UTSA Downtown Campus hosts La Despedida graduation ceremony
(May 13, 2003)--Nearly 300 UTSA students and their families and friends attended the La Despedida ("The Farewell") graduation ceremony held outside May 10 at the Downtown Campus.
Hosted by the UTSA Office of Student Leadership and Cultural Programs and the La Despedida Planning Committee, a student organization, the special ceremony is a bilingual celebration acknowledging the dedication of students and the familial support that contributed to the completion of higher education.
Pictured are the participants and their guests at the ceremony. The ceremony was followed by a reception with refreshments and live music.
Since 1996, students and faculty have sponsored the spring graduation event in addition to the university's official convocation. The more intimate setting complements the larger ceremonies at the Convocation Center.
Keynote speaker was journalist and writer Barbara Renaud-Gonzales, best known for her columns in the San Antonio Express-News, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, New York Times and Los Angeles Times. A monthly columnist for the San Antonio Current, she recently completed the book, "Golondrina, Why Did you Leave Me? A Texas Story."
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© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2003