Roadrunners participate in Commencement Drive during the May 2020 celebration for graduating students. The fall semester Commencement Drive will be held on December 11.
DECEMBER 10, 2020 — Nearly 4,000 Roadrunners are set to obtain their degrees this weekend as UTSA celebrates their countless hours of studying, research and collaboration during the Virtual Fall Commencement. The online ceremony will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 12 (the Virtual Commencement website will go live 15 minutes before the ceremony).
The Fall Commencement is being held virtually because the health and safety of UTSA’s students, staff, faculty and guests are the university’s top priority during the current pandemic. UTSA is committed to resuming in-person Commencement celebrations once it is safe to do so. All UTSA graduates who earned their degrees in 2020—including the May 2020 graduates whose ceremonies were canceled at the onset of the pandemic—will be invited and encouraged to participate in an in-person ceremony in the near future, in addition to this weekend’s Virtual Fall Commencement.
A physical celebration of sorts will take place the day before Commencement. The Commencement Drive will begin at the Brackenridge (BK 5) parking lot adjacent to the Child Development Center on Friday, December 11. Vehicles can begin gathering at 4 p.m., and the parade begins at 4:30 p.m. Everyone joining in the fun is encouraged to decorate their vehicles, wear their regalia, and honk their horns to celebrate their achievement with the Roadrunner community.
You may see some of these outstanding soon-to-be UTSA graduates during the weekend’s festivities:
Kamera Griffin, who will earn her master’s degree in social work, has a passion for helping others and her sights set on a career as a social worker. While pursuing her M.S.W. at UTSA, Griffin got accepted into a competitive, 450-hour practicum at San Antonio’s Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital hospice program, where she gained hands-on experience working with veterans and caregivers in a professional setting. Griffin also works on other initiatives within the hospice program. Her future plans include focusing on helping the geriatric population and people experiencing homelessness. “My instructors and professors I’ve had over the years have been really supportive of me in my graduate journey,” Griffin said. “I’ve had a great experience at UTSA.”
Yajaira Mendoza-Plata, a member of the Neurofibromatosis (NF) Young Adult Leadership Program, will obtain her bachelor’s degree in medical humanities. Inspired by her experience as a caregiver for her mother, she has knocked on doors, spoke to hundreds of politicians and lobbied for medical research funding to fight against NF. She plans to follow a career path into holistic medicine with an interest in expanding medical access to first-generation immigrants and the Latinx community in the United States. “UTSA has helped me by giving me a strong support system from the professors who have helped me to the office I work for,” Mendoza-Plata said. “Everyone at UTSA has had a hand in helping me succeed.”
Chandler Santos, vice president of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization at UTSA, will receive a B.B.A. in cybersecurity and information systems. He learned about vital resources within the College of Business and felt the need to share the essential resources with cybersecurity students. His involvement with Start-Up Grind UTSA gave him the opportunity to speak to local chief executives. He also started the UTSA chapter of the CompTIA non-profit organization, which allowed more than 200 students to connect over robust study sessions online, despite their busy schedules. These students not only gained confidence, but many were given job offers before graduating. “My advice to all new UTSA students is to get involved from day one," Santos said.
Jahsiah Toby, leader of the Undergraduate Mars Rover Team, will earn a B.S. in mechanical engineering this weekend. Toby has a fascination with space and technology that led him to get involved with UTSA’s Center for Advanced Measurements in Extreme Environments the moment it launched at the university. He credits the program with expanding his thinking on how engineering can be applied to a career that impacts Earth and beyond. He is considering entering the mechanical engineering master’s program at UTSA to bolster his credentials for a career in propulsion engineering to enhance space travel. “I can incorporate the knowledge I have learned through my degree at UTSA and apply it to industries where I want to make an impact,” Toby said.
Sandeep Vellanki, who will earn his Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology, is now one of the emerging experts in infectious diseases caused by human pathogenic fungi. Vellanki took full advantage of the resources available to him at the university. He received numerous awards from the scientific community and was invited to attend conferences in the United States and Europe specializing in fungal research. As a doctoral student, he published seven papers and served as the first author on four of them. He will continue his infectious fungi research as a postdoctoral fellow at the prestigious Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College. “After I went through UTSA’s master’s program in biotechnology, I knew research was the thing for me,” Vellanki said.
All Roadrunners and their families and friends are encouraged to share their Commencement experience on social media using the hashtags #UTSA and #UTSAGrad20.
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At this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusRoadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusJoin us for a tribute to Willie Velásquez, honoring the legacy of Willie Velásquez, a pivotal figure in shaping the history of Latino and Hispanic participation in the American voting process. Delve into his life and contributions as a champion of Latino voting rights. Moderated by UTSA's Teresa Niño, the event will feature influential voices, including Jane Velásquez, María Antonietta Berriozábal, Dora Oliva, and Anthony Gonzales.
Buena Vista Building, Gregory Luna Room, Downtown CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.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.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
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.
