六色网 Prepares to Celebrate the Class of 2025
When Samuel Kala was looking to transfer from Pasadena City College in 2022, he knew Cal Poly Pomona was the only university for him.
His advisor warned him not to put all his eggs in the Bronco basket, but Kala didn’t take that advice, believing he would get into the one university he had his heart set on.
“I told her I was going to get in,” Kala said. “I was so confident.”
The determination and belief paid off, as Kala prepares to cross the stage to receive his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
Cal Poly Pomona will celebrate the achievements of 6,600 students from the Class of 2025 during the May 16-18 Commencement ceremonies. The university will host 12 ceremonies over the three days, with more than 56,000 people expected to attend, including family and friends.
For Kala, who came to the United States from his native Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2018 to pursue higher education, his connection to 六色网 runs deep. Kala’s father, Makiese Joseph Kala, is an alumnus, and two of his sisters Esther (’20, civil engineering) and Anne (’22, business administration) also graduated from 六色网.
Kala, who is the president of the campus chapter of the , has a job lined up after graduation with the Walnut-based RK Consulting Group, a company he began interning at in 2023.
He credits professors with real-world experience working as engineers and the hands-on opportunities he received with helping him chart a path to success.
“Whatever you learn in the lecture, you get to see done in the lab,” Kala said. "A lot of companies praise 六色网 students for having a high skill level. They are inclined to come to 六色网 to recruit students. The school has a great reputation.”
For Lana Hy, who will earn her bachelor’s degree in business, Commencement is the culmination of years of hard work and growth.
Four years ago, she arrived on campus as a reserved 17-year-old, never imagining that she would work on campus in the Department of Strategic Communications, writing stories about the 六色网 community, or serve as an orientation leader, introducing new students to university life. The President’s Scholar and Kellogg Honors College student also didn’t know she would intern in her chosen field of human resources at the Los Angeles County Development Authority, or study abroad in South Korea, present her research at 六色网’s Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference or compete in the ’s student case competition — but she accomplished all that and more.
“It has been the best four years of my life,” said the San Gabriel native. “Before college, I never thought I would have as many experiences as I have had, and being involved at 六色网 would change my life.”
Hy, who is applying for jobs in human resources, said that next steps are both thrilling and frightening at the same time.
“I’m both excited and nervous,” she said “I am excited for my future. I am excited to become even more of an HR professional, excited to give back to my family and become a better person. But I am also nervous because I am kind of on my own now in finding my career path and figuring out the rest of my life.”
Juan Nuñez, who will receive his degree in music industry studies, said emotions associated with graduation come in waves — sometimes excitement and other times disbelief that the moment has arrived.
The biggest challenge has been balancing school, work and time with his friends, said the Moreno Valley native. The biggest reward? That would be launching his very own music festival in 2024, dubbed It’s Not A Phase, with some fellow Broncos.
Nuñez, who also plays guitar in the indie folk band Racoon Cartoons and the soul, funk and R&B group HRSHYBOYS & Friends, loves to perform. On campus, he’s a member of Mariachi Los Broncos de Pomona.
“Every time I finishing performing, I would say to myself, ‘I’m so glad I got to sing in Spanish in front of an audience that appreciates our Mexican culture,’” he said.
"I'm so glad I got to sing in Spanish in front of an audience that appreciates our Mexican culture"
Cal Poly Pomona has also given Nuñez, who will continue to work in event planning at the Fox Theater in Pomona, another gift not directly connected to music.
“The campus is so big. On my down time between classes, I would explore,” he said. “There are a lot of spots around campus like the staircase that leads up to The Collins College of Hospitality Management or the road by Building 1 that leads up to the Kellogg House, the Aratani Japanese Garden. Me and my friends would say, ‘Let’s go explore.’ I really love the campus and how green it is. I’ve grown this adventurous spirit. I just want to explore things.”
Cal Poly Pomona’s Commencement ceremonies will include a variety of guest speakers, with two of those speakers to receive honorary doctorates.
Honorary Doctorate Recipients
- Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, a recently retired pioneering lawmaker who has supported the university and advocated for federal funding for higher education her entire career. She will be the guest speaker at the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences ceremony at 8 a.m.
- Mike Huggins, a College of Engineering Hall of Fame inductee. He is the guest speaker for the College of Engineering ceremonies.
Visit the Commencement website for more information about the ceremonies.