UT celebrates class of 2020 graduates with long delayed in-person commencement

After four years of college, Iris Cantu had been looking forward to all her relatives seeing her graduate from the University of Texas alongside thousands of other students last year. 

But Cantu, a former pre-med student majoring in psychology, had to wait a little longer than she expected after UT’s in-person commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2020 were postponed due to the pandemic.

That wait, however, finally ended Friday evening as she arrived on campus for the official graduation ceremony — about 16 months after the initial commencement was scheduled.

Her parents and siblings watched her walk the stage at her college's ceremony, celebrating her achievement as the first person in her family to graduate from college. For her, all the exams and hours spent studying have been worth it, not just for her own sense of accomplishment, but to finally give this moment to her mom and dad. 

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“It's very fulfilling because I know my parents didn't even graduate high school,” Cantu said. “So the fact that I'm here graduating college is huge. And then the fact that I want to go into med school and still continue my education, it makes me feel like I can do it, especially with their support.

UT welcomed nearly 4,600 graduates back to campus for the graduation celebrations they never got to attend last year. Many of the 17,220 students who graduated from UT between December 2019 and December 2020 chose not to return.

The commencement for UT’s Class of 2020 was originally scheduled for May 2020, but the ceremonies that spring, like so many other college graduations across the nation, were moved online.

Thousands of former UT students recognized

On Friday, the alumni attended belated smaller in-person ceremonies for their specific colleges before attending the main commencement event in the evening. Many of the graduates wore the traditional ceremonial black gowns, stoles and decorated caps that they had bought more than a year ago when they were still students.

Karla Alvarado, a first-generation college student, said the whole reason for her attending UT was to experience the moment of celebrating the accomplishment of graduating on campus. She said it was "a bummer” when UT initially took that away and postponed the in-person ceremonies, but she’s thankful that she was able to come back with her parents.

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“It's a huge accomplishment. It's very humbling. And I'm very grateful because it means I did this for my family,” said Alvarado, an economics graduate. “I’m doing this so they have this moment because they never got to experience something like this.”

Thousands of former students were recognized during the main ceremony in front of the UT Tower with a message from UT President Jay Hartzell and the commencement address from author and speaker Brené Brown. The university also planned to recognize the Class of 2020 at the football game against Rice University on Saturday.

Hartzell congratulated the alumni for graduating from UT during an “extremely challenging” environment and a “higher than usual level of difficulty.” He said he expected them to do their part to change the world whether they are embarking upon a new career or applying to graduate school.

“I truly believe we're on the cusp of a new era of positive change, and you get to lead it. Moreover, to be honest, we need you right now. We need you to help move us forward, and to help bring us together as a society,” Hartzell said. “Please don't forget that Longhorn nation is stronger when we're all working together. And you can also help Texas and our country remember that the same thing applies to them as well.”

Brown told the graduates to be brave and encouraged them to stay curious and listen to the stories of other people. She invited the large crowd to ask questions, focus on learning, make mistakes, reset and then try it all over again.

“If you want to change the world, and you started here, you need to show up. Be brave. Choose courage over comfort,” Brown said. “And be all in even when you can't control the outcome, especially when you can't control the outcome. You got to show up.”

Shazia Gupta, a biology graduate, said it felt good to attend the graduation ceremonies while being surrounded by her friends and with five of her family members in attendance. She said it finally feels like she has closure for her time as an undergraduate at UT, which ended more than a year ago.

“My grandma wanted to see her first grandchild walk a stage. So I was like, ‘Okay, I'll do it for you,’” Gupta said. “I think she's really excited. My parents are excited. My siblings are excited. I'm glad they were able to come. I think it's more of a moment for them than it is almost for the graduates.”

The graduates did, however, get their own special moment at the end of the night as the fireworks went off and the UT Tower lit up burnt orange with the number “20” in the windows to celebrate the in-person graduation so many of them had been waiting for.

“No matter where you come from, what you believe or where you go from here, you are a part of this great university’s story, and this university will be a part of your story,” Hartzell said to the graduates. “It starts here and starts with each of you. It’s your turn to add to the legacies of so many Longhorns that have come before you and have worked to make the world better than they found it.”