APIDA Grads Blossom Into Their Next Chapter
Ethan Ramillo & Tralee Jacobs | STAFF WRITERS
January 29, 2026
Graduation is only two weeks away, and everyone’s swamped finishing up the semester with finals and last-minute projects.
But for students in the Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans (APIDA) Graduation Committee, they’ve been working hard to set up the cultural celebration for seniors in the APIDA community since last August.
Committee Co-Chair and fourth-year Sophie Evrard says, “While the work’s been chaotic, it’s all worth it to ensure students and their families feel the community’s strength and resilience.”
For this year’s APIDA graduation, the theme is “Flowers Ready to Pick, Ready to Bloom into a New Person.”
Evrard hopes that the symbolism of the flower shows students that, just like the flower, “You can blossom anywhere. We come from our roots, ready to bloom thanks to the work of our families, and we are about to spread our knowledge throughout the world.”
She also adds, “Particularly with the turmoil that is happening around the world, we take that into account for how it applies to our APIDA grads, and the purity and resilience that the flower represents is something that our community really needs to hear right now.”
With the planning process having begun at the beginning of the academic year, Evrard recalls that the committee has been planning through biweekly meetings with other students from the APIDA community, the Office of Inclusive Excellence (OIE), and their faculty advisors to carefully consider every little detail for the celebration.
The planning behind these events also encourages more students to get involved in organizing cultural graduations.
“Even the drinks have something to do with the graduation’s color palette; everything has a lot more significance than what the students expect. So when you show up to these events, just take a moment to really soak everything in!”
The choice of student speakers also reflects the immense diversity of different cultures and peoples within the wide pan-ethnic banner of APIDA.
“It speaks to the true culture of the community, especially considering that it’s basically everyone else from all over the world.”
With this being the third cultural graduation that Evrard has worked on, and the second she’s served as a Co-Chair, she’s most excited to see the decor on display at the ceremony.
She says the APIDA celebrations always have some of the most unique decorations compared to the rest.
Along with the attention to detail, outstanding student speakers and distinctive decor, attendees can expect a culturally significant performance.
All the preparations are made in hopes that students and their families feel the strength and resilience of the community. The APIDA committee knows that the impact this event will have will make their intentionality worthwhile.
It’s a beautiful thing to be able to celebrate both your culture and your academic achievements.
Ending a long journey with a moment to sit with our cultures leaves a lasting impact.
The planning and execution of this event stands as a reminder to not forget your roots as you continue to bloom.
APIDA Graduation will be taking place on Thursday, May 7, in Villalobos Hall.