Commencement ceremonies will bring thousands in and out of Isla Vista over the weekend

ISLA VISTA, Calif. - The changing population of Isla Vista this weekend will be directly linked to the end of the school year at nearby UC Santa Barbara.

Commencement ceremonies will take place all weekend with six set for Saturday and Sunday. They start at 9 a.m.

The graduates will all pick up their diplomas at the ceremonies located by the UCSB lagoon.

This will bring in family members and friends and fill the area with onlookers.

Traffic is expected to be heavy on the on and off ramps going into Isla Vista and also on the streets around the campus. Many students who are leaving the area will be loading up their cars and rented trucks.

For many of the students, their college years involved time during the pandemic with in person and on line classes. They have had challenging times beyond the normal college lifestyle.

UCSB sophomore Katie McElroy said, "everyone is moving out now. You just keep seeing move out trucks."

Looking back on her year, and what's ahead, she says, " I am hoping to get an internship. I am doing a fellowship though the  Bren school for environmental studies so  I am excited about that ."

UCSB Freshman Alexis Alfaro said "I am starting to get a better idea of what I want to do because don't have a major right now. I know I like STEM  majors so I am thinking about chemistry."

The campus is quieting down, with the end of classes,  but Saturday and Sunday,  there will be six commencement ceremonies by the lagoon with students and in many cases their families. After that,  it's on to a career.
Hannah Abergel is a UCSB senior who took economics and enjoys sports communication career options as well. "I am actually really excited to start my career and see where life takes me out of college. I got a job at UCLA  to work in their finance department in their  athletics department, so I have mix of both my sports enjoyment and using my degree in finance so it will be fun."

 One senior says his last two years have been more enjoyable that during the time of the pandemic when learning was remote and  many students were taking classes from home.   
Anthony Pella said, "I was here during sophomore year  it just wasn't the same, IV was kind of dead but it's been great since."

Isla Vista is also getting a better reputation than the way it was viewed years ago as one of the biggest party schools in the west. 

Abergel said, "I can walk around at night knowing that I have the CSO's,   the student officers to walk me home if I need to and cleanliness has been a big part of UCSB that we have been have been trying to work on. "
Students are giving their college years a good report card,  and while some are happy to be graduating, they are sad to see this unique chapter in their lives come to an end.

For more information go to: UCSB Commencement

• Graduate Division — Friday, June 16, from 1–3 p.m.

• College of Letters & Science, Division of Math, Life and Physical Sciences I — Saturday, June 17, from 9–11 a.m.

• College of Letters & Science, Division of Math, Life and Physical Sciences II — Saturday, June 17, from 1–3 p.m.

• College of Engineering — Saturday, June 17, from 4–5:15 p.m.

• College of Letters & Science, Division of Social Sciences I — Sunday, June 18, from 9–11 a.m.

• College of Letters & Science, Division of Social Sciences II — Sunday, June 18, from 1–3 p.m.

• College of Letters & Science, Division of Humanities and Fine Arts — Sunday, June 18, from 4–5:30 p.m.