takes a steroid to help with the effects of a musculoskeletal pain disorder, but the steroid impacts their immune system — making them more susceptible to disease.

While at Cal Poly, Kaplan was head of the Disability Alliance club and became an advocate on campus for immuno-compromised students.

“The vast network of changemakers at Cal Poly, particularly the QTBIPOC (queer transgender Black indigenous people of color) and disability communities really inspired me to keep pushing boundaries while honoring my own limits,” Kaplan said. “Members of the Communications Department and Health Center — who saw a lot of me — were very vocal in their support, and my friends and family never failed to let me know how proud they were of everything I accomplished.”

Kaplan originally studied mechanical engineering at Cal Poly but found their passion rests in the medical field. After graduation, Kaplan plans to work as a clinical medical assistant while preparing to enter a graduate nursing program.

“Ultimately, I want to help people, especially those who don’t normally get help,” Kaplan said. “I want to become a nurse practitioner to help fill massive health care gaps in rural areas and in patients with highly stigmatized mental health conditions.”

Zimbabwe native earns 2 degrees at SLO university

Kimberley Bhunu came to the Central Coast from Harare, Zimbabwe, to play tennis and study business at Cal Poly.

Bhunu earned two degrees: a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an accounting concentration, and a master’s degree in business analytics.

She’s the co-founder of a nonprofit organization, Craft by Jáde, that seeks to bridge the opportunity gap for underprivileged people in Zimbabwe and Nigeria while helping end trends of generational poverty.

Bhunu handles business operations and finance for the nonprofit, which sells Afrocentric apparel such as dresses and sandals.

“Coming to the U.S. was a lot to take in,” she said. “I thought I would be completely overwhelmed. Now, I am a more confident and accomplished individual. Because of some of my experiences at Cal Poly, I have a greater appreciation of myself and what I have to offer.”

Bhunu, who was featured by The Tribune in a 2022 series detailing Cal Poly’s lack of diversity, said the Black Student Union and tennis team became her family while she was at the university.

“I will always cherish the memories and friendships I made here at Cal Poly,” she said. “I couldn’t have made it through this journey alone, so I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who walked beside me. I truly hope that I’ve had a positive impact on them, just as they’ve had on me.”