Father Joins His Educated Family In Earning Bachelor's Degree
When 76-year-old Sherrill Arvin walks across the stage to accept his diploma he will become the fifth member of his family to earn a college degree. Arvin decided to return to college five years ago to start a new chapter in his life. His career accomplishments include serving as a construction superintendent, a life insurance salesman and a well known masonry contractor in San Antonio for over 30 years.
It's the first graduation ceremony for Arvin, he missed his high school graduation because he had already enlisted and was sent to Aviaton Cadet Training during World War II. Arvin enjoys challenges and has overcome tremendous adversity in his lifetime. He's a cancer survivor and feels lucky to be alive today.
He tried retirement but that lasted for about two weeks. That's when he decided he wanted to remain active. "I find when people retire and are not active, they atrophy and die," said Arvin.
Arvin thoroughly enjoyed his college experience. He chuckles when he thinks about the many students in his class who thought he was the instructor when they first saw him.
Arvin says he wanted a degree in political science, after he did volunteer work for many local campaigns over the years. "It was just something I wanted to do, now that I had the time to do it."
More than 1,500 students will participate in spring commencement exercises:
Students from the College of Education and Human Development and the College
of Sciences
will receive diplomas beginning at 9 a.m., during the first of three ceremonies
held in the
Convocation Center on the 1604 Campus.
San Antonio Express-News editor Bob Rivard will be the keynote speaker. Gov. Rick Perry will speak during ceremonies beginning at 12:30 p.m. for the College of Business and the College of Urban Professional Programs, while UTSA alumna Jamie Rochelle, CEO of City Public Service, will address participants in the final ceremonies for the College of Engineering and the College of Liberal and Fine Arts, beginning at 4 p.m.
Total commencement candidates by college include:
Ceremony 1 - 591 total
Education and Human Development - 367
Sciences - 224
Ceremony 2 - 489 total
Business - 387
Urban Professional Programs -102
Ceremony 3 - 473 total
Liberal and Fine Arts - 413
Engineering - 60 Total bachelor's - 1,217
Total master's - 334
Total doctorates - 2 (biology)