‘Finally’: Class of 2024 graduates from ASU after many started college during COVID-19

Streamers rained down on thousands of new Arizona State University graduates on Monday night — what for many was a celebration long awaited.

More than 20,000 students graduated from ASU, the largest in the school’s history. Many of them ended their high school careers at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, missing their graduation ceremonies and beginning college during a time marked with uncertainty.

For Tiffany Ticlo, that meant tuning into a local radio station to hear her name called as she went through a “drive-thru” high school graduation in the car. She went home to a celebratory dinner of chicken tenders. While she said her family took care to make her first graduation special, this year's celebration would include a bit more spectacle.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Ticlo said.

Ticlo was among thousands of her peers in a maroon and gold crowd on Monday. Among the many decorated graduation caps, hers featured a bedazzled banner reading “Miss Arizona.”

She was crowned last year as the latest in Miss Arizona royalty and graduated with a degree in computer science on Monday. Ticlo comes from a Sun Devil family, she said, with two siblings graduating from ASU.

Her passion for STEAM, referring to the study of STEM fields and the arts, led to her teaching local high school students about coding while also releasing a few songs during her college career.

For Cordero Holmes, 35, the journey to get to ASU has been far from clear.

Holmes spent 10 years in prison, including some time in solitary confinement, after being convicted of a series of charges including armed robbery at 20 years old. When he left, he was reconnected with learning through Rio Salado College’s prison reentry program.

“Education was the key,” he said.

Holmes said he originally didn’t imagine himself at a four-year college after being incarcerated.

“I didn’t think they were for me,” Holmes said.

But after taking English classes through the reentry programs available, he said he was able to build confidence in seeking a formal education. He said those classes allowed him to articulate what he felt while spending years in solitary confinement.

Holmes graduated with a degree in public service and public policy and will enroll in a graduate program in hopes of using his lived experience in public service.

Nick Garing, 22, said finding motivation was difficult when he first started college. Garing is a business and data analytics graduate.

“Waking up in your dorm room and opening your laptop in your bed — it was hard,” he said.

Following commencement, families and friends waited to meet with the new graduates on the sidewalk. Garing stood waiting after a night of fireworks and singing.

“Finally,” he said. “I’m excited to be all together.”

President Michael Crow acknowledged some graduation cancellations across the country in the midst of escalating pro-Palestininan protests. He was met with some boos, and later cheers from the crowd when he took the stage.

“We’re actually holding our graduation,” Crow said. “And we’re protecting free speech at the same time.”

But ASU has still faced criticism, including a free speech lawsuit , after arresting around 70 people late last month at a Pro-Palestinian protest. At least 20 were active ASU students.

A small group outside the stadium continued leading chants as thousands of guests filed into Mountain America Stadium, some of them wearing their maroon caps and gowns ahead of the ceremony.

Of the graduates, more than 9,000 are Arizona students entering the workforce. More than 6,000 are online students, with 14,000 studying in person.

In total, ASU expected 42,000 guests between the graduate and undergraduate ceremonies.

Helen Rummel covers higher education for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at hrummel@azcentral.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @helenrummel.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ‘Finally’: Class of 2024 graduates from ASU after many started college during COVID-19