San Joaquin Delta College is set to celebrate the largest graduating class in its history Thursday, with more than 1,300 students expected to participate in the school’s 91st annual commencement ceremony at Adventist Health Arena.
Delta College spokesperson Alex Breitler said 3,532 students applied for graduation during the 2025-26 academic year, seeking 4,409 degrees and 1,083 certificates. Last year, 2,773 students applied for graduation, and just over 1,000 participated in the ceremony.
The commencement ceremony begins at 6 p.m. Thursday and is expected to end at or near 8 p.m.
“Our graduates have overcome a great deal to reach this milestone,” Delta College Superintendent/President Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson said. “Many balanced their studies while caring for children or loved ones, working multiple jobs, or navigating challenges related to housing, food security or health.”
Lawrenson added, “Through it all, they continued moving forward. Their presence at Delta College’s record-breaking 91st commencement ceremony is a powerful reflection of their perseverance, determination and strength.”
Because of the larger class size, graduates this year will check in and stage at the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium instead of inside the arena before processing to the ceremony and taking their seats on the floor.
The change comes weeks after graduates protested Delta College’s decision to reduce ticket allotments from five to three per graduate because of seating limitations at Adventist Health Arena. The decision prompted a student petition and complaints from graduates who said the limit prevented family members from attending. College officials later restored the allotment to five tickets per graduate after expanding seating capacity by moving graduate staging operations to the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium.
“We’re thrilled that so many students are graduating, but this year’s significant increase does pose some logistical challenges,” Breitler said.
In the past, Breitler said graduates had been staged in the arena in an upstairs area behind the stage. He said moving them outside the arena for staging will allow college officials to open up more seating for family members and friends behind the stage.
“We know how important this moment is for students, many of whom are the first in their families to graduate from college, so we wanted to do everything possible to allow more loved ones to attend,” Breitler said.
Breitler said chairs, water and air conditioning will be available at the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium while graduates wait. He also said temporary footwear will be provided for graduates wearing high heels during the roughly two-block walk.
“Although it might be an inconvenience to have to walk a couple of blocks, we hope that graduates find it exciting to be part of the largest graduating class in the history of Delta College,” Breitler said.
Delta graduation will close Fremont Street to traffic
A traffic advisory issued ahead of the event said the Stockton Police Department will temporarily close Fremont Street between Center and Madison streets from approximately 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. to allow graduates to safely cross between the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium and Adventist Health Arena.
City officials advised attendees to arrive early because of expected downtown congestion. Parking will be available on streets and in city lots, with parking fees and restrictions applying.
The college plans to reevaluate future commencement ceremonies because of ongoing capacity concerns, though no decisions have been made regarding possible venue changes, multiple ceremonies or ticket limits, according to Breitler.
“We just want to thank both students and families for their patience,” Breitler said. “It’s a wonderful thing to be growing, but sometimes it does create challenges to work through. We appreciate everyone hanging in there while we worked over the past month to make this the best possible ceremony in honor of our graduates’ achievements.”
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: San Joaquin Delta College expects largest graduating class in history
Reporting by Hannah Workman, The Stockton Record / The Record
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