Student voices shine at UCLA College commencement
David Esquivel/UCLA
Kayla McCormack | June 6, 2025
Three undergraduate students will share remarks at each of the UCLA College commencement ceremonies on Friday, June 13. The commencement ceremonies will also feature Bruin undergraduate voices for the land acknowledgement and national anthem.
Please join us in celebrating this year’s speakers and performers.
Tonalli Garcia-Rodriguez was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She is graduating magna cum laude with bachelor’s degrees in sociology and Chicana/o studies as well as a minor in film, television and digital media studies. At UCLA, she has taken on production roles with the Latine Film and Theatre Association, working on multiple student films and theater productions, and has served as the president of the American Indian Student Association. Her engagement on campus has been guided by a desire to uplift marginalized students in their pursuits of the arts and scholarship. Following graduation, she is eager to pursue her filmmaking ambitions and looks forward to all the possibilities the future holds.
She shares this triumph with her parents, Elisa and Fidel, her brothers, Cuauhtemoc and Kinan, her friends, and her extended family who have served as her support system these past four years. She proudly receives these degrees, furthering a legacy of Chicanas and Natives in higher education, as a young woman of Mexican-American and Chumash descent.
“My time at UCLA has strengthened my love and respect for Los Angeles (Tovaangar), a place I’ve called home my entire life. The students, faculty and staff at UCLA have reminded me of the importance of community and the strength of communal action. Change will never come without resistance, and the students of this university have emulated this notion throughout my four years.”
Harriet Grace Leibowitz was born and raised in England and moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA and quickly fell in love with the city. A pre-medical student graduating with a degree in physiological sciences, Leibowitz has pursued a wide range of hands-on experiences alongside her studies. At Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, she led research on novel cardiac ablation techniques, evaluating the adoption of pulse field ablation and its implications for patient care. She also worked as a certified medical assistant, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges patients face and the compassion required to meet them with dignity.
Additionally, Leibowitz serves as chief operating officer of Kickback, a UCLA startup developing hydration supplements grounded in human biology and recovery science. On campus, she’s known for her empathy, leadership and infectious curiosity. A close friend once described her as “fearless, swallowing chunks of life whole and refusing to chew.” Bold spirit and momentum have defined Leibowitz’s journey; she is honored to graduate with the UCLA class of 2025 and looks ahead to a future in medicine.
“UCLA taught me that imposter syndrome and parking tickets are both part of the curriculum. But so are the people. The ones who saw the world differently and made you rethink your own view. The ones who pushed you to speak up, show up and care more deeply. Being surrounded by that kind of energy showed me whilst change is scary, so is staying the same. And somewhere among all of that, I found a version of myself I actually liked — curious, driven and ready to stand up for what matters. Turns out, that’s what learning really looks like.”
Kayla Sadaghiani is graduating with a degree in international development studies, where she also completed the pre-med track with a strong commitment to global health and social equity.
Born and raised in West Los Angeles, she brought her deep community roots and passion for service to campus life. As a transfer student from UC San Diego, she quickly became a leader at UCLA through her involvement in the Persian Society for Community Outreach and her work with L.A. Care Community Resource Centers. She has volunteered at Cedars-Sinai and contributed to various public health and social impact initiatives, blending her academic interests with real-world experience.
Known for her empathy, initiative and collaborative spirit, she plans to take a gap year after graduation before pursuing medical school, where she hopes to continue advocating for accessible and equitable healthcare both locally and globally.
“UCLA was the mosaic I didn’t know I was missing — each moment, a piece that helped me see myself more clearly. In late-night laughs, unexpected challenges and quiet victories, I found a home not just on a campus, but within myself. I leave not as who I was, but as who I was meant to become.”
Oluwadamilola Salami is graduating with a bachelor’s in international development studies, and minors in education and professional writing. Having lived in Nigeria (her home country), Kenya and the United Kingdom before college, she must admit that Los Angeles will always have a special place in her heart because of the communities that she has found during her time at UCLA.
Some spaces where she has created these connections include: Mock Trial UCLA, where she got to compete with her teammates around the country; UCLA’s Residential Life, where she has served as a resident advisor from the hallways of Rieber Hall to the SouthWest Apartments; the Global Development Lab, where her international peers have deepened her cultural appreciation; and UCLA’s Nigerian Student Association, which has felt like a home away from home.
She is forever grateful for all UCLA has poured into her!
“UCLA has taught me that there is no such thing as impossible. I know it sounds dramatic, but when I think back to the timid 18-year-old girl who moved into her dorm carrying her heavy suitcases and heavier apprehensions about what the future held, I can hardly recognize her any more. Every daunting opportunity I put myself out there for, every bet I made on myself, every leap of faith I took, scared, has shown me that I am more capable than I ever thought possible.
And this is just one of the lessons I will be taking from UCLA; I like to think of all that I have learned here as precious rubies that I can keep tucked away in a sleeve of my heart, carrying them wherever I go. Thank you, UCLA, for expanding the boundaries of my imagination, transforming my potential into action and for taking a chance on me!”
Kevin Corrigan, a fourth-year undergraduate student at the UCLA College of Letters and Science, graduates with a bachelor of arts degree with an individual field of concentration in government operations, finance and ethics, along with the ability to analyze complex problems, manage municipal finances and deliver high-quality services that meet the needs of citizens and stakeholders. Corrigan is civically engaged and involved in local government as a council executive assistant to the City of Irvine Mayor Larry Agran. He is also a recipient of the Chancellor’s Service Award for 2025, honoring his significant contributions to the surrounding community.
He also graduates with a bachelor’s degree in music performance from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where he is a Colburn Scholar. In addition to appearances as Lacouf in “Les mamelles de Tirésias,” Sorceress in “Dido and Aeneas,” and the Medicus and Bullinger in “Nannerl,” his engagements have included his role debut as Don Ottavio in “Don Giovanni.” Corrigan participated in the UCLA/Seraphic Fire Ensemble Artist Program and is a member of the UCLA Chamber Singers and the UCLA Gluck Voice and Piano Duo. He has also been recognized for his talents in various local and national competitions, including the Vocal Vision Awards of 2024.
“UCLA has offered me invaluable opportunities to grow as a civic leader, artist and individual. It has also taught me that resilience is essential to that growth. Through challenges and opportunities alike, the class of 2025 and I have learned to remain steadfast, adapt and persevere — knowing that each experience shapes us into stronger, more thoughtful leaders. My time here has shown me that, with resilience, anything is possible, and I am deeply grateful to the faculty, staff and students whose support has helped me build resilience.”
Gabrielle Bantay is from San Diego and is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in European language and transcultural studies in Italian. With this education as a foundation, she hopes to someday be a medieval history professor and published author.
She transferred from Miracosta Community College in 2023, where she studied abroad in Florence, furthering her admiration for Italian culture, literature and art. At UCLA, her passions were fostered by the ELTS program, which offered unforgettable experiences such as attending the opera with the Italian Club, engaging Dante lectures and exploring the treasures of the Special Collections Library at the Young Research Library. Bantay was honored with the ELTS award for best Italian minor and is profoundly grateful for all she has learned through the program under Nina Bjekovic’s direction.
She thanks her parents, Tania and Leo Bantay, who have given her everything and more, and her fiancée, Chloe Mickley, for her endless support. Today, Bantay is proud to sing the national anthem in support of justice and the rights of all Americans — especially the undocumented, LGBT and disenfranchised across the country.
“UCLA has not only taught me history, but also has allowed me to take place in it. With only two years spent here, I have witnessed multiple departments strike, heard news helicopters circle the campus for weeks and, most importantly, have watched this influential establishment’s response to these events. College campuses have always been a stage for political thought, for cutting-edge conversations and change led by people. There is a common thought these days that history exists in the past, that it is a dead matter not worth engaging with — my experience here proved to me the essentiality of history, the way it lives and breathes and behaves in the real world. These are lessons I will never forget as I further study history and its living impact.”
Katie Cunningham is graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and English. Originally from Alexandria, Virginia, she has treasured these last four years of learning and growing here at UCLA. Cunningham has loved being a copy contributor at the Daily Bruin, and she is proud to be a member of the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society. She is also a member of the Bruin Linguists Society and is so thankful to have participated in research with the linguistics department.
However, most of her time at UCLA has been spent with HOOLIGAN Theatre Company, which has given her the gift of lifelong friends and the opportunity to pursue her love for theater and music outside of the classroom. Cunningham has participated in seven main-stage musicals and eight off-main-stage productions, and she has served as HOOLIGAN’s Director of IT this past year. It is hard to put her gratitude for this incredible organization into words, as it has truly defined her UCLA experience.
She would like to thank her parents, her sister, her family here in California, her amazing friends and everyone else in this wonderful community for supporting her, and she hopes everyone enjoys her final performance at UCLA!
“My journey at UCLA has not always been easy, but it has truly changed my life for the better and taught me invaluable lessons about myself and the world around me. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to explore and learn in such a passionate, diverse and welcoming community!”
