SF State to Honor three Alumni, 8,500 Grads at 117th Commencement

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

SF STATE NEWS -- Physician and humanitarian Ramona Tascoe (B.A., ’70), environmental activist Randall Hayes (M.A., ’83) and Grammy award-winning musician and conductor Kent Nagano (M.A., ’76) will be honored at San Francisco State University’s 117th Commencement ceremony on May 24 at AT&T Park.

Tascoe is the featured Commencement speaker, while Hayes and Nagano will receive honorary doctorates.

Ramona Tascoe earned a special triple major in political science, sociology and psychology. As a result of her fearless commitment to her ideals, she became an essential part of the University’s enduring legacy. In 1967, Tascoe took part in campus protests that grew into the historic student strike of 1968, which led to the creation of the College of Ethnic Studies.

After studying sociology and music at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Kent George Nagano came to SF State and earned a master’s degree in Music. After graduating, he landed his first conducting job as an assistant conductor with the Opera Company of Boston. He eventually returned to Berkeley to become the music director of the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra — a position he would hold for the next 30 years.

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