Every spring the same ceremony happens. But every spring there’s something different, from the people who speak to the people who graduate, El Camino’s Commencement Ceremony is never the same.

But what is the same, is the impact that EC has on students graduating this year’s commencement speaker, Derrick Deese, former EC football and Superbowl winning NFL player said.

“About 2,000 students fully graduated, but 900 students participated in graduation,” Deese said. “I think that still shows what kind of influence El Camino is having on students and people moving on to the next step.”

Normally the ceremony is hosted on the Softball Field, but with the renovations of Murdock Stadium nearing completion, this year’s Commencement was at Murdock, and to make matters greater for the college, new president Dena Maloney said the 900 students who participated was a record number of turnout.

“It was a very special Commencement Ceremony; in the new stadium (and) all these students achieving their goals,” Maloney said. “It was beautiful and very important to celebrate the success of the students.”

Graduating is certainly a momentous occasion for families and graduates; considering all the presents, support and photos being taken just to remember the event.

But former staff writer and Distribution Manager for The Union, Juan Lorenzo Gutierrez said that he wasn’t sure he knew what to feel.

“I don’t have any emotions, it feels like a regular day,” he said. “It’s a bit (of a) weird feeling.”

Deese said that El Camino changed his life. During his speech he made note of the fact that he told reporters that he wouldn’t know where he would be, had he not come to EC, after he won the Superbowl with the 49ers.

“(I’m a) Warrior till the day I’m dead,” he said. “And I live by that.”