Sac State graduate embodies perseverance years after beginning graduation journey
Sacramento State is celebrating its largest class in its history, with a projected 9,178 graduates. Including those who graduated during the Winter Commencement, this represents an 11% increase over the previous academic year.
JUST THAT. THAT’S WHY YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO TRAVEL WITH THEM IN YOUR CHECKED BAGS, RIGHT? WHEN YOU FLY. WOW. THE CAPS ARE READY. GOWNS ARE ON, AND GRADUATION SEASON IS OFFICIALLY UNDERWAY. RIGHT NOW, SACRAMENTO STATE STUDENTS ARE READY FOR THEIR BIG MOMENT TO WALK THE STAGE. AND SO MIKE TESELLE IS AT GOLDEN ONE CENTER. AMID ALL THE EXCITEMENT. THE DIPLOMAS, THE GRADS, THE DADS, ALL OF THAT FUN. AND MELANIE, YOU KNOW, THIS DAY IS ALL ABOUT THE FEELINGS. I’M GOING TO STEP OUT OF THE WAY AND LET YOU SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. A SEA OF GRADUATES HERE ON THE FLOOR AT THE GOLDEN ONE CENTER. AND YEAH, THERE’S ANXIETY, THERE’S STRESS, THERE’S RELIEF, THERE’S HAPPINESS. AND OF COURSE, THERE’S A WHOLE LOT OF PRIDE FROM PARENTS HERE IN THIS ROOM ABOUT TO WITNESS THEIR CHILD GETTING THEIR DEGREE. THIS IS THE LARGEST GRADUATING CLASS IN SACRAMENTO STATE UNIVERSITY HISTORY, AN 11% INCREASE OVER THE LAST ACADEMIC YEAR. THE FIRST COLLEGES TO GET THEIR DEGREES THIS MORNING WILL BE THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS AND THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS. AND THERE IS ONE SPECIFIC GRADUATE I TALKED TO THIS MORNING ABOUT HIS JOURNEY AND WHAT HE LEARNED THAT ALL OF US CAN TAKE SOMETHING AWAY FROM. LISTEN, I’M ANXIOUS, EXCITED. EVERYTHING YOU CAN FEEL IN A BIG MOMENT LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, I’M A LITTLE BIT OF A OLDER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE HERE. SO I’VE BEEN AT THIS SINCE 2008, BASICALLY A LOT OF STOPS, A LOT OF GAPS IN BETWEEN. BUT IT’S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY AND I’M FINALLY HERE. SO AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS, WHAT’S THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY YOU’RE TAKING AWAY FROM THAT EXPERIENCE MOVING FORWARD? BE FLEXIBLE. DON’T BE AFRAID TO STEP OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND DO NEW THINGS. AND EVEN LIKE, EVEN IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A SITUATION OR IN SPACES WHERE MAYBE EVERYBODY IS NOT AS PASSIONATE OR ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT SOMETHING AS YOU ARE, DON’T LET THAT DIM YOUR STAR STILL DO YOURS, YOU KNOW, AND AS YOU FOUND OUT, DON’T GIVE UP. EXACTLY. PERSEVERANCE IS KEY TO EVERYTHING. WHETHER IT’S FOUR YEARS OR 18 YEARS. DON’T GIVE UP. PERSEVERE. AND YOU CAN GET HERE. AKIL IS A SYMBOL OF THAT. AND AGAIN, THE FIRST OF THE COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES BEGINS JUST IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES FROM NOW. BE ADVISED IF YOU ARE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA TODAY OR TOMORROW, ALL DAY, A LOT OF TRAFFIC AROUND THE GOLDEN ONE CENTER, NOT JUST CAR WISE, BUT PEOPLE WISE CROSSING THE STREET. SO JUST BE ADVISED, IT’S A GREAT DAY FOR A LOT OF THESE STUDENTS. AND IF YOU ARE TRYING TO GET AROUND THE GOLDEN ONE CENTER, JUST PERHAPS PLAN AHEAD SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH ALL THESE PEOPLE HERE TO SEE THEIR SON AND THEIR DAUGHTER GET THEIR DEGREE. AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS, WHETHER IT WAS A SHORT GO OR, AS YOU HEARD, A LONG ROAD TO GET HERE LIVE INSIDE THE GOLDEN ONE CENTER MIKE TESELLE KCRA THREE NEWS. ALL RIGHT. EXCITING. YEAH, YOU CAN DEFINITELY FEEL IT. YEAH FOR SURE. AND PERFECT WEATHER FOR ALL OF THOSE GRADS GOING TO AND FROM RT STARTING TO THE GOLDEN ONE I
Sac State graduate embodies perseverance years after beginning graduation journey
Sacramento State is celebrating its largest class in its history, with a projected 9,178 graduates. Including those who graduated during the Winter Commencement, this represents an 11% increase over the previous academic year.
Updated: 11:04 AM PDT May 22, 2026
As thousands of Sacramento State students in their caps and gowns descended on the Golden 1 Center for the beginning of commencement ceremonies, one person stood out to me.His name is Akil Daniels.”I’m a little bit of an older head than anyone else here,” Daniels told me. “So, I’ve been at this since 2008 basically.”Daniels’ long journey to get to this day is also part of a history making weekend for Sacramento State.The university is celebrating its largest class in its history, with a projected 9,178 graduates. Including those who graduated during the Winter Commencement, this represents an 11% increase over the previous academic year, according to a news release from the University.”It’s been a long journey to get here,” Daniels told me.I then asked him what is his biggest takeaway from is from his journey.”Be flexible. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone,” said Daniels. “Even if you find yourself in situations or spaces where maybe everybody’s not as passionate or enthusiastic as you are, don’t let that dim your star.”With that, Daniels walk into the Golden 1 Center to get his degrees, after all those years.”Perseverance is key to everything.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google
As thousands of Sacramento State students in their caps and gowns descended on the Golden 1 Center for the beginning of commencement ceremonies, one person stood out to me.
His name is Akil Daniels.
“I’m a little bit of an older head than anyone else here,” Daniels told me. “So, I’ve been at this since 2008 basically.”
Daniels’ long journey to get to this day is also part of a history making weekend for Sacramento State.
The university is celebrating its largest class in its history, with a projected 9,178 graduates. Including those who graduated during the Winter Commencement, this represents an 11% increase over the previous academic year, according to a news release from the University.
“It’s been a long journey to get here,” Daniels told me.
I then asked him what is his biggest takeaway from is from his journey.
“Be flexible. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone,” said Daniels. “Even if you find yourself in situations or spaces where maybe everybody’s not as passionate or enthusiastic as you are, don’t let that dim your star.”
With that, Daniels walk into the Golden 1 Center to get his degrees, after all those years.
“Perseverance is key to everything.”
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google