SAC Commencement Ceremony Celebrates 1,000+ Graduates

On Saturday, May 12, San Antonio College celebrated more than 1,000 graduates at the 2018 Commencement Ceremony. As in years past, the Freeman Coliseum was overflowing with excitement and pride from the more than 10,000 moms, dads, grandparents, siblings, tias and tios, friends, and family in attendance.

Included in the hundreds of SAC grads, some 50 students from the Empowerment Center’s GED-to-College Transition program, in association with SAISD, were honored for earning a Graduate Equivalency Diploma (GED) in Fall 2017 or Spring 2018. As well, nearly 100 high school students from SAISD’s Travis Early College High School were awarded a degree/certificate a whole month before they will walk the stage at their high school graduation ceremony. Travis Valedictorian, Joshua Medina, offered remarks to his fellow classmates during the ceremony.

Prior to the official start of the ceremony, the audience was treated to entertainment provided by the SAC Estrellas del Alamo Mariachi Group. As well, guests got to experience the energetic, gleeful graduation video produced especially for the Class of 2018. The music video, which you can view online here, is an annual tradition produced by SAC’s Office of Public Relations and the Creative Multimedia Services department.

Dr. Yvonne Katz, Chair of the Alamo Colleges Trustees, as well as Dr. Bruce Leslie, Alamo Colleges Chancellor, joined SAC President Dr. Robert Vela along with other College and District officials to congratulate the graduates and offer pearls of wisdom. There were also several other speakers, including CPS Energy’s President and CEO, Ms. Paula Gold-Williams. An alumna of San Antonio College, Ms. Gold-Williams was named the 2018 Outstanding Former Student.

During a special presentation, SAC President presented the Alamo Colleges District’s 20th honorary degree to the family of Ms. Kristine Meza, a former nursing student who lost her life in 2013 due to domestic violence.

In all, the ceremony lasted about two and a half hours and was punctuated by the rousing speech from the SAC Student Speaker, Ms. Rolanda Montenegro. A certified life coach and mother of three, Ms. Montenegro spoke about her journey from being a teen mom to eventually earning her degree. She provided inspiring remarks and advised: “Don’t quit. Keep going. Finish your race.”

Rolanda’s full speech and the 2018 SAC Commencement Ceremony photo album can be viewed online on SAC’s Facebook page.