If the College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) could have offered up two graduates more representative of the deep excellence of the Class of 2023, they’d have been hard-pressed to find individuals more exemplary than Leonardo Lloyd Padilla and Anviksha Srivastava, who addressed their peers as student commencement speakers in the morning and afternoon sessions at UCR’s 69th commencement ceremony. 

Both graduates exemplify what Anviksha termed in her afternoon address as honoring the “Tartan soul” of integrity, accountability, excellence and respect. 

“We will never procrastinate. We will always keep learning,” she said.

Both Anviksha and Leonardo plan on continuing to serve their communities by becoming doctors. “This commencement serves not only to recognize our undergraduate years, but propels us into the next chapter of our lives,” Leonardo said.

The valedictorian of the 2023 University Honors Graduating Class, Leonardo is earning a Bachelor's of Science in Biology with a Minor in History. While maintaining a consistent presence on the Chancellor's Honor List, he held a work-study position on campus at Information Technology Solutions for three years. 

Outside of class, Leonardo volunteered as an EMT in the Riverside community, and after returning from what he described as “a life-changing summer” studying biomedicine in Scandinavia, Leonardo served as an ambassador for the Study Abroad Office, helping other UCR students pursue their dreams abroad. He also volunteered as an ambassador for University Honors while completing his Capstone project, conducting research on the role of TMEM132 proteins. In recognition of his leadership and volunteer efforts, he received the Highlander Impact Award. He plans on becoming a trauma surgeon, and will spend his gap year before medical school working full-time as an EMT in Los Angeles.

Anviksha majored in Biochemistry with a medical emphasis, and plans on becoming a physician. During her time at UCR, Anviksha was a peer academic leader, the Shadow MD club president, and a Brain Exercise Initiative volunteer. Her time out of class was spent studying or reading a good book.

Speaking for the Class of 2023, Leonardo said every graduating student should feel proud. 

“As a class, we didn’t just make it through college, we excelled past boundaries in research, internships, and community service-based clubs,” he said. “Many of us flew higher than we ever could have imagined, spending semesters abroad, reinforcing our UC experience with an international perspective. Discord study chats and regularly attending office hours meant that we put in the extra effort to invest in ourselves and our relationships with others. Every day was a challenge, but we didn’t just succeed, we surpassed.”
Anviksha said that for her, it feels like she came to campus just yesterday for orientation. 

“I hope when you look back to these four years, you remember the fun times. I know I will,” she said. “I’m going to miss the community we’ve built here, from waiting in line early for those prized hoodies at ASPB events to comforting each other after a difficult exam with the reminder that ‘This class is curved.’”

Both speakers felt they would be remiss is they didn’t credit their families for their academic success. Anviksha cited her parents, family friends and the UCR faculty for inspiring her to work hard and “dream big.”

“As first first-generation graduates, many of us will soon walk off this stage as the first members of our families to have a degree from a four-year university,” Leonardo said. “From the borders our ancestors crossed, the rivers they forded and the mountains they scaled, our graduation today does not represent our journeys alone. For every all-nighter we pulled during finals week, there was a parent working a night shift. For every rainy day, a phone call with a friend, and for every time we doubted ourselves, there was a mentor to help us find the path. Through every step of our journey, our supporters have been there, inspiring humility in success and perseverance in defeat. We as graduates will never be able to adequately express our gratitude.”

Anviksha said that despite the excitement and nervousness leavened perhaps by a tinge of sadness, that her compatriots are full of ideas and plans for the next phase in their lives. 

“I’m all for making plans,” she said, echoing John Lennon’s caution of life happening when you’re busy making other plans. “But making schedules have taught me two things. The first is that life can change any plan at any time. So, make plans, but learn how to roll with the plot twists. Be kind to yourself because things always happen for a reason. And the second is to appreciate the importance of right now.”

In closing, Leonardo remarked that perhaps Eleanor Roosevelt said it best when she opined that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. 

So, he said, exhorting the Class of ’23, “Keep on dreaming!”