Congratulations to Graduating International Students

Dear UC Davis International Students,

On behalf of UC Davis Global Affairs, we are writing to praise the resiliency and hard work you have displayed this academic year, especially this quarter, and to congratulate all of our graduating international students and their families.

Particularly during this time of year, we are reminded that UC Davis students are some of the very brightest and come from every corner of the world. We are proud of the grace, courage, and sense of community you have shown during some of the most challenging and emotional times the U.S. and the world have experienced, including months of enduring the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recently, weeks of protests against social injustice and structural racism. We stand with the UC System and UC Davis in affirming our solidarity with Black students, colleagues, and communities and in speaking out against racism, discrimination, and marginalization. Now more than ever, our global and local challenges are interconnected, and we know progress and solutions will come from global and community partnerships and collaborations, as we are experiencing in real-time.

Though there are still challenges ahead, you have shown much determination and many skills and attributes that, combined with your world-class education, global experiences, and global networks, will carry you onto your next goals and to achieve your dreams. We hope you will enjoy this video, featuring special messages from UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May and many supporters, congratulating this year’s graduating undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, who represent nearly 50 countries and are now joining the prestigious network of more than 250,000 UC Davis alumni around the world.

Celebrating the UC Davis International Class of 2020

While there is a lot to celebrate in your accomplishments, we also understand the disappointment to not have the opportunity to gather for a traditional commencement and related activities on campus this month due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope the virtual commencement activities offer you an opportunity to share and connect with family and friends near and far. We also hope this article by Bai-Yin Chen, a psychologist within UC Davis Student Heath and Counseling Services, helps as you cope with the temporary loss of certain traditions due to COVID-19. 

Whether you are graduating this year or in future years, we encourage you to keep in touch with one another and to stay connected to UC Davis, your classmates, faculty, and mentors. We invite you and your families to join our SISS Newsletter for updates and resources specific to international students and scholars, and our Global Affairs Newsletter for news and events for our global campus community.We look forward to keeping in touch as we work collectively in facing challenges and fostering a caring, inclusive and equitable environment, both locally and globally.

As always, please accept our deepest gratitude to all of our students, and your families and supporters, for your tremendous contributions to our international community. We are all Global Aggies and we are proud of our UC Davis global community.

Best wishes now and into the future and congratulations to the Class of 2020 from all of us in Global Affairs!

Joanna Regulska
Vice Provost and Associate Chancellor, Global Affairs
Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies

Fadi Fathallah
Associate Vice Provost of Global Education and Services, Global Affairs
Professor of Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Wesley Young
Director, Services for International Students and Scholars, Global Affairs