“I was told I was the first female freshman student to get the stamp of approval,” said Rocha.
Rocha enrolled shortly after the University moved from its temporary location at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds to its permanent location.
“I remember driving up to the campus and seeing two buildings surrounded by dirt,” she said. “It consisted of a library and a classroom building with not much around it. Part of the draw was that it was a new, small university close to home with the opportunity for one-on-one classroom instruction from professors.”
Rocha was also among the first graduating class in 1969 to attend all four years on the new Stanislaus State campus.
“Stan State was a blessing. I was very, very shy and the whole experience here was the best thing for me” said Rocha. “Classroom sizes were small; the professors were extraordinary. I was a Spanish major but went on to earn a teaching credential. I taught second grade at Dent Elementary School in Escalon for 36 years, and 34 of those years were in the same classroom.”
On Saturday morning, Rocha was joined by about a dozen other graduates from the classes of 1960-1969 who returned to campus for a special brunch on the patio outside of the John Stuart Rogers Faculty Development Center.
The Golden Grad Brunch offered the alumni an opportunity to reflect on their education at Stan State 50 years ago and learn about the University’s vision for the future.
“It was a godsend for Stan State to open,” said Ken Williams, who graduated in 1961. “I would return to the Central Valley every summer to work so when this opened up it was perfect.”
The Modesto High School graduate had transferred to Stan State in 1960 to study both English and journalism after attending UC Berkeley for two years.
“I’m very proud to be a part of the first group of students and graduates at Stan State,” said Williams. “As the first students, we got to choose the University mascot and the school colors.”
Jack Waldorf (’62) said he worked in the library when Stan State operated at the fairgrounds.
“When it was time for the fair, we had to pack up all of the books so the chickens could move in and then when the fair was all over, we had to move them all back in,” he chuckled.
Waldorf transferred to Stan State after attending a religious school, he said. He decided it wasn’t for him and when he first started attending classes at Stan State he said, “It was like a breath of fresh air.”
He graduated and later returned to Stan State to earn his master’s degree.
“My education here helped with my quality of life and in finding a good job,” he said.
Royce Sappenfield was also a transfer student, but from Modesto Junior College. When he started his degree program at Stan State, he said, classroom sizes were so small it allowed him to get to know his professors and classmates at a much more personal level.
“I got on a first-name basis with professors here. They would invite us (students) over to their houses for dinner. It was like a family here,” he said.
As part of the Golden Grad Brunch, the group heard from Stan State President Ellen Junn, who talked about the University’s recent accolades, growth and current construction projects.
Junn informed the grads of the University’s plans to bring the latest technology to the new Library Building, which is currently under renovation. She also talked about the University’s plans to build a new state-of-the-art facility at the Stockton Campus. She encouraged the group to give their input on the future of Stan State.
“It looks great. I’m excited about the new buildings. It sounds like they’ll be great new additions to the campus,” said Williams.