On April 23, College of the Desert invited graduating students to the 2026 GradFest at the Palm Desert campus gymnasium to celebrate the upcoming commencement ceremony.
GradFest is designed to help students prepare for graduation by providing commencement registration, tickets, graduation regalia and more.
The gymnasium was filled with support from staff, faculty, family and friends. But no one was more celebratory than the graduates. Students gathered with beaming smiles, sharing the excitement of receiving their regalia, taking photos and trying everything on for the first time.
“It’s really exciting. I’ve been in school for a while, so it feels really good to see everybody coming together and honestly just really celebrating this milestone,” said graduating student Kayla Gomez.
“It’s really nice to see everything finally come to completion,” said fellow graduate Vanessa Patricio.
GradFest also offered professional graduation photos, food and snack vendors, and cap-decorating supplies to help bring the celebration to life and give students a memorable experience ahead of graduation day.
“So far, it’s been really fun. I like that they have the station to decorate the caps. It definitely makes me feel like I’m graduating,” said chemistry major Lucycela Martin.
Martin said she plans to transfer to California State University, Long Beach, and move to Los Angeles after graduation.
“I’m going to start working in a lab after graduation,” she said.
Business administration graduate and part-time professor Angel Rodriguez shared his thoughts on attending College of the Desert.
“I am an adjunct professor for the HVAC department here at College of the Desert, and I am trying to further my education to better myself and better our students as well,” Rodriguez said. “This is my second time graduating. I didn’t do GradFest before, so this is kind of a cool, different experience I’m exploring, especially when I get to tell my students what they get to look forward to.”
“We’re a junior college, but it’s still college. It’s still an education with the same accomplishments,” Rodriguez continued.
The official commencement ceremony will take place on May 18 at 6 p.m. Students who were unable to attend GradFest can visit the College of the Desert for commencement information, including tickets, location details, cap and gown requirements and more.
