For Sierra's graduates, age is just a number

There were two main types of graduates at the 2019 Sierra College Commencement ceremony in Rocklin last Friday. The first type seemingly paced in place out of nervousness, fidgeting their cap and tassel endlessly. The second was a bit more confident in their wares and snapped "selfies" to their heart's content. Both carried with them a boundless enthusiasm. For 54-year-old Sandy Lee, graduate of the residential building and construction program, he belonged to the group who fidgeted their cap and tassels all the way into Sierra College's Homer "Buzz" Ostrom Stadium. "I started years ago and now I've come back to finish," Lee said. "To the younger ones, I would say 'stay and struggle now, you'll have a better life.' To the older ones, 'you have to know, it's never too late to start a new chapter.'" Many in the crowd are continuing their educational journey and will be transferring to a four-year university in only a few months. That is the case for Stephany Ortiz-Andrade, 20, and her friend, Sara Martinez, 21. The pair of students, who both earned Associates of Science degrees in Social and Behavioral Sciences, will be accompanying each other at Sacramento State University in the fall. "It's pretty exciting," said Ortiz-Andrade, who also earned an Associates of Arts degree in sociology. "I am kind of nervous because I'll be going to a bigger school next semester. It was just a really great experience here at Sierra College and I am so glad I chose to go here." "It's a little overwhelming," Martinez said. "It is so different from high school because that was my first graduation. This is way bigger. It's also great to see all the diversity here and of course, all the cool caps." One of the night's most stirring moments came during the student greeting conducted by Sierra College Student Body Executive Vice President and Del Oro High School alumni Payton Montes. Near the closing of his remarks, Montes whipped up the crowd with a passionate plea for LGBTQ rights, correcting the injustice of police brutality against minorities and fighting for protections for undocumented persons. The political bent in Montes' speech seemed appropriate, as the commencement address was given by former Ronald Reagan White House staffer and prominent Californian Republican Doug Elmets. Elmets, who gained national notoriety in 2016 for compelling Republicans to vote against then candidate Donald Trump, closed his speech by issuing forth pragmatic advice and lauded the graduate's achievements." "The message here is simple," Elmets said. "Be ready to seize opportunities whenever they arise and always have a compelling story to tell about yourself, your accomplishments and goals. OK, enough of that. This is a big day, perhaps one of the biggest days of your life. You've made it to this milestone and the reward is words on your resume that no one can ever erase: Sierra College graduate."