Graduation Holds Special Meaning : College: It was the largest class ever at CSUN-Ventura Campus. One woman who received her degree began her quest 37 years ago.

Most undergraduates take four years to complete their baccalaureate degrees. Five, tops. But for Loretta Wagoner, it took 37 years.

College for the 56-year-old Oak View woman remained outside her reach for decades as she married, raised children and made a home for her family.

But when her youngest set off for college, so did Wagoner, again.

It all paid off Friday, when Wagoner was among 125 students from the Ventura Campus of Cal State Northridge who picked up diplomas at a commencement that brought tears of elation to many graduates and hoots of support from families and friends.

“I made it,” Wagoner said, dabbing at her eyes. “It took 37 years, but I made it.”

It was the second year that formal graduation has taken place in Ventura for local graduates of Cal State Northridge’s satellite campus that opened 21 years ago. The hourlong ceremony was held in a gymnasium at Ventura College because the CSUN-Ventura Campus has no facility of its own large enough for a graduation.

The graduates sat in rows of folding seats placed on the floor, facing a stage decorated with fresh spring flowers and plants. About 1,500 friends and family filled the stands.

Two-hundred-fifty students received master’s and bachelor’s degrees this year and another 81 picked up teaching credentials from the Ventura Campus, said director Joyce Kennedy. But only 125 students elected to attend the commencement, she said.

Nonetheless, the 1995 graduating class was the largest ever, topping the 200 diplomas handed out last year, Kennedy said. The graduates were greeted by Cal State Northridge President Blenda J. Wilson, who urged them to “risk failure while pursuing success.”

The keynote address was delivered by R. J. Considine, chairman of Cal State University’s board of trustees.

Considine asked the students to be proactive with the knowledge they have gained while pursuing college studies.

“Volunteer in your community,” he said. “Give something back.”

Considine also urged the graduates to “set new goals and not just rest on your laurels.” And he told the assembly that it is time to build bridges with friends and neighbors near and far.

“We are far too sensitive today about what makes us different,” Considine said. “Instead we should look at what makes us the same.”

He noted that most of the graduates are single and married mothers. The average age of a Ventura campus graduate is 37, he said.

“You did it the hard way,” he said. “It’s quite an accomplishment that required sacrifice and commitment and you should feel proud.”

Considine’s words had special meaning for Wagoner.

She dropped out of college in 1959 to get married, Wagoner said. After that, she had four children and spent her days raising them and accommodating her husband’s frequent job moves.

She said she didn’t get back to college until 1990, when she enrolled at the Ventura Campus. Her goal was to get a bachelor’s degree in sociology to land a job as a librarian.

Earlier this year, she was offered a part-time job as librarian of the Oak View Library. But on the day she started work, Wagoner said, the Ventura Campus offered her a full-time job as a librarian and clerk.

She took the job with the Ventura campus.

“They were so nice to me when I was studying,” she said, adding that it was much easier than it was 37 years ago.

Judy Shinoda-Berry had her own adversity to overcome while pursuing a degree in psychology. When it came time for finals one year, she developed a painful case of tennis elbow.

Writing was so painful that it took her three hours to complete one written test. For the next exam, Ventura Campus administrators set her up with a computer. It was little gestures like that that made Shinoda-Berry grateful to the staff at the Ventura Campus.

“Dr. Kennedy and her staff just bend over backward to help you,” she said. “They are so encouraging.”

Shinoda-Berry, 34, plans to enter a graduate program in occupational therapy, the next step toward her goal of becoming a physical therapist.