This year, we had over 330 students graduate from the School of Education. Of those students, 169 received theirs Bachelors, 101 received Master of Education (M.Ed.) plus Credentials, 29 received  Master of Arts (M.A.), and 13 received their Doctoral (Ph.D.) Degrees.

Below is a list of some of SOE's 2023 graduates, along with a few who received awards for their academic excellence this year. 

Sarai Palma Hernandez received her Bachelor's Degree in in Education, Society, and Human Development, with a concentration in Learning Behavioral Studies, and in Spanish with a concentration in Cultural Studies. Sarai was selected to be the commencement speaker at this year's Toyota Arena Ceremony. Sarai said, "The School of Education has shaped us to be pioneers of change and leaders of education. As a first-generation student, this accomplishment brings life to my parents dreams. Not only is it a representation of my effort, but also of their endless love and support."
 

Chelcie Coleman graduated with her M.A. in Educational Psychology and recently received the SOE Graduate Student Excellence Award. As a former 5th grade teacher, Chelcie focused her career on promoting educational equity in the classroom. She said, “The professors of the SOE have had a lasting impact on me. To be specific, Dr. Atit and Dr. Palardy sparked my interest on topics of Cognitive Development and educational research & statistics, and pushed my growth mindset. Not only do the educators of the SOE have varied and vast knowledge, they also genuinely care about their students as individuals and learners!”
 

Valeria Dominguez graduated with her Ph.D. and was the student marshal at the Ph.D. Hooding Ceremony. She said, "Influenced by my identity as a first-generation Latina immigrant, my work, advocacy, and scholarship focus on equity and social justice.”

Grace Gandara graduated with her B.A. in education with a concentration in Behavioral Studies She was in the FIERCE scholars program, UCEE Americorps, and was also an AVID tutor with RUSD.  She said, “SOE has impacted me in the best way possible. Not only has it challenged me to think critically about race, class and gender but it has also been a huge support system for me the last four years.
 

Mayan Gutierrez graduated with her Master' of Education with a concentration in Higher Education Admin and Policy. “ As a first generation college student, I have always felt an overwhelming amount of pressure to succeed. However, the opportunity to engage in open discussions with fellow first generation students as well as those students studying education has been incredibly empowering. These conversations have helped me with the encouragement and motivation I needed to persist in my educational pursuits. Overall, UCR has been a blessing!”
 

Ashlee Stamp graduated with her Masters of Education with a concentration in Diversity and Equity. "My experience within our SOE has been unique because I had the opportunity to be in several of my advisor's classes and I had a class with only 4 students and one with only 5 students. My favorite education course was Educ275b: "Pedagogies of Racial Justice" which I took with Dr. Amos Lee. My peers in that class were all dual Masters & Credential students so I got a sneak peak into what the teacher education program consists of since I will be starting that program this Summer!”

Tiara Sari graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education with a concentration in Learning and Behavioral Strategies and Liberal Studies. Tara served as an SOE Student Ambassador, helping to create a sense of community for undergraduate education majors. "I will deeply miss my SOE family. From an ambassador to a student, I've received endless support and gained valuable connection I will hold onto forever."
 

Carlos Galan graduated with his Ph.D. In 2023, he was selected as one of @diverseissuesinhighereducation's 10 rising graduate scholars. Carlos was chosen after a nationwide search for rising stars among the ranks of hard working graduate students making a difference through their research. On top of this honor, Carlos was also selected for SOE's 2023 Graduate Student Excellence Award after being nominated by one of his mentors, Dr. Rall.

Congratulations to all graduates for reaching this major milestone!