Congrats on completing your educational journey and choosing to celebrate with the Cross-Cultural Centers!

You will need your Student ID (CIN) and the items below in the checklist in order to submit your application online. Applications are open until 11:59pm on March 17th, 2023 until spots are no longer available. 

Acknowledgment 75-word statement

• We encourage you to personalize your acknowledgments. The acknowledgment statement DOES NOT need to be written in English

Example: 

I would like to thank my parents for their support and encouragement through my long journey at Cal State LA. Without my family and friends, I would not have accomplished all my goals. I am grateful for all the wonderful memories and great friends I made at this university, and I will keep striving for the next big thing. 

Method of payment  

• Participation fee: $50 + $1.80 PayPal processing fee.
• Payment MUST be made via PayPal with a Credit/Debit card. You may log on through your Paypal account or continue with payment as a guest. We are not accepting, cash, check etc. We recommend you to create a Paypal account to ensure a smooth payment process. Creating a PayPal account is free.

If you are interested in participating in more than one Cultural Grad Celebration, you will need to submit a separate application for each celebration.

Please disable your pop-up blockers to ensure a successful submission.

Photo Appointment 

Important – Failure to schedule your photo appointment will mean your photo will not be included in the Graduation Celebration Booklet  
 
At the end of this application, you will see a link to schedule your photo appointment. 

Please come photo-ready for your appointment as appointments will only be a maximum of 10 minutes long. 

• Check-In Location: U-SU Theatre Ticket Kiosk (Room 106A)  
• Photo Attire: We will provide a cap and gown for you to use during your photo appointment. If you’d like to opt-out of wearing a cap and gown, please come ready in Graduation attire. We encourage you to express your authentic selves and clothing you think is appropriate for a graduation celebration. 
• The photo will be taken from the shoulders up. 
• You are able to opt-out of taking a photo, but you will NOT be allowed to take a photo at a later time. 
• If you are participating in multiple Cultural Grads celebrations, only one photo appointment will be needed. At your photo appointment, please let staff know and indicate which cultural grads celebrations you are planning to attend.
   

Please disable your pop-up blockers to ensure a successful submission. 

IMPORTANT COVID-19 DISCLAIMER 

2023 Cultural Grads will be held in-person 

Given the uncertainty and shifting of COVID-19 protocols, the Cross-Cultural Centers (CCC) would like to acknowledge the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on marginalized communities, especially those that are disabled and/or immunocompromised. As a space that values connection, community, love, joy, and justice we strongly encourage guests of the Cultural Graduate Celebrations to continue keeping each other safe by wearing masks and practicing social distancing as much as possible.

Black Grad celebration is an intimate, culturally-relevant way to celebrate your academic achievements and to honor the loved ones who have helped contribute to your success.

DATE: Sunday, May 21, 2023

TIME: 5 - 7 PM

LOCATION: California State University Los Angeles - University Gymnasium

The fee to participate in the Black Grad Celebration is $50 plus an additional $1.80 PayPal processing fee.

Participation includes:

• Tickets for guests: 10
• Sash  
• Program book with photo and acknowledgments  
• Open seating (not reserved, 1st come, 1st served) 

For any application or technical support, please contact Cross Cultural Centers Director Lorena Marquez at lmarquez@calstatela.edu  

Cultural Grad Terms 

Please mark the date, March 17th, 2023  at 11:59PM in your calendars and planners. This is the deadline to submit your application, 75-word personal narrative, and schedule your photo to be taken, in order to participate in the Black Grad celebration.

Please Note: We reserve the right to end registration if all participant slots are filled before the deadline. 

 
We will send you an email confirming your participation and information on the ceremony details.

 
If you have any questions about the Black Grad Celebration, please feel free to contact:

Lorena Marquez

Director

Cross Cultural Centers, University-Student Union

lmarquez2@calstatela.edu 

2023 Black Grad Student Perspective

The Black Grad Student Perspective is a 1-2 page speech given by a member of the graduating class. If you would like to be considered to be the student speaker, please submit your essay by email (500 words maximum) and application by April 2nd, 11:59 2023. Remember you are reading your speech to an audience excited to celebrate your accomplishments! Be engaging and share your special story and journey with us!

You can email your essay as a PDF or word document attachment to the following people below by 11:59 PM on April 2nd, 2023

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns regarding the speech.

Lorena Marquez

Director

Cross Cultural Centers, University-Student Union

lmarquez2@calstatela.edu

Gender Pronouns

A gender pronoun is a word that refers to either the people talking (like I or you) or someone that is being talked about (like she, him, or they). For example, if Xena's pronouns are she, her, and hers you could say, "Xena ate her food because she was hungry". For the Cultural Graduate Celebration, we want to affirm folks of all gender identities by incorporating your gender pronouns in your ceremony.

Get more information on gender pronouns

Major

Please check this link for the correct Degree and Majors to list in the program book.

NOTE: Please triple-check that your information is correct.

If you do not complete payment on the following page your application will not be submitted and your spot will not be saved.