UJIMA graduation ceremony recognizes 2015 UTSA graduates

Left-to-Right: Kevin Price, Monica Vincent.

Left-to-Right: Kevin Price, Michael Thomas

By Erika Garcia
Graduate Assistant, Student Center for Community Engagement

(May 7, 2015) --The UTSA Student Center for Community Engagement and Inclusion presented its annual Ujima graduation ceremony in the H-E-B University Center Ballroom on April 28. Ujima (pronounced oo-JEE-mah) honors the graduation of Black/African-American students. It is named after the third principle of Kwanzaa and represents collective work and responsibility.

This year, 96 UTSA students participated in the event with families, friends and loved ones in attendance. Graduates were presented with stoles and certificates to honor this landmark accomplishment in their lives.

The ceremony opened with a rendition of the "Black National Anthem" by student Tyahija Martin. The keynote speaker for the event was Associate Professor Theodorea Berry from the Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching. Berry shared a moving message on the three requirements for today’s college graduates to succeed; the most important, she said, is wisdom.

Two students were recognized with a leadership award. Michael Thomas earned the Community Involvement Award for his commitment to academics and volunteerism. Morica Vincent received the Leadership Award in recognition of her role as mentor and leader. Karla Broadus, senior lecturer, Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, received the Faculty Award and was recognized for her “tough love” approach and her warm demeanor.

In attendance were Sam Gonzales, vice president for Student Affairs; Kevin Price, senior associate vice president and dean of students; Lawrence Williams, vice provost and dean of University College; and members of the UTSA Black Faculty and Staff Association.

-------------------------------

For more information about this annual event, visit the UTSA Student Center for Community Engagement and Inclusion website.

Connect online with UTSA on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Events

Tuesday, April 16, 6:30 p.m.

Resiliencia y Más Corazón: Las Tejanas, The Soul of Mexican American Music

This community event is hosted by the UTSA Mexican American Studies Program. It is a lecture/performance that examines the contributions of Tejana musicians to the evolution of Mexican American music.

Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, 922 San Pedro Ave.

Wednesday, April 17, 4:00 p.m.

Text Analysis Using Python

This workshop will introduce participants to the basics of text analysis using Python and Jupyter Notebook on the Constellate Lab platform. We will create datasets in Constellate to analyze patterns, trends, and relationships of contents and more.

John Peace Library (JPL 3.02.32), Main Campus

Wednesday, April 17, 5:30 p.m.

Phi Kappa Phi Hosts Last Lecture with esteemed professor Diane Abdo

What would award-winning writing professor Diane Abdo say if it were her last lecture? Join us for our annual Last Lecture series on Wednesday April 17.

Multipurpose Room (BSE 2.102), Main Campus

Friday, April 19, 11:00 a.m.

Día en la Sombrilla

Día en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.

Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza, Main Campus

April 20-21

Fiesta Arts Fair

Fiesta Arts Fair features contemporary art from more than 100 artists from across the U.S., Fiesta favorite foods, drinks, live music by local and regional performers, and a Young Artists Garden providing opportunities for budding artists to learn, explore and express their creativity.

UTSA Southwest Campus

Wednesday, April 24, 5:00 p.m.

Simplifying Citations With Zotero

Learn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.

Virtual Event

Friday, May 17, 10:00 a.m.

Commencement: Ceremony One

Celebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.

Alamodome

Submit an Event

Spotlight

UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.