Commencement speakers challenged 2026 graduates to use their GPS training to solve problems and overcome divisions, even when their expertise is met with skepticism
At the close of another academic year, the graduating class of UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS) was joined by friends, family and faculty members at RIMAC Arena to celebrate their achievements and officially conclude their time as students.
Caroline Freund, the dean of the school, greeted the students, family and friends in opening remarks, and in doing so gave special recognition to those GPS graduates who hail from abroad.
“In a moment when the path for international students has become harder and less certain in too many places, I want to say plainly: You belong here, and you have always belonged here,” Freund said. “GPS is better because you chose us, and we are proud to call you our graduates.”
She also introduced this year’s commencement speaker, Trac Pham, a GPS alumnus whose career has led him to become a global business leader who has served on the boards of companies including PTC, UKG, SiFive and Sprinklr, the latter of which he also led as an executive.
In his speech, Pham noted that the Class of 2026 — whose members have professional backgrounds in fields including public policy, journalism and economics — was as unique as the societal conditions into which they were graduating.
“The work of global policy, public service, and international affairs is being questioned, contested and in some places actively dismantled — I won’t pretend otherwise,” he said. “What I will say is this: that makes your training more necessary, not less.”
“The work of global policy, public service, and international affairs is being questioned, contested and in some places actively dismantled.… That makes your training more necessary, not less.”
Trac Pham, GPS ’96
As he addressed the GPS graduates, Pham highlighted three main lessons from his career: he encouraged students to develop skills through different job experiences, learn to “tell stories” from data and become comfortable making decisions amid ambiguity.
First, he explained that each job along a career journey adds cumulatively to one’s skill set. Based on his own experience, he noted that graduates’ future careers naturally would build upon the foundational skills they developed at GPS, as well as the unique backgrounds they brought with them to UC San Diego.
He also highlighted how the analytical skills the graduates gained during their time at GPS helped them to become better storytellers — not in any fanciful sense, but in a way that helps translate data into actionable plans.
Finally, Pham emphasized that even when data is scarce or incomplete, decisions still need to be made, and as future leaders, it would be up to the GPS graduates to make them.
“The most important decisions rarely arrive with complete information,” he said. “It’s not a sign that something is wrong; it’s a sign that you’ve reached a level where your judgment matters.”
“If the students studying global policy and strategy become complacent, who do we expect will take a stand when the globe writes inhumane policy and strategy is dictated by the unjust?”
Katrina Haidari, MIA ’26
The graduating class received an address from its own ranks. Katrina Haidari — who graduated this year with a Master of International Affairs degree, specializing in Environmental Policy as well as Program Design and Evaluation — was selected by her classmates to deliver a valedictory address.
In a speech that mixed humor and earnestness, Haidari recalled the Class of 2026’s time together, which for many started two years ago during the Summer Prep program and continued on through schoolwork and club meetings.
Like Pham, she acknowledged the challenging political and economic circumstances which the Class of 2026 would face after their time at GPS. But she rallied her fellow graduates to use what they learned as students to critically evaluate political rhetoric, laws and policies and ensure that they are oriented toward making the world fairer.
“There will always be an excuse not to take action, and eventually complacency can become a habit,” she said. “If the students studying global policy and strategy become complacent, who do we expect will take a stand when the globe writes inhumane policy and strategy is dictated by the unjust?”
