'A very emotional time:' University of Texas graduates celebrate 2023 commencement

Like many first-generation students, Noelia Delgado Rosas initially struggled to find her place on campus when she arrived as a freshman at the University of Texas in the fall of 2019.

She questioned whether she really belonged and faced difficulties keeping up with some of her rigorous classes — but she persisted through her studies because she wanted to make all of her parents' sacrifices worth it.

Eventually, Delgado Rosas did find a home on UT's campus, where she joined multiple student organizations and a community of other first-generation students. She also worked with Ascension Seton Medical Center and Central Health to help underserved populations in Austin during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After four years, Delgado Rosas' parents and several of her siblings joined her on campus to proudly watch her graduate from UT with her Bachelor of Science in kinesiology and health. She's now headed to the physician assistant graduate program at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.

"Both of my parents only attended up to middle school in Mexico because they had to work at home or go find jobs, and so having the chance to graduate from the University of Texas is a privilege and an honor because of my parents’ sacrifices,” Delgado Rosas told the American-Statesman. “It's just been a very emotional time.”

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Delgado Rosas, from Lake Whitney, joined thousands of other students Saturday at UT’s 140th commencement ceremony to celebrate the culmination of their studies. UT awarded 7,907 bachelor's, law and professional degrees, as well as 2,746 master's and doctoral degrees.

Across campus, proud relatives and friends snapped photos of the joyful graduates — dressed in their traditional black gowns, stoles, honors cords and decorated caps — before loudly cheering and clapping for them during the college-specific and universitywide commencement ceremonies throughout the week.

The graduating Longhorns experienced several major challenges throughout their time at the university, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted their lives, and multiple winter storms that knocked out power for many students for days, but they overcame them all on their journey to obtain their degrees.

"While it often felt like the world was falling apart, we continued to complete assignments, (go) to student organization meetings and (do) other things that connected us," Leland Murphy, UT's student body president, from Kennedale, told graduates Saturday. "Through all of it, though, the class of 2023 stuck together."

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‘Beautiful and bittersweet'

UT recognized the former students at Royal-Memorial Stadium with a message from university President Jay Hartzell and the commencement address from Hayes Barnard, founder and CEO of GoodLeap and GivePower.

Hartzell congratulated the Class of 2023 on "graduating from one of the top research universities in the world" and joining more than 570,000 UT alumni.

He told the graduates that they didn't need to stress over trying to achieve "grand, ingenious plans" for changing the world, but instead said there would be "tremendous, world-changing value" in making a difference in just one person’s life. If all of the new alumni have a positive effect on just one other person, they could create a massive impact, he said.

"Be bold. Be fearless. You are proud Texas Longhorns, and that powerful identity is etched in burnt orange on your hearts and forever woven into the fabric of your lives," Hartzell said. "It unites us in shared purpose to transform lives for the benefit of society, and it fortifies us with our shared values of learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, opportunity and a responsibility to drive positive change."

Deniss Moreno has already made a difference in the lives of several children while student teaching, and she plans to continue doing so as a fourth grade teacher at Peebles Elementary School in Killeen, her hometown. She said she pursued a career in elementary education because she wanted to give back to her community and help grow the minds of the next generation.

"It's so nice to know that in the end, I feel like I'm right where I'm supposed to be," Moreno said. "My most memorable achievement (at UT) is finishing student teaching, getting to work with such a wonderful group of fourth graders and just knowing that I can in fact do this and I'm going to be a great teacher."

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Moreno said it's a "privilege and an honor" to be a first-generation student, along with a responsibility to be a role model for future generations. She said it was a dream of hers for her parents to see her attend the graduation ceremonies and obtain her degree from UT's College of Education, which she finally got to accomplish over the weekend.

“It's so beautiful and bittersweet to think that after me, there's going to be no more first-gens in my family, but I think it just goes to show that when you put in the work and you go for that goal and you don't limit yourself, you can do amazing things,” Moreno said.

Barnard echoed Hartzell's message, telling students that they didn't need to feel too much pressure to change the world, and instead urged them to find the one thing they could do to solve just one problem for one person.

"Tomorrow, when you see a huge problem, don’t get overwhelmed by the scale of it," Barnard said. "Instead, recognize the power of one. Just try to find the one thing you can do to start solving one problem for one person, knowing doing that one thing starts momentum, which can create a ripple effect of tremendous scale and impact."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: University of Texas graduates celebrate 2023 commencement