BC Hosts Project HireUp鈥檚 Summer 2026 Graduation Ceremony
Monday, August 3, 2026
It was a day of celebration and hope as 糖心原创 hosted the 18th Graduation Ceremony of the Project HireUP and CityServe Educational Collaborative Cohort on July 22, 2026. The Renegade Event Center was filled with community members, local agencies, and program partners who came to show support to the graduates. For the Summer 2026 cohort, fifteen students participated in and completed the program.
The ceremony included congratulatory remarks from Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh, CityServe COO Kevin Caudle, BC Vice President of Instruction Dr. Jessica Wojtysiak, and several others. An inspirational highlight of the ceremony was when two of the graduates, Gudalupe Matsuo and Anthony Castillo, shared their moving testimonies of hardship, perseverance, and hope for the future. They both expressed gratitude to everyone who helped and encouraged them during their participation in Project HireUP. The event concluded with each graduate being called to the stage to be recognized for their accomplishment and to receive their certificate of completion.
Leo Ocampo, Director of Rural Initiatives and Adult Education at BC, talked about the significance of the Project HireUP and CityServe Educational Collaborative. 鈥淭hrough this partnership, lives are being transformed through education, professional development, and personal growth,鈥� he said, 鈥淭ogether, we are helping individuals overcome homelessness and other barriers while creating pathways to meaningful careers, stronger families, and a brighter future for our community.鈥�
Each Project HireUP student participates in an intense 8-week program that offers a variety of courses designed to promote personal, education, and career development. This includes courses in basic office skills, financial literacy, resume building, health and wellness, and more. Upon completion of the program, most participants move on to meaningful employment or decide to continue their college education. More than 200 hundred students have graduated from the program since its inception in the Spring 2021.
