When Caitlyn Egan arrived at PennWest California four years ago, she knew no one.

The Massillon, Ohio, native said goodbye to her parents, stepped onto campus and quickly realized she was surrounded by strangers in an unfamiliar place far from home.

“I was terrified,” she told graduates during PennWest California’s afternoon commencement ceremony on May 9.

Standing at the podium as the ceremony’s student speaker, however, Egan reflected on how dramatically her life had changed since that first day.

“But if only I could go back to that girl and tell her how much she had in store over the next four years,” she said. “How one small town on the Mon would be filled with so many memories.”

Those memories — and the experiences that shaped them — helped transform Egan into one of PennWest California’s most accomplished student leaders.

Graduating summa cum laude with a degree in criminal justice and a concentration in forensic investigation, Egan leaves behind a legacy of academic excellence, campus involvement and service.

Her next chapter is already taking shape. This summer, she will join the Ocean City Police Department in Maryland and enter the department’s police academy in July. She hopes to eventually serve in one of the agency’s specialized units, building a career dedicated to public service and community safety.

That commitment to service was evident throughout her time at PennWest.

Egan served as president of the Student Government Association, advocating for students and helping strengthen campus engagement. As president of the Co-Ed Volleyball Club, she expanded the organization’s competitive offerings, creating opportunities for men’s, women’s and co-ed teams. During her senior year, she helped lead the program to a national tournament in Kansas City, Missouri, where the team competed against colleges and universities from across the country.

Her involvement extended even further. Egan contributed to the Student Association Inc. Board of Directors, Criminal Justice Club, PennWest Leadership Academy, Student Advisory Boards, Forensic Science Club and Peer Mentoring, among numerous other organizations.

She also worked in several campus departments, including three years as a community assistant with Residence Life and Housing, along with positions in the California University Police Department, Student Development Office and Student Success Center.

Despite her impressive résumé, Egan’s commencement message focused less on accomplishments and more on the relationships and experiences that made them possible.

She fondly recalled late-night study sessions, weekend adventures, Spikeball games on the turf and the friendships that developed along the way.

“From random roommates to some of the most important people in our lives,” she said. “The best memories were made here.”

Egan took time during her speech to thank family members, mentors, teammates and friends who supported her throughout her college journey.

“It’s an honor to speak in front of the Cal community today,” she said. “Because of Cal, I met so many people who have forever changed my life.”

As graduates prepared to leave campus and begin new careers, graduate programs and personal pursuits, Egan acknowledged the uncertainty that often accompanies major transitions.

“It’s hard to believe that we are about to leave the framework of school and chart our own paths,” she said. “We are about to be fully independent. That is honestly kind of terrifying ... but also so exciting. We finally get to be who we once dreamed of.”

One lesson stood out above all others.

“The one thing I struggled with for a long time was trying to fit my life into a future I once thought I had to accomplish,” Egan said. “I thought I had to reach these high goals, and I had to be this perfect person.”

The advice that changed her perspective came from a psychology class and became the centerpiece of her message to fellow graduates.

“Stop editing your personality to fit other people’s expectations,” she said.

Then, with a series of short, memorable challenges, she encouraged graduates to embrace authenticity.

“Say what you want to say. Wear what you want to wear. Be too much. Laugh too loud, all the time. Take up as much space as you want. Ask the question. Post the pictures.”

“Your life is not meant to fit into someone else’s comfort zone,” she continued. “It is meant to be lived unfiltered and in full volume.”

For Egan, those lessons helped transform an uncertain first-year student into a confident leader preparing for a career in law enforcement.

Watch Caitlyn's commencement speech