2026 Commencement Central
Cypress College’s 59th Commencement
Friday, May 29, 2026 at 4 p.m.
Have friends or family who can’t make it to Cypress College’s 59th Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 29? We’ll be livestreaming the event on Vimeo! Just click play on the embedded video below or bookmark the Cypress College 59th Commencement Vimeo livestream link.
The ceremony begins and will go live at 4 p.m.
Commencement Ceremony
Cypress College is excited to recognize and celebrate student achievement! The college’s in-person, on-campus celebration for this year’s 59th Commencement Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026.
Note: Participation in the commencement ceremony is not required to graduate. If you plan to participate, an RSVP will be requested to assist us with planning and logistics, but not required. A link to the RSVP page will be emailed to those in the Class of 2026 around the start of April.
Are you planning to walk in Cypress College’s 59th Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 29? Watch the video in the “Important Day-Of Commencement Information” section below (and don’t forget to share it with friends and family who will be attending)!
Important Day-Of-Commencement Information
On Friday, May 29, graduates must meet behind the Student Center in the pond area next to the Veterans Resource Center by 3 p.m. Please arrive dressed in your cap and gown, and do not be late.
Graduates will be grouped by academic pathway (i.e. Business/CIS; Career Technical Education; Fine Arts; Health Science; Kinesiology; Language Arts; Science, Engineering, Mathematics; Social Sciences; and Counseling, liberal arts, and other majors in We Journey Together). There will be a short briefing before you proceed to the ceremony area. You will also be handed a reader card, which you will need to fill out so the graduate reader can announce your name as you walk across the stage. The processional will begin and recessional will end at the pond.
Etiquette
Please adhere to the following etiquette during the commencement ceremony:
- Graduates MAY NOT bring any bags, purses, or other items that may hinder them during the ceremony.
- Decorum is an expectation at commencement. Out of respect for your fellow graduates, you must remain present for the entire duration of the ceremony; do not leave the ceremony after your name has been called and you have walked across the stage. You will be promptly directed back to your seat. If you or your friends and family intend to make dinner reservations or other celebratory plans, please make sure to schedule them accordingly.
- Excessive noisemakers, such as airhorns, cowbells, thunder sticks, whistles, etc., are prohibited at the event. All attendees are expected to be courteous to the speakers, fellow graduates, and other families/guests waiting to hear their graduates’ names called.
- Guests with balloons must either sit in the very back of the seating area or leave the balloons in a vehicle during the ceremony so as not to obstruct the view of other guests.
Guest Information
You are welcome to invite as many guests as you would like; however, all guest seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserving of seats at the event is strictly prohibited.
Immediately following the ceremony, all graduates, as well as their friends and family, are invited to meet behind the Student Center (in the pond area next to the Veterans Resource Center) to meet and take photos with some of your favorite faculty and staff members.
On-Campus Parking and Accessibility
Parking will be free on the day of commencement. Lots 1 and 9 are recommended for all attendees; however, all lots will be open if additional parking is needed. Lot 1 is recommended for accessible parking.
A priority seating area will also be available at the ceremony for guests with physical/mobility disabilities.
Gifts and Photography
At the event, the Cypress College Bookstore will have a booth offering flowers, balloons, and collegiate gifts available for purchase. Our campus food service will also have light snacks for sale.
A professional photography service will also be on-site during the ceremony taking photos of individual graduates as they walk across the stage. These individual photo packages should be available for purchase online within two weeks following the event. Media wall photo opportunities will be available for personal photography at the event.
2026 Outstanding Graduate
The 2026 Outstanding Graduate of the Year is Huey Hoang.
Huey Minh Hoang Jr., a Sociology and Liberal Arts Social Behavior major, is the Outstanding Graduate for 2026. Hoang was selected by a standing committee of the Associated Students of Cypress College.
Students who meet high honors GPA of 3.75 or higher are invited to complete an application for the honor. This year 374 students met that threshold.
“I am honored to be considered for the Outstanding Student of the Year Award, a recognition that reflects not only academic success but personal growth, resilience, and community impact,” Hoang said in completing the application. “In many ways, my journey at Cypress College represents the academic and personal transformation this award celebrates.”
Hoang served as president of the FITE (From Incarceration to Empowerment) Club and as a member of the Rising Scholars Advisory Board. He also co-founded the Martial Arts Club this semester and works with the RISE Youth Program to support those ages 17-25 who have been impacted by the criminal justice system.
“I help students transition into college, navigate probation requirements, and build confidence in their ability to succeed,” he said, noting a long-term goal of earning a doctoral degree and becoming a college educator and a teacher to those within the youth justice system.
“I’ve also volunteered extensively—speaking at events such as the North Orange County Mental Health Awareness Week, the ASCCC Fall Plenary Session, and the Cypress College Cultural Fest, and helping host events like Breaking the Stigma of Addiction,” he wrote. One of my most meaningful moments was co‑hosting a panel at the 80th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology in Washington, D.C., where we discussed supporting young college students and reducing dropout rates.”
Hoang said his time at Cypress College has been marked by service, equity, and community.
“There were moments in my 2 years at Cypress College when times got rough, and I felt like giving up, despite it all I have dedicated every semester to the Cypress College mission, ‘We Journey Together,’ and this journey has helped me grow in ways I never expected,” he said.
“I am incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received from programs and communities such as Disability Support Services, Associated Students, EOPS, Rising Scholars, Puente, Legacy, and APIDA. I am equally thankful to the individuals who have shaped my growth, including Rising Scholars Overseer Ann‑Marie Beck, RISE Youth Program Director Cynthia Blake, Cal State Long Beach Counselor Robert Ortiz, and Dr. Giovane Hortúa, Professor Virgil Adams, President Scott Thayer, Dean Troy Davis, and Paul de Dios. I truly could not have come this far without these people and these programs walking alongside me.”
2026 Presidential Scholars of Distinction
In 2019, Cypress College started a new tradition with the selection of the inaugural cohort of Presidential Scholars of Distinction, an academic recognition and scholarship intended to honor nine students who exemplify what it means to be a Cypress College student. The Presidential Scholars are nominated by the faculty in their specific academic major clusters, selected by the members of that academic pathway, and affirmed by President Scott W. Thayer, Ed.D.
The 2026 Presidential Scholars of Distinction have been selected and are featured below:
2026 Alumnus of the Year
The alumnus of the year is an award administered by the Cypress College Foundation to recognize the achievements of Cypress College alumni and their contributions to their profession and community.
This year’s Alumnus of the Year is Robert Friedman, an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and global explorer.
Rob Friedman is a Southern California-born entrepreneur and pioneer who built a career on the belief that opportunity is always available to those willing to work for it. His academic foundation was laid at Loara High School and Cypress College, where he began a lifelong collaboration with his business partner of nearly 50 years, Jeff Frieden. The duo’s journey started decades ago at local swap meets, buying and selling whatever they could, learning the fundamentals of business — hustle, instinct, and the value of a dollar — straight from the back of a van.
A firm believer in the power of vocational education and real-world experience, Rob launched his first major venture in 1980 by identifying a critical need in the automotive market. After obtaining his Class A VIP smog license, he strategically positioned repair shops near state-mandated inspection centers, mastering the art of “solving the right problem at exactly the right moment.”
Rob has always possessed an uncanny ability to recognize emerging markets and digital platforms before they hit the mainstream. An early adopter of the internet, he was the original registrant of iconic domains such as Football.com, Basketball.com, and Trivia.com. He later went on to cofound Auction.com and Ten-X, where he and his team pioneered the online real estate auction industry, fundamentally transforming how property is transacted globally.
For Rob, the world has always been the greatest classroom. Having visited 109 countries, his global travels have shaped a perspective rooted in curiosity, preparedness, and a non-judgmental approach to life. An Eagle Scout by training, he continues to live by the values of service and leaving things better than he found them.
Today, Rob’s focus is centered on meaningful contribution and “giving a hand up.” He is the founder of Vera Angelita, a school and ecoresort located in the cloud forests of Nicaragua. Named in honor of his grandmother and mother, the project provides education to children from rural families and has created approximately 150 local jobs. Under his leadership, the initiative is also building one of the country’s largest botanical gardens, with a dedicated mission to propagate and distribute one million trees to help restore the local environment.
Despite his professional milestones, Rob considers his greatest achievement to be raising two well-balanced adults. He measures success not by financial outcomes, but by the impact made on communities and the next generation. Guided by the principle that “you only get what you give,” Rob remains dedicated to a life of impact, contentment, and service.
2026 Outstanding Faculty Awards
Each year, the Academic Senate conducts a nomination and selection process for three faculty awards: the Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award; the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award; and the Charger Award, presented to the faculty member who goes above the call of duty for professional duties outside the classroom.
The 2026 Outstanding Faculty Award honorees are:
 Nancy CorralesOutstanding Full-Time Faculty |  Jason ChienOutstanding Adjunct Faculty |  Liana KoeppelCharger Award |