Achievement day

CSUB honors graduates during commencement

Filed: June 17, 2001

By MARYLEE SHRIDER
Californian staff writer
e-mail: mshrider@bakersfield.com

Faculty and visiting dignitaries lauded student achievement during Cal State Bakersfield commencement exercises Saturday, but it was the tiny, slightly bent figure of graduate Kathryn Burke that brought the crowd to its feet.

Graduates roared their approval as the 87-year-old Burke walked slowly across the platform to receive her master's degree in history. Momentarily surprised by the uproar, Burke acknowledged the ovation with a smile and a slight nod of her head. The moment, she said, had been a long time coming.

"These have been wonderful years," said Burke of a college career that began 11 years ago. "It has been a happy time of life for me, when a lot of people my age are struggling with loneliness or boredom. It's been the way to go."

Burke, whose next project is to see her master's thesis published in book form, was one of 1,453 CSUB graduates to receive degrees during the school's four commencement ceremonies. During the Saturday morning commencement, families and friends packed the amphitheater or watched from the shade of surrounding trees. Despite the tight quarters and climbing temperatures, the crowd remained upbeat.

The heat and lack of seating were of little concern to Annette Blacklock, who struggled to hold back the tears as she watched husband, Chuck Blacklock, 61, receive his bachelor's degree in English.

"The only thing more exciting than getting my degree is watching him get his," said Blacklock, 35. "He realized his dream a little later than most. Now he aspires to be a high school English teacher."

Commencement speaker Superior Court Judge Jon Stuebbe challenged graduates to "leave the camp better than they found it," and to carry out their vision in a way that would benefit those to follow. Rosalind Hayse, who received her bachelor's degree in psychology, said she has every intention of doing just that.

Hayse was forced to put her education on hold in 1988 after a car accident left her with severe head trauma. At the time, she said, doctors expected she would never walk, talk or write again. Now the 30-year-old graduate is planning a career in family counseling and expecting her first child in September.

Her feelings about the day seemed to reflect those of many of her fellow graduates.

"I defied the odds and I'm thanking God for it," said Hayse. "This is a milestone and I've got to celebrate it."