12
May
2021
|
11:14 AM
America/Chicago

UHD President's Message: Congratulations Spring 2021 Graduates

UHD President Loren J. Blanchard

Dear Spring 2021 Graduates,

I would like to extend an early congratulations to all of you!

This weekend, we will celebrate your academic accomplishments during our 69th Commencement Ceremony, which will be conducted virtually on Facebook and YouTube. The event will start at 1 p.m. on May 15. While we will not be together to commemorate the occasion, the program will be most memorable.

I certainly won’t forget this ceremony as it will be my first UHD graduation event, and all of you will have the unforgettable experience of hearing from our guest speaker, award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien.

Beyond the actual program, however, this weekend will prove very meaningful to you and your families. As you gather with parents, grandparents, sons, daughters and siblings, please take a moment to reflect on what you’ve accomplished at UHD.

Many of you might be the first college graduates in your families. Others in the Spring Class of 2021 might be continuing an academic legacy that began decades ago.

No matter your status, please turn to those family members watching with you and let them know that your degree was made possible through their support.

And reach out to those professors and staff members who helped you as well. They too played a role in helping you reach this moment.

Most importantly, take a moment to congratulate yourselves. It wasn’t always easy to balance school, family, work and so many other obligations, but you did so … and are now reaping the reward of a degree from the University of Houston-Downtown.

This weekend, you conclude a very important chapter in your lives, but you soon will turn a new page and begin new endeavors. Wherever your story leads, please know that UHD is always here to support you.

Once again, congratulations! I look forward not only to Saturday’s event but also to recognizing your accomplishments at an in-person event to be conducted in August.

I wish you all the very best, graduates!

Sincerely,

Loren J. Blanchard, Ph.D.
President, University of Houston-Downtown