California Golden Bears Athletics
Cal's band and spirit squad put on a virtual performance of "Fight For California."
Photo by: Cal Athletics
A New Way To Celebrate
5/20/2020 10:06 AM | General, Inside The Lair, Athletics News
Cal Athletic Department Puts On Virtual Event To Honor Graduates
They couldn't come together at Memorial Stadium last weekend for the traditional commencement exercises, but Cal's graduating student-athlete community was still able to find a way to share a celebration.
Cal's athletic department and Athletic Study Center, hosted the virtual Senior Celebration & Recognition of Student-Athlete Success on Saturday. The hour-long video event recognized all of Cal's graduating seniors and included a keynote speech from former Cal rugby player Robert Paylor, who continues to recover from a severe spinal cord injury that he suffered during the collegiate national championship game in 2017.
The event also included remarks from Chancellor Carol Christ and athletic director Jim Knowlton, and it started with a virtual performance of "Fight For California" by the Cal band and spirit squads.
"It was so gratifying to see our athletic department come together and honor our graduating student-athletes in such a unique way," Knowlton said. "Obviously, this wasn't the way we had anticipated sending off the Class of 2020, but we adapted. I could not be prouder of our graduating student-athletes and everyone who made this celebration a reality."
The graduates were also treated to congratulatory messages and words of inspiration from a handful of accomplished former student-athletes, including swimmer Ryan Murphy, basketball player Layshia Clarendon and swimmer Dana Vollmer, among others. Athletic Study Center director Derek Van Rheenen also announced the 2019-20 honors and awards.
"I really appreciate Cal Athletics for giving us an opportunity to celebrate our achievements together," graduating women's basketball player Jaelyn Brown said. "I still felt connected and unified even though we were separated on a very special day."
Christ was the first guest speaker, acknowledging the uniqueness of this year's graduation while also praising the graduates for how they've negotiated an unprecedented, challenging time.
"Without a doubt, this is not how you expected your college career to end," Christ said. "For some of you, your final seasons of competition were cut short or cancelled. For all of you, you didn't get to say good-bye to your friends and mentors in person, or take part in the traditions that typically accompany a final semester at Cal. While this is not what any of us envisioned, I want you to know how impressed and incredibly proud of you I am of how you've navigated a time of immense disruption. The resilience you've developed and displayed will last you a lifetime."
Knowlton also noted how well the athletic department community has adapted in such an extraordinary time of uncertainty, and also provided a recap of some Golden Bear accomplishments, both academically and athletically.
"I thought the graduation was awesome – probably the best it could have been considering the circumstances," graduating football player Valentino Daltoso said. "It's weird because graduating from college is a big deal, and for it to end online at home was not exactly how I envisioned it. But the athletic department did a great job with the virtual graduation."
Paylor, who earlier this month received the N4A Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award for overcoming great personal, academic and/or emotional odds to achieve success while participating in intercollegiate athletics, gave a stirring speech that included a dramatic moment when he got out of his seat and stood with the help of a walker.
"I am feeling a deep sense of gratitude that I am here today," Paylor said. "The world tells us to tamper our dreams, to be realistic. My doctor told me I would not walk or move my hands for the rest of my life. I dream to walk again. I will walk again.
"What the world should be saying, and what we leave with here today, is that our dreams are limitless. If I've learned anything these last three years, is that when you combine a dream with an unbreakable will to achieve, we can accomplish anything."
Cal's athletic department and Athletic Study Center, hosted the virtual Senior Celebration & Recognition of Student-Athlete Success on Saturday. The hour-long video event recognized all of Cal's graduating seniors and included a keynote speech from former Cal rugby player Robert Paylor, who continues to recover from a severe spinal cord injury that he suffered during the collegiate national championship game in 2017.
The event also included remarks from Chancellor Carol Christ and athletic director Jim Knowlton, and it started with a virtual performance of "Fight For California" by the Cal band and spirit squads.
"It was so gratifying to see our athletic department come together and honor our graduating student-athletes in such a unique way," Knowlton said. "Obviously, this wasn't the way we had anticipated sending off the Class of 2020, but we adapted. I could not be prouder of our graduating student-athletes and everyone who made this celebration a reality."
The graduates were also treated to congratulatory messages and words of inspiration from a handful of accomplished former student-athletes, including swimmer Ryan Murphy, basketball player Layshia Clarendon and swimmer Dana Vollmer, among others. Athletic Study Center director Derek Van Rheenen also announced the 2019-20 honors and awards.
"I really appreciate Cal Athletics for giving us an opportunity to celebrate our achievements together," graduating women's basketball player Jaelyn Brown said. "I still felt connected and unified even though we were separated on a very special day."
Christ was the first guest speaker, acknowledging the uniqueness of this year's graduation while also praising the graduates for how they've negotiated an unprecedented, challenging time.
"Without a doubt, this is not how you expected your college career to end," Christ said. "For some of you, your final seasons of competition were cut short or cancelled. For all of you, you didn't get to say good-bye to your friends and mentors in person, or take part in the traditions that typically accompany a final semester at Cal. While this is not what any of us envisioned, I want you to know how impressed and incredibly proud of you I am of how you've navigated a time of immense disruption. The resilience you've developed and displayed will last you a lifetime."
Knowlton also noted how well the athletic department community has adapted in such an extraordinary time of uncertainty, and also provided a recap of some Golden Bear accomplishments, both academically and athletically.
"I thought the graduation was awesome – probably the best it could have been considering the circumstances," graduating football player Valentino Daltoso said. "It's weird because graduating from college is a big deal, and for it to end online at home was not exactly how I envisioned it. But the athletic department did a great job with the virtual graduation."
Paylor, who earlier this month received the N4A Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award for overcoming great personal, academic and/or emotional odds to achieve success while participating in intercollegiate athletics, gave a stirring speech that included a dramatic moment when he got out of his seat and stood with the help of a walker.
"I am feeling a deep sense of gratitude that I am here today," Paylor said. "The world tells us to tamper our dreams, to be realistic. My doctor told me I would not walk or move my hands for the rest of my life. I dream to walk again. I will walk again.
"What the world should be saying, and what we leave with here today, is that our dreams are limitless. If I've learned anything these last three years, is that when you combine a dream with an unbreakable will to achieve, we can accomplish anything."
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