To honor the occasion, CSU has launched its Class of 3 Million celebration with the creation of what it is calling the world’s largest yearbook, an interactive online site where alumni can create personal profiles and connect with their fellow graduates from the system’s 23 campuses.
Included in the count are 60,000 living alumni from Humboldt State. Among them is Stephen Hillenburg, who has a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from HSU and is the creator of Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
Other famous CSU graduates include actress Eva Longoria and NASA astronaut Gregory Chamitoff.
“I think it’s a major milestone and with the celebration, what we’re really trying to do on a systemwide level is show the impact the university has made on the state, on the country and on the world,” said CSU Spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp.
CSU was formed in 1961 under the state Master Plan for Higher Education and draws students from the top-third of the state’s high school graduates.
“The Class of 3 Million milestone is a momentous occasion that allows us to honor all of the CSU students who have shaped the state, the nation and beyond,” said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White in a statement. “As the world’s largest comprehensive four-year public university system, we are proud to produce leaders who impact every major industry and are vital to making California one of the most successful global economies.”
Each spring graduate in the Class of 2015 will receive a Class of 3 Million wristband.
For more information about the promotion, visit classof3million.calstate.edu.