The campus' second commencement brought about 400 friends and family to the grassy quad near the engineering building.
It was quite an increase from 2006. That year's class had three graduates.
Most of the 75 graduates transferred to UC Merced from community colleges, more than half are from the Central Valley, and nearly two-thirds are the first in their families to graduate from a four-year university.
With his black gown, biological sciences graduate Joseph Pham wore a lei of folded dollar bills, which he said signified his parents' trials.
"My family struggled to get here," said the first-generation college graduate. His parents fled Vietnam during the war. All Pham's siblings have gone to college. "My parents always said family first, but school was second."
The end of school hadn't set in for some graduates. "I'm shocked. I can't believe we actually made it, that the school developed this far to actually have a nice ceremony," said Brian Chu, a psychology grad who transferred to UC Merced from Mount San Antonio College. "I'm relieved."
In his keynote address, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi stressed UC Merced's progress.
"As I was driving in this morning, I thought of how this campus has changed, how this used to be a dirt road," he said.
Garamendi compared UC Merced's first students with those pioneers who settled California, who represent the spirit of California. Both groups left behind the shackles that kept them from advancing, he said.
"All of you today are the embodiment of that spirit. You are pioneers yourselves, pioneers of UC Merced," Garamendi said.
Now, the graduates must apply what they learned and be tomorrow's leaders. Their challenges include global warming, public health, new ways of seeking energy, educating a mixture of cultures and living in a world of war and peace, the lieutenant governor said.
The Class of 2007 presented the university with a statue of a bobcat, the university's mascot, that will be installed next year. For the ceremony, they brought a replica — a bright yellow version with red eyes and black whiskers.
"Every one of these students have contributed to the success of the campus," said Jane Lawrence, vice chancellor of student affairs.
Student speaker Josh Bolin reviewed the last two years, remembering when classes were held in the library or when student government had a 12-hour marathon meeting.
Bolin reminded the graduates of the experience UC Merced gave them that they wouldn't have received many other places — an education among people they all know by name.
But the tight-knit environment also makes it hard to say goodbye. Several professors and staff were sad to see so many of their "babies" leaving.
"I'm going to miss the friendships I've made here for sure," graduate Chu said. "But I'll definitely come back to campus to see how it grows."
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