TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Pima Community College celebrated its class of 2026 with commencement ceremonies at the Tucson Convention Center Arena, awarding nearly 6,000 degrees and certificates to more than 4,500 students.
For the first time, the college split graduation into two ceremonies — one Wednesday morning and one in the late afternoon — easing the congestion the school has seen in years past.
Genesis Vasquez, one of the graduates, captured the excitement of the day.
"We're excited to cross the stage, get our degrees and move forward with our lives," Vasquez said.
Commencement speaker Alex Guzman, who majored in liberal arts and landed in public service after exploring career paths for years, delivered an encouraging message to fellow graduates.
"The main message I want to send is that you can keep going, and it's never too late to reinvent yourself," Guzman said.
"I'm proud of my roots, my heritage, and my parents being here meant the world to me," Guzman said.
College leaders say many students earned multiple credentials in fields ranging from liberal arts and business administration to cybersecurity and nursing.
Nursing graduate Briana Alvarado had a message for others considering a similar path.
"You can do it; I did it. I'm now one of seven percent Latina's that are nurses so, si se puede," Alvarado said.
As the ceremonies wrapped up, graduates left with words of encouragement for those who will follow in their footsteps.
"Live your best moments. Remember, you only have one life - and always smile," Vasquez said.
"It took a long time, but I'm here now and grateful to graduate," Alvarado said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Marc Monroy joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist after moving from KGUN 9’s sister station, KXXV, in Waco, Texas. He graduated from California State University, Northridge, in 2024 with a degree in journalism. A native of Southern California and a bilingual reporter, Marc is excited to serve Southern Arizona and looks forward to connecting with neighbors in the community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Marc by emailing marc.monroy@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
