BAKERSFIELD, CA - Bakersfield College will celebrate its 100th commencement Friday evening. The school was founded in 1913 with just 13 students. More than 18,000 students are now enrolled and Friday night, 1,100 of them will graduate.
BC's Amber Chiang said, "When Bakersfield College originated it was actually a single building on the Bakersfield High School campus."
Bakersfield College has come a long way in 100 years.
Chiang said, "There was this band of students who was just ready for the college to have its own identity and its own feeling and understanding in the community and they suddenly called themselves a band of renegades and the name stuck."
The school has made history along the way.
"There've been world records in track and field set in our stadium, leaders in political movements like Jane Fonda and Henry Kissinger came to Bakersfield College to make presentations and even Jane Goodall just a few months ago," said Chiang.
While some things change, others stay the same. Chiang says preparing students to transfer to universities has been the goal from the beginning.
Chiang said, "I met a student yesterday. She is graduating this Friday and her dad attended BC and her grandfather attended BC and that's what we do for the community is we really provide that link to higher education for anyone who's seeking it."
The Centennial Celebration gets started at 5 p.m. with a dinner to the first 5,000 people. The commencement will begin at seven at Memorial Stadium.
Alumni are invited to take part in an honor lap.
The evening will end with a fireworks show.
All of the events are free and open to the public.
BC's Amber Chiang said, "When Bakersfield College originated it was actually a single building on the Bakersfield High School campus."
Bakersfield College has come a long way in 100 years.
Chiang said, "There was this band of students who was just ready for the college to have its own identity and its own feeling and understanding in the community and they suddenly called themselves a band of renegades and the name stuck."
The school has made history along the way.
"There've been world records in track and field set in our stadium, leaders in political movements like Jane Fonda and Henry Kissinger came to Bakersfield College to make presentations and even Jane Goodall just a few months ago," said Chiang.
While some things change, others stay the same. Chiang says preparing students to transfer to universities has been the goal from the beginning.
Chiang said, "I met a student yesterday. She is graduating this Friday and her dad attended BC and her grandfather attended BC and that's what we do for the community is we really provide that link to higher education for anyone who's seeking it."
The Centennial Celebration gets started at 5 p.m. with a dinner to the first 5,000 people. The commencement will begin at seven at Memorial Stadium.
Alumni are invited to take part in an honor lap.
The evening will end with a fireworks show.
All of the events are free and open to the public.