CARLOS PUMA
ON CAMPUS THE COLLEGE /
A bridge of support for firstgeneration students I Graduate students from the geographic information systems and vocal chamber music programs participate in a dual, outdoor Commencement ceremony in August.
ARTS AND SCIENCES GRADUATE STUDIES /
Double ceremony celebrates GIS, vocal chamber music graduates O
professionals have graduated from the M.S. GIS and M.G.I.S. programs over the past two decades. Acknowledging the historic nature of the vocal chamber music graduates, School of Music Director Joe Modica harkened back to the program’s conception in his remarks. “Today is the culmination of faculty innovation, dreams becoming reality, and a testament to this special place we call the University of Redlands,” he said. “Like all of our students, the vocal chamber music students have overcome tremendous challenges over the past year and a half. Through all of this, they have become stronger musicians, continued to create, and have become lifelong friends and colleagues. I’m excited to see where the next part of their life journey takes them.”
A first-generation student literally throws her fears into the fire, as part of a Summer Bridge activity.
COCO MCKOWN ’04, ’10
n Aug. 4, the College of Arts and Sciences held an intimate ceremony for graduates of the geographic information systems (GIS) and vocal chamber music master’s programs. The vocal chamber music students were the first-ever group to graduate from the program, which was launched in 2019. Addressing both groups, President Krista L. Newkirk congratulated GIS students on their research, which had been displayed during the program’s symposiums, and commended vocal chamber music students on adapting to virtual performances during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Your accomplishments are tremendous, and your future is bright and filled with opportunity,” she said. As degrees were delivered, Professors Fang Ren, Mark Kumler, Ruijin Ma, and Doug Flewelling addressed and applauded each of the students in the 38th cohort of GIS master’s students. More than 400 GIS
n July, the University of Redlands firstgeneration program Summer Bridge offered an in-person experience for transfer students and incoming first- and second-year students who are the first in their families to attend college. During the four-day event, attendees sampled residential life in Williams Hall and had the opportunity to get early first-hand experience in a college classroom while meeting professors and staff, connecting with mentors, and engaging in communitybuilding activities. “Before Summer Bridge, I had many worries and unreliable beliefs about college life,” says Eunice Franco ’25. “Now I know of many clubs, professors, and friends who will help me throughout my next four years.” Hosted by Campus Diversity and Inclusion and made possible by leadership support from The Patricia & Christopher Weil Family Foundation and the Knossos Foundation, Summer Bridge was first established in 2004.
REDLANDS.EDU/OCHTAMALE
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