City College Journalism Alum Bonta Hill Gives 2025 Commencement Speech

NBC Bay Area’s Bonta Hill gave the commencement speech at City College of San Francisco’s 2025 graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 22, at George Rush Stadium.

The sportscaster, who covers the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco Giants and San Francisco 49ers for the regional television station, described the difficult road from student to successful journalist.

“My journey started right here at City College of San Francisco in the spring of 2008,” Hill said. “Now, it wasn't easy. I was already 26 years old, and I was desperate to make anything out of my life.”

Hill, who came up in foster care, said his path to higher education wasn’t a direct one, noting how he had dropped out several times. But he found journalism after a friend encouraged him to try again.

Hill, who was also given the “Alumnus of the Year” award, gave special thanks to Department of Journalism Chair Juan Gonzales and other faculty members for the support and opportunities.

“I didn't know where a comma went and how to quote people, but I won an award [for on-the-spot game coverage],” Hills said. “Tight then and there Juan said, ‘I think you'll be great as a sports editor to take this job up,’ and I did. And it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Hill participated in the college’s Guardian Scholars Program and was the public address announcer for Rams’ basketball games. He later obtained a broadcasting degree from San Francisco State University.

“I'll never forget my past,” Hill said. “I'll only take great pride in being a Ram, a City College of San Francisco Ram, [and] honoring this institution and lending a helping hand to inspiring students.”

Hill’s remarks and life resembled those of student speaker Summer Wahab.

Wahab overcame many challenges throughout her life, including foster care, homelessness and addiction. She worked as a student ambassador and peer mentor, working with formerly incarcerated parents, families in recovery, unhoused individuals and fellow students facing adversity.

Wahab, upon receiving her diploma,  said it was a symbol “of survival, of resistance, of rising again and again, no matter how many times life tried to knock us down. To me, it means my children can look at me and know that healing is possible. That cycles can be broken, that have been generations deep, that dreams can be rebuilt from ashes.”

Wahab graduated with associate degrees in liberal arts, social and behavioral sciences and sociology and social work. The mother of three and Palestinian will go on to study social work at Stanford University.

The college also gave an honorary degree to Debra Morgan Dooley, founder of the Auxiliary of the Foundation of the City College of San Francisco. Dooley helped grow the organization to 140 members and has raised more than $4 million in support of student success for the Basic Skills Program, Guardian Scholars and the Foundation Promise Scholarship.

“I want to say congratulations not only to the graduates but again to their parents,” Dooley said. “We all know the old saying ‘It takes a village’, but this is an example of what a village can accomplish.”

The college awarded 1,735 associate degrees and 2,865 certificates to the class of 2025. Among the graduates were 32 international students from 22 different countries.