Chico State Alumni Association

🎓 135 years ago today on June 20th, Chico Normal School celebrated its first graduating class in 1891! Chico Normal School was a teacher-training institution, opening in 1889. What eventually evolved into Chico State today, started with only 90 students and 5 faculty members.

📸 Photo of the graduating class of 1891 from the John Nopel Photograph Collection at CSU, Chico Special Collections, SC50707.

Commencement re-CAP! 🎓

One of our favorite graduation traditions? Seeing how Wildcats turn their caps into mini masterpieces. From inspiring messages to creative designs, these grads understood the assignment.

Swipe through some of our favorites and give your favorite a ❤️!

The Chico State alumni gear you've been asking for is finally here! 🎉 We're excited to announce our new exclusive online collection, created in partnership with Chico-based, alumni-owned Upper Park Clothing.

Featuring campus-inspired apparel and gear, including several designs by alum Jacob Davenport ('22), the collection celebrates the places and traditions that make Chico State special.

Best of all, every purchase also gives back, with Alumni Association proceeds supporting our scholarship program.

Browse the collection here: https://arroyomfg.com/collections/chico-state?ls=DYUUi_x-KPkqRDp5Hn1JF

When Joy Orlando (Psychology, '26) lost her eyesight due to complications from type 1 diabetes just months after becoming a mother, returning to college meant rethinking everything.

After learning braille, she enrolled at Chico State and later faced one of her toughest academic challenges: learning intricate brain structures in a biological psychology course. With support from her professor and Chico State's Accessibility Resource Center, tactile and braille-labeled brain models helped make the material accessible.

This May, Joy crossed the Commencement stage as a Chico State graduate—a testament to her determination and the power of accessible education. We are so proud to welcome her to the Wildcat alumni family! 🎓🎉

Learn more on Chico State Today: https://today.csuchico.edu/braille-labelled-brain-models-make-lab-accessible-to-psychology-student-who-lost-eyesight/

At many universities, Commencement is built around a single keynote speaker. At Chico State, it’s built around our students.

Each year, graduates from across the University take the podium to share the stories behind their degrees and represent the classmates, mentors, and communities that helped them reach this milestone.

Congratulations to this year’s Commencement speakers:
• Emily Lees (MBA, ’26)
• Millie Kinnamont (Communication Studies, ’26)
• Sophia Benitez (Animal Science, ’26)
• David Miller (Social Science, ’26)
• Nicole Foote (Social Work, ’26)
• Wesley Porter (Physics, ’26)

Their journeys to this moment were different, but together they reflect the resilience, determination, and spirit of the Class of 2026. 🎓❤️

📖 Learn more: https://today.csuchico.edu/2026-commencement-speakers/
📺 Watch the ceremonies: https://www.youtube.com//videos

One weekend. Two graduations. 600 miles between. 🎓

When Joaquin Cervantes-González (Business Administration, ’26) crossed the Commencement stage at Chico State this Spring, his family was there cheering him on. By Sunday, they were in San Diego celebrating his twin brother Diego’s graduation from San Diego State University.

For parents Adriana and Jesús González—both proud CSU alumni who now serve as lecturers for Fresno State's Liberal Studies ITEP program, pulling off the whirlwind weekend took careful coordination, grit, and a healthy dose of car karaoke.

“The CSU is a very special place,” Adriana said. “It’s where we met. It’s where we built our careers. And now, watching our sons reach this milestone just feels like that story continues.”

Learn more on Chico State Today: https://today.csuchico.edu/csu-family-travels-600-miles-to-celebrate-twins-back-to-back-graduations/