Date: 05/24/2010

More than 8,900 Spartans were invited to walk across the stage at commencement 2010.

Commencement 2010 -- held Saturday, May 29, in Spartan Stadium -- featured San Jose State's best and brightest.

First to receive their degrees was around 20 Japanese Americans or their descendants with the CSU Nisei Diploma Project. Honorees ranged in age from their 80s and 90s, to elementary-school-age children accepting an honorary degree on behalf of their grandmother.

SJSU's largest graduating class ever, with 8,900 candidates who completed their studies in August 2009, December 2009 and May 2010 were eligible to participate in commencement.

Three top graduates were recognized, including a mother who earned her nursing degree while raising three children, a women's water polo player with a 3.87 GPA, and an earthquake expert.

Early childhood educators who earned bachelor's degrees through a special evening program were honored by SJSU, FIRST 5 Santa Clara County, and E3 Institute-Advancing Excellence in Early Education-WestEd.

IBM Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications John Iwata was the commencement speaker.

Playwright Luis Valdez, CNN Anchor Kyra Phillips, California State Assembly Member Jim Beall, and San Jose Independent Police Auditor Ladoris Cordell were among the speakers at department receptions and convocations.

Valdez spoke at the TV, Radio, Film and Theatre event. Phillips spoke at the Journalism and Mass Communications event. Beall spoke at the Political Science event. Cordell spoke at the Justice Studies event.

See photos of this year's commencement on Facebook.

Read more on the CSU Nisei Diploma Project.

Read more on the top graduates.

Read more on the early childhood educators.

Read more on commencement, including Iwata.