VIDEO: City College honors graduates with drive-thru ceremony

A virtual commencement will be streamed on May 28 at 5 p.m.

Drive-Thru graduation celebration 2020

Gabriel Schneider

A masked City College student and their family arrives in a car decorated for the drive-thru graduation celebration on May 21. Photo by Gabriel Schneider

Noelle Mortensen and Devon Doane
May 24, 2021

After a long year of Zoom classes, San Diego City College students got a chance to celebrate graduation in style.

Students and faculty came together for a drive-thru graduation ceremony held on campus on May 21.

Attendees with caps, gowns, masks and even a few decked-out cars funneled into the parking lot.

As they drove through the ceremony to receive their diploma, City College professor and DJ, Dr. Rob Rublacaba, played music.

Link: City College student news organization releases commencement print edition

President Ricky Shabazz took part in the celebration and expressed how proud he was of the students for their accomplishments.

“We’ve been going through the pandemic with the students, so this is not only an opportunity to celebrate the graduates, it’s an opportunity to support one another,” he said. “It was so important to come together, give high fives, give fist bumps to our students and each other because we did it. The students did. I was so proud of everybody.”

To view a Flickr album produced by San Diego City College with photos from drive-thru graduation, click here.