Nearly 9,200 Sac State Grads Break Records—And Rethink AI's Future

Sacramento State just sent nearly 9,200 graduates into the world this week—the largest class in the university’s almost 80-year history. Roughly 44,000 families and friends packed Golden 1 Center to watch them cross the stage, a moment that felt less like goodbye and more like a collective exhale after years of grinding through assignments, deadlines, and late-night study sessions.

The numbers alone tell part of the story: 9,178 graduates projected for the 2025-26 academic year, an 11% jump from last year and about 900 more cap-and-gown moments than Sacramento State has ever thrown. Sacramento State President Luke Wood called commencement“a reflection of our students’growth, resolve and dedication throughout their academic journey”—and that framing matters, because these weren’t just people checking a box. University officials noted that many of this year’s cohort juggled financial hardship, worked while studying, and became the first in their families to earn a degree. That’s heavy lifting, and it showed in the pride radiating through the venue.

But here’s what made Friday’s ceremony genuinely interesting: the conversation happening between generations about what comes next. While graduate Karina Mois captured the immediate relief (“No more assignments, no more deadlines. It’s just awesome”), others were already wrestling with bigger questions about the workforce they’re entering.

Take Zaid Sharif, who graduated with a degree in management information systems for business. When most people his age fret about artificial intelligence stealing jobs, Sharif flipped the script.“A lot of people look at it as a negative, but I feel like it’s a positive and could actually help out a lot in jobs,”he said. That optimism—grounded in actual technical training—hints at something worth watching: this generation isn’t inheriting dread about AI. They’re inheriting agency over how to use it.

Nine thousand-plus new professionals heading out into Sacramento, California, and beyond. Some have job offers locked down. Others are still figuring it out. But they’re doing it together, armed with the kind of determination it takes to finish a four-year degree in 2026, and with a willingness to see the future as something to build, not just survive.