The celebrations are sponsored by the Office of Equity and Inclusion and recognize the APIDA, Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ communities during Commencement season. These celebrations are open to the whole community — friends, family, and more — to come together in a shared space and honor graduates and those who helped them reach the completion of their degrees.
The following are the selected alumni speakers for each celebration.
Namrata Saroj, OD ’96 is the chief business officer at Ocular Therapeutix and has over 20 years of experience focusing on global development and commercialization of drugs and technologies advancing ophthalmic care. Saroj earned her bachelor of arts in biochemistry from Whittier College, followed by a bachelor of science in optometry and a doctorate of optometry from the University of California, Berkeley.
Robert Allarte ’16 is the chief of staff for Long Beach City Councilwoman Megan Kerr, while Cody Allarte ’16 is the assistant emergency manager at the City of Anaheim. Robert earned a bachelor of arts in political science and Spanish literature and language, while Cody received his bachelor of arts in business administration.
Chaznae Walker ’06 has worked at the I Have A Dream Foundation in Los Angeles for almost 20 years. Beginning her journey as a program coordinator, her dedication has led to her latest promotion to the role of executive director. At Whittier, Walker earned a bachelor of arts in political science and excelled in collegiate basketball.
Brenda Gonzalez '12 is a strategic communications who has worked with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services as well as former Vice President Kamala Harris when she was a senator and attorney general. Gonzalez earned her bachelor of arts in political science at Whittier before earning a master’s degree in strategic public relations from the University of Southern California.
The celebrations are organized, planned, and coordinated by students. Questions can be directed to the Office of Equity and Inclusion at oei@whittier.edu. For more information, including time and location of celebrations, visit Whittier.edu/commencement/precommencementactivities.
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