Former White House photographer to give commencement address

NORWALK – Eric Draper, the former White House chief photographer for President George W. Bush, will give the commencement address at Cerritos College’s graduation ceremonies today.

Draper is a graduate of Cerritos College. He served as President Bush’s chief photographer for the entire eight years of his presidency, photographing him daily in his activities at the office, abroad and in his personal life.

Draper was named Special Assistant to the President, and is the first White House photographer to be named a commissioned officer to a U.S. president. During his tenure, Draper took nearly one million photos documenting the presidency.

His many assignments included the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns, the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, the Kosovo conflict in 1999 and the 1998 World Cup in France.

Draper will share his experience through community college and transfer, and his career journey from a Los Angeles newspaper photographer to an official presidential photographer with thousands of graduates and guests at the May 24 Commencement.

The college will present associate degrees and skills certificates earned during the 2018-2019 academic year. Approximately 5,000 students will be receiving degrees and certificates, making the fourth consecutive largest graduating class in the Cerritos College history.

Students graduating and transferring will be transitioning to some of the nation’s top colleges and universities, including UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, California State Universities Northridge, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Fullerton, among others.

The ceremony is free, however, each guest will need a ticket to enter the stadium. For details, visit the college’s website.

Seating for wheelchair users is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.