Victor Valley College celebrated a historic milestone on Wednesday, June 17 as nearly 1,100 graduates crossed the stage during its commencement ceremony at Toyota Arena in Ontario, marking one of the largest groups of participating graduates in the college’s history.
The record-breaking ceremony honored the Class of 2026, with thousands of family members, friends, faculty members and community supporters filling the arena to celebrate the accomplishments of graduates. Approximately 2,700 students were eligible to graduate this year.
Student leaders used the occasion to reflect on the diverse paths that led graduates to the milestone.
“There is no single path that leads us to this moment. No specific timeline for success. No exact blueprint on what our college journey is supposed to look like,” said Associated Student Body (ASB) President and Student Trustee Hailey Reyes during her commencement address.
Reyes recognized classmates who balanced work, family responsibilities and personal challenges while pursuing their education.
“And yet, they showed up, they kept going, and today, we graduate,” she said.
Valedictorian Giselle Flores shared her own story of perseverance, describing how her initial disappointment about attending community college evolved into gratitude for the opportunities it provided.
“I felt embarrassed … like I had let my family down,” Flores said, reflecting on her early perceptions. That perspective of her’s changed over time.
“Community college didn’t hold me back … it built me,” Flores told graduates.
She encouraged her classmates to view setbacks as opportunities, reminding them that “rejection was actually redirection” and that success does not follow a single path.
A historic moment during the ceremony came when seven graduates from Victor Valley College’s Justice Involved Education program were recognized in person. The students, who are incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex in Victorville, participated in commencement as part of a groundbreaking educational partnership between the college and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
According to Victor Valley College, the program has expanded opportunities for incarcerated students through in-person instruction, workforce training and pathways toward degrees and certifications. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Victor Valley College is the first college in the United States to offer a furlough program, allowing federal inmates to attend community college classes in person while still serving their sentence.
Victor Valley College Superintendent/President Dr. Daniel Walden spoke about resilience, purpose and character during his address to graduates.
“The struggles you face are not always signs that you are on the wrong path, sometimes they are the very things driving you deeper into your purpose,” Walden said.
He encouraged graduates to build their lives on values such as integrity, honesty, kindness and humility.
Victor Valley College continues to serve as one of the region’s largest educational institutions, enrolling approximately 24,000 students. The college reports contributing more than $553 million annually to the San Bernardino County economy, with alumni earnings and workforce contributions generating more than $398 million each year.
For the Class of 2026, commencement marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, as graduates left with new opportunities. Congratulations to VVC’s Class of 2026 on achieving your educational goals!
