Crowds of friends and family filled the Murdock Stadium bleachers at El Camino College to celebrate the graduating Class of 2023 at the 76th annual commencement ceremony on Friday, June 9.

887 students graduated from El Camio this year, with many attending the ceremony taking place center stage of the stadium for the momentous occasion.

Dean of Fine Arts Berkeley Price played with the El Camino College Concert Band throughout the event, setting a musical ambiance by playing various compositions.

He said this year’s graduates “deserve this moment and celebration.”

Parents Erica Vaca, Shawn Vaca and sister Sophia Vaca came to celebrate Brianna Vaca, a 20-year-old journalism major and former Union staff writer, who is transferring to California State University Dominguez Hills this fall.

The family brought giant face cutouts of Brianna as a surprise to show their support and stand out in the crowd.

“We are very proud of her, she amazes us every day,” Erica Vaca said.

28-year-old Electrical Engineering major Cinthia Aguilar is transferring to California State University Long Beach and is the first in her family to graduate college.

Aguilar’s mother Karina Rodriguez was in the stands and said she is “happy and proud of [her]” for achieving her goals.

“She would spend all day and night at home working on her math assignments and studying for exams,” Rodriguez said.

As the ceremony officially began, El Camino employees and graduates walked the path from the stadium tunnel to center stage on the field, receiving cheers and applause from the crowd as the band played on.

Student commencement speaker and sociology major Charletta Royster-McNeish was one of four speakers to address the audience at the ceremony, along with El Camino College President Brenda Thames, Associated Students Organization President Jana Abulaban and KTLA 5 Meteorologist Vera Jimenez.

Before her speech, Royster-McNeish said this year’s graduates “can do anything that they put their minds to regardless of circumstances.”

“We are all Warriors,” she said.

After the final speaker finished their speech, certificates were awarded to graduates as their names were read to the cheering crowd by a revolving carousel of honoree El Camino staff.

Jerrold Root works as a stage manager for the El Camino Center for the Arts and was also on duty that day, working behind the scenes for the event. His son Tyler Root happened to be graduating and will be transferring to Cal State Long Beach.

Not one to miss his son’s special moment, Jerrold Root donned a matching royal blue gown lent to him by the college and took a moment to celebrate and snap a photo with Tyler before returning to work.

With names being read and cheers erupting in the background, Thames told The Union that “graduation is my favorite event of the year” because students finally receive the degrees and certificates they worked so hard for.

Jimenez insisted that “if [graduates] stay focused, determined” and are willing to learn, they can make their dreams come true.

Once all the names were read, the highly anticipated moment arrived.

Graduates stood up and moved the tassels in their caps from right to left, a symbol of them earning their degrees, to a final cheer from the crowd.

After the ceremony, former Union Editor-in-Chief and 2023 graduate Khoury Williams said “It was a good ceremony” and loved hearing Royster-McNeish’s “inspiring” speech.

“It’s been a wonderful journey,” Williams said. “I’m here now and I’m proud of it.”

Editor Delfino Camacho contributed to this story.