Benjamin Disraeli said, “There is no education like adversity.” If that’s true, then the Class of 2020 at College of the Canyons should graduate with Ph.Ds.

As the college adjusted to the new reality brought on by COVID-19, the circumstances we found ourselves in brought a steep learning curve for everyone, particularly our students. Leaving behind traditional classrooms and labs, they danced in their living rooms, composed music in their bedrooms, and got hands-on nursing experience at a coronavirus testing site. Flexible, creative, compassionate, spirited and determined in the face of adversity, the College of the Canyons Class of 2020 is truly unlike any other in the college’s 50-year history.

What we have seen these past few months is beyond what anyone could have imagined. Who would have thought that five weeks into the spring semester, we would leave campus, never to be together here again? And who would have imagined that we would not have the opportunity to gather for commencement as this college has done every year since opening its doors in 1969?

After weeks marked by uncertainty, anxiety, disruption and ever so much change, it’s tempting to dwell on what we missed. Learning in class. Campus events. The simple pleasure of spending time with another. Celebrating with friends and classmates. Treasured traditions. Commencement, and the chance to recognize our graduates.

But still, there is much to celebrate. The 2,427 members of the Class of 2020 join the ranks of the nearly 25,000 alumni who have earned degrees from College of the Canyons over the past 50 years. I am inspired and energized when I reflect on how our graduates rose above the complications and potential barriers that overshadowed their final weeks of studies. They forged ahead with purpose, creativity, flexibility and unrelenting determination.

Academically, there are 746 students graduating with honors – which requires a 3.5 GPA or higher — and 80 students with perfect 4.0 GPAs, which grants them the status of valedictorians. The average GPA of the class of 2020 is 3.19. There are also 945 students graduating with two or more degrees. Notably, there are also 77 military veteran graduates in the Class of 2020.

This class represents 102 majors, with liberal arts and sciences (576) ranking as the leading field of study, followed by psychology (314), business (308), accounting (178), and liberal arts and sciences (health science emphasis), 153.

Graduates from the Class of 2020 will transfer to four-year schools, including all nine of the University of California campuses. Other destinations include California State Universities at Long Beach, Northridge, San Luis Obispo and Pomona. Our students will also be represented at University of Southern California, University of La Verne and Stanford University. Many are headed to out-of-state to destinations, including Auburn University, Washington State University and University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

That is why we planned a virtual graduation ceremony to debut June 5 at 7 p.m., when we would have gathered in Cougar Stadium to celebrate commencement. While we can’t be together, we need this moment as a college and as a community because we need to celebrate what our students have achieved, not only this semester, but throughout their time at College of the Canyons.

The strength of our college and our community will always be our ability to come together and care for each other, but especially now. That’s why we look back on this semester with a sense of appreciation. It was hard, and it challenged us, but it taught us much that we otherwise may not have learned.

It forced us to do things we never imagined possible. All of us – students, faculty, staff, administrators – were pushed outside our comfort zones and forced to adapt to a new reality. If asked in February whether we could accomplish what we did in March, April and May, many of us would have declared it impossible.

But that’s the thing about challenges sometimes. They look insurmountable until we’re on the other side of them. It’s only then that we realize we can accomplish so much more than we think we initially thought. Indeed, we often learn more about ourselves during challenging times than when success comes easy.

As we learn those lessons, and belief in capabilities grows, it gives us courage. Coleman Young said, “Courage is one step ahead of fear.” We find that what we are really made of – the resilience and determination revealed through adversity – will give us courage to face future challenges and fuel our journeys for the rest of our lives.

William Ward said, “Adversity causes some to break; others to break records.” As the graduates of the Class of 2020, our graduates have shown themselves to be those rare individuals who can thrive in adversity.

To get to this point and become part of the college’s 50th anniversary commencement ceremony, which is one for the history books, they found a way to move forward. They overcame seemingly impossible obstacles. They prevailed. They kept their eye on the prize. And they got the prize.

On behalf of College of the Canyons, I extend our most heartfelt congratulations and speak for all of us when I say we look forward to seeing the records they will break and the change they will make in this world.

Go Cougars!

Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook is chancellor of College of the Canyons.