Nearly 2,000 students received degrees and credentials during commencement ceremonies held Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24, at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center, according to the school.
The university awarded 1,623 bachelor’s degrees, 187 master’s degrees and 148 credentials to 1,958 graduates across five ceremonies over the two-day celebration.
Sabikun Podprioty reacts after receiving her diploma at Sonoma State University’s College of Science, Technology and Business commencement, Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the Green Music Center, in Rohnert Park. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Ceremonies for the College of Science, Technology, and Business were held Saturday at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m. ceremony for the College of Education, Counseling, and Ethnic Studies. On Sunday, graduates from the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts will also take part in the 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. ceremonies.
The university will also award honorary Doctorates of Letters to longtime North Bay arts supporters Gayle and Arnold Carston during Sunday morning’s ceremony. The couple, owners of Santa Rosa businesses World of Carpets and ProSource Wholesale, have supported regional arts and education organizations for decades, including the Green Music Center, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts and the Santa Rosa Symphony.
In 2024, the Carstons donated $1 million to support the Green Music Center and student scholarships.
Sonoma State University graduates wait to receive their diplomas, Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the Green Music Center in Rohnert Park. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Sonoma State University commencement, Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the Green Music Center in Rohnert Park. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Sonoma State University commencement, Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the Green Music Center in Rohnert Park. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Sonoma State University commencement, Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the Green Music Center in Rohnert Park. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Sonoma State University commencement, Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the Green Music Center in Rohnert Park. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Sonoma State University president Michael Spagna with faculty and staff dance during the College of Science, Technology and Business commencement, Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the Green Music Center in Rohnert Park. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Vasty Ortiz Arango reacts after receiving her diploma, Saturday, May 23, 2026, during Sonoma State University commencement ceremonies at the Green Music Center in Rohnert Park. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
You can reach Staff Writer Isabel Beer at isabel.beer@pressdemocrat.com.