Alumni Make Up For Lost Time

Thousands gathered for Santa Clara’s 2021 Grand Reunion

Class of 2020 alumni celebrated their graduation on Friday, Oct. 8, over a year after their originally scheduled ceremony was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Graduates were welcomed to participate in a traditional procession, with diploma covers awarded outside of Mission Santa Clara de Asís in the late afternoon as the sun slowly began to set on campus.

Jacob Penn ‘20 initially considered skipping the commencement, but in the end decided to participate.

“I’m super happy I went because it turned out great and my parents were super excited to see me cross the stage, which is as big of a deal for me as it is for them,” Penn said. “As for the significance behind grabbing the diploma, I knew I had already graduated, so it’s just a piece of paper now.”

The commencement celebration was part of Santa Clara’s Grand Reunion tradition, which featured a variety of programs and festivities that set it apart from previous years. The event spanned from Thursday, Oct. 7 to Sunday, Oct. 10.

For some, it was an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and relive memories from their years at Santa Clara. For others, it was a chance to finally cross the graduation stage to the applause of their parents and classmates.

Penn reflected on revisiting campus and catching up with friends.

“It was definitely surreal,” Penn said. “So many memories flashback when you're on campus… fun times when you're walking home from an event and messing around on campus, and all of the small conversations you had and the friendships you made all rush back... it was all the same jokes, all the same stuff we did in college — just a comedy show.”

The Class of 2020 had a graduation party on Oct. 9, joined by members of the class of 2021. The reunion was well-received by many members of the class of 2021, who graduated amidst virtual learning but were still able to receive a traditional commencement ceremony in the spring.

Jake Stolmack ‘21, who attended the Alumni Family Picnic, reflected on seeing a lively campus for the first time since winter of 2020.

“I was surprised at how familiar it was to be back on campus with people around...it didn’t feel foreign at all,” he said.

Stolmack was also grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with fellow Broncos so shortly after his graduation.

“It was great to be with a lot of friends that I haven’t seen in a long time, especially people in the year above me, the class of 2020, who I haven’t seen since school went online,” he said. “It really was as good as you could get during the pandemic.”.

According to Associate Director of Alumni Relations Maureen Muscat, the Grand Reunion hosted double the classes, as the event was unable to be celebrated in person in 2020 due to COVID-19 complications. The oldest classes were 1955 and 1956, while the most recent graduates of 2020 and 2021 were also in attendance.

Muscat emphasized the need to keep alumni visitors safe amidst the pandemic. The Alumni Office required proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter any reunion event.

“This year there were several stations around campus where our guests could show their proof and receive a red ‘Keeping SCU Safe’ wristband to wear,” Muscat said.

The reunion offered various opportunities to reconnect with former classmates, including a Golf Tournament, Block Party and LGBTQ+ community social.

In addition to the in-person festivities, The Grand Reunion also offered a virtual experience for alumni around the world to connect with fellow Broncos.

“Socio,” a platform for virtual and hybrid events, allowed remote attendees to “create a custom schedule for the weekend, read speaker bios, livestream events, build a profile and connect with other attendees,” according to the Santa Clara alumni website.

“320 people utilized the new tool which provided an opportunity for alumni to communicate with each other no matter how they were attending,” Director of Digital Engagement for Alumni Relations Megan Alderete said in an email.

The Grand Reunion is among various alumni events hosted annually on campus. The alumni office also organizes around two hundred events and programs worldwide.

“The events range from community service opportunities, to spiritual retreats, to identity and professional group gatherings, to award dinners, to family-friendly fare — the Easter Bunny Brunch for example — to our Bronco Expert Series, and more,” Muscat said.

Photo courtesy of Gavin Cosgrave ‘20