How one Fresno State alumnus created a legacy 50 years in the making
Each year in mid-May, sounds of mariachi music come alive as more than 1,000 Fresno State students march onto the main floor of the Save Mart Center donning their most colorful graduation regalia. Over their gowns are stoles that signify their rich heritage. In the crowd are families, three generations strong, beaming with pride. This is the Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration at Fresno State and, for nearly 50 years, it has become a Fresno State tradition.
For two-time alumnus Manuel Olgin, it is a tangible example of the pride of the Valley.
“The commencement is a springboard to higher, greater, further destinies in life. It is generational and it is part of what makes Fresno State great,” Olgin said.
Olgin’s connection to it is personal. He, along with fellow alumnus Tony Garduque, launched and championed the commencement in 1977 as part of their graduate theses.
Olgin, 77, graduated from Fresno State with a bachelor’s degree in social work in 1974 and later earned his Master of Social Work degree in 1978. His long history of service to Fresno State, as an employee and advocate, earned him the Top Dog Alumni Award in 2011.
Now his voice can be heard narrating the newest Fresno State commercial, penned “Pride of the Valley”
Fresno State Magazine sat down with Olgin to delve deeper into his Fresno State roots and what drives his pride for the Valley and the university.
Fresno State Magazine: Where does your pride come from?
Manuel Olgin: It comes from my family roots. I am a Chicano Native American of Mexican heritage. But most of all, I am an American. I am a veteran and come from a family of veterans, including my father and brother. I served in Germany and in the Vietnam War, my father served in World War II and my brother served in Iraq.
We were campesinos (farmworkers) and worked in the fields. Eventually, my father got out of the fields and attended Fresno City College, where he graduated as a valedictorian in 1953, and later graduated from UC Santa Cruz. Both my mother and father were very active leaders in church and veterans organizations. My sister and brother were also active community leaders. We were raised and educated here in Fresno. We are like countless others in this Valley, we are part of the pride of the Valley.
FS Mag: What words from the commercial resonate most with you?
Olgin: ”In this Valley, our pride comes from our people.” I love the feeling those words give me. Pride is me, it’s you, it’s us. We are the Valley, and we are Fresno State. That’s a message I have long championed to folks.
FS Mag: In addition to being a proud alumnus, you also worked on campus for 36 years in student services before retiring in 2011. In what ways do you stay connected to Fresno State today?
Olgin: I am in my last year as president of the Fresno State Chicano Alumni Club and have been busy raising over $700,000 for the club’s scholarship endowment. I initially helped create the association back in 1976 when I was a graduate student. I have also just been elected to serve on the Fresno State Alumni Association Board of Directors as vice president of chapters, clubs and networks.
FS Mag: The Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration is one of the biggest celebrations of its kind in the U.S. Can you take us back to 1977 when it began?
Olgin: The first celebration was held at the Fresno Fairgrounds Industrial Education Building and Paul Paul Theater with 57 participants. We maxed out capacity. No matter the venue, it was always a big celebration with dinner, a dance, mariachi, danzantes and multiple speakers. Over the years, the number of participants increased and the venues got bigger, and social media gave it worldwide exposure. To this day, I get comments from people all over the nation.
FS Mag: How did this commencement go from being a thesis and idea to reality?
Olgin: Tony [Garduque] and I are both Vietnam veterans who entered the same social work graduate program. Some of our former Fresno City College classmates were graduating from San Jose State and participating in their Chicano Commencement. So we took a road trip to celebrate them. We loved and related to the commencement ceremony. Eventually we needed a thesis project and jointly decided to put together a Chicano Commencement at Fresno State as our thesis project. In 1976, an official committee was formed along with founding board members Frances Peña [Olgin] and Ernesto Martinez. The Chicano Commencement Committee started as a casual committee of MEChA. Later, we became part of the Chicano, Faculty, Support Staff and Student Organization until finally coming under the wing of the newly formed Chicano Alumni Association. In 1995, we met our long-term goal of institutionalizing the Chicano Commencement by passing it on to the university.
FS Mag: Looking back, what was your favorite memory on campus?
Olgin: Meeting my wife Frances Peña [Olgin] at Baker Hall.
FS Mag: Where does your pride of Fresno State come from?
Olgin: I grew up and attended local schools here in the Valley. I’ve had successes and failures like anybody else, but I hope that my efforts have also brought pride to others. I am grateful to Fresno State for providing me with the tools to succeed.
Written by Melissa Tav (‘07); Video by Matt Mealer (‘12)
