More than 2,500 students graduated on Dec. 10 from University of Houston-Downtown, the second-largest university in Houston. According to UHD, the 73rd Commencement Ceremonies were held at Minute Maid Park. Deborah A. Santiago, co-founder and CEO of Excelencia in Education, served as guest speaker for both events.
During his remarks, President Loren James Blanchard shared inspiring stories of students who had displayed determination, dedication, and grit. The four graduates celebrated during commencement included a full-time student, who also worked full-time; a mother of two who lost her husband to COVID; a high school dropout who graduated magna cum laude; and one of the few female students to graduate from the College of Sciences & Technology’s Structural Analysis and Design Department to become the first female engineer in her family.
“Commencement is one of my favorite times of year because this is when we witness the transformative moment when you are conferred your diploma, and you move forward to the next place in your life,” President Blanchard said. “And you do so with a degree of value that will prepare you for your next steps. Just like our University is on the rise, so are you. I applaud you for reaching this moment in your education, and today we applaud everything you’ve achieved.”
The featured student speakers were David Ramirez and Adga Helena Esperanza. U.S. News ranked UHD among the top performers on social mobility and ranked the university as the most diverse institution of higher education in the southern region of the U.S. UHD is a Hispanic-Serving Institution, Minority-Serving Institution, and Military Friendly School.
Last year, President Blanchard established the UHD Institutional Compass, which is designed to chart a course for new levels of success, including strengthening justice, strengthening student success and equity, supporting institutional excellence and infrastructure, and growing as an anchor institution.
To that end, Blanchard spotlighted the unveiling of a new strategic plan during the Investiture Ceremony called “A New Paradigm.” The vision of the plan will define the culture of UHD and focus on the contributions to the social, intellectual, and cultural lives of their communities, and will require dedication from the University community.
Tassels to the left, and that’s a wrap! Congrats to the more than 2,500 UHD students who graduated today at Minute Maid Park! #UHDGrads2022 pic.twitter.com/35U8dPbfgj
— UHDowntown (@uhdowntown) December 11, 2022
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