Tag: Commencement

Forty student-athletes receive their degrees this spring

OLLU celebrated the spring graduating student-athlete class of 2022 on May 6 at Freeman Coliseum.  Upon the conclusion of the Saints’ 15th season of NAIA athletics, 40 student-athletes graduated from OLLU.

Athletic Director Shane Hurley said, “The student always comes first in student-athlete, so we are extremely proud of our graduates as they prepare to launch careers. It is our hope to see them prosper and continue to connect with future student-athletes at OLLU for years to come.”

Track and Field’s De’Jon Lewis and three other OLLU students performed the National Anthem at commencement ceremonies. After a blessing from Sister Rose Ann H. Castilleja, Erika Prosper Nirenberg addressed graduates as the commencement speaker.

Of the 40 athletes graduating, soccer’s Olivia Eagleson became the first student at OLLU to graduate with three majors – Accounting, Finance and Management. Soccer’s Liliana Briseno earned two degrees – Biology and Psychology. Several student-athletes graduated with double majors: soccer’s Carlos Cabrera – Finance/Management; baseball’s Alex Garza – Management/Accounting; basketball’s Keviona Barber – Psychology/Criminology and Criminal Justice; and cross-Country/track and field’s Antonio Bustamante – Sociology/Criminology and Criminal Justice. Baseball’s Jorge Collazo Jr. is the only student-athlete to receive his MBA this spring. He played on the baseball team from 2018 to 2021.

Here is a list of who received their degrees this spring 2022, their sport and their degree/major:

TeamStudent-AthleteDegree/Major
BaseballJorge Collazo Jr.MBA-Management
 Alex GarzaBBA-Management / Accounting
 Adrian Gonzalez Jr.BS-Kinesiology
 Layne KlostermannBBA-Management
 Ram MaldonadoBA-Criminology and Criminal Justice
 Alec MartinezBS-Kinesiology
 Noah RodriguezBS-Kinesiology
 Brett VasquezBBA-Marketing
   
BasketballKeviona BarberBA-Criminal Justice
 Jordan EmbryBBA-Management
 Carlson GoodeBS-Kinesiology
 Gabrielle GuzmanBBA-Management
 Emiko HemphillBS-Kinesiology
 Alexandra StrawhornBS-Kinesiology
 Marlon WilliamsBA-Psychology
   
Cross-Country / Track and FieldAntonio BustamanteBA-Criminology / Criminal Justice and Sociology
 Peyton LammonsBS-Kinesiology
 Audren PinedaBS-Kinesiology
 Kimber WatsonBA-Mathematics
 Jose ZarateBBA-Marketing
   
GolfRaul GutierrezBS-Biology
 Daniel JonesBBA-Management
 Joshua SturtBBA-Finance
 Chase WhiteBBA-Management
   
SoccerCarlos BeltranBBA-Management
 Dawson BrinkleyBS-Biology
 Liliana BrisenoBS-Biology and Psychology
 Carlos CabreraBBA-Finance / Management
 Kaelyn CarnahanBS-Kinesiology
 Olivia EaglesonBBA-Accounting / Finance / Management
 Keelin GarrityBBA-Marketing
 Norberto LiraBS-Kinesiology
 Austen MedellinBS-Kinesiology
 Sophia MoraBA-Communication Arts
 Jack ParkerBS-Kinesiology
 Patrick PyeBS-Kinesiology
 Haley SmithBA-Psychology
   
SoftballKayla DreeseBBA-Marketing
   
VolleyballAlyssa GallardoBA-Communication Disorders
 Tijana KrutaBBA-Management

OLLU to hold commencement exercises this week

More than 300 students will be graduating this week when OLLU holds commencement exercises on Dec. 9.

The following is the commencement schedule:

9 a.m.
Veterans Graduation Ceremony
Chapel Auditorium
Graduates who are veterans are invited to this special ceremony where they will receive a challenge coin from President Diane Melby.

10 a.m.
Ring Blessing Ceremony
Sacred Heart Chapel
All graduates are invited to attend to have their graduation rings or other jewelry blessed.

10:30 a.m.
Alumni and Family Meet and Greet for graduates and their guests
Mall Area
Graduates and guests are invited to enjoy refreshments.

11:30 a.m.
Graduation Liturgy Line-Up
Chapel Auditorium
Graduates will line up in preparation for the Graduation Liturgy.

Noon
Graduation Liturgy
Sacred Heart Chapel
Graduates and guests are invited to Mass. Bachelor’s and master’s degree candidates will don their hoods during the service. Doctoral candidates will be hooded during commencement.

5 p.m.
Commencement Exercise
Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum
3201 East Houston St. San Antonio, Texas 78219 

Marcella Ochoa, a Los Angeles-based writer, director, and producer, will serve as the commencement speaker. A San Antonio native, Ochoa is using her success to help change the narrative of how the Latino community is portrayed in Hollywood.

Ochoa has worked in the entertainment industry for 16 years in marketing, production, and as a filmmaker. She started her career in the International Publicity Department for Sony Pictures Entertainment. She worked on the marketing campaigns for major studio films, such as Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, Spider Man 3, 2012, and the Bond films Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, among many others. She traveled the world, working with prestigious filmmakers, including Ron Howard, and A-list actors ranging from Tom Hanks to Will Smith.

She now has her own production company to develop film and TV projects. She co-wrote a supernatural thriller Discarnate that was released on Amazon and On Demand in 2019.  She wrote, directed, and produced a short film on the true story of Americanization of Mexican Americans in 1950’s Texas called My Name is Maria de Jesus. The award-winning short premiered on HBO Latino in 2019, and she did a national university speaking tour where she screened her film and spoke to the Latino students on campus.

Congratulate your graduate with a yard sign

Congratulatory graduation yard signs are available to be purchased for the Dec. 9 commencement ceremonies.

Signs will be placed on the San Antonio campus of Our Lady of the Lake University along 24th Street during commencement activities.

Emailed instructions for uploading photos will be sent to those who have purchased an order. Signs cost $30 apiece and are 18 x 24 inches. To order a sign, click here.

Please make sure you provide a high resolution photo for the sign.

Orders must be placed by Nov. 30. Signs may be picked up at Freeman Coliseum following commencement ceremonies on Dec. 9.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Longoria at: elongoria@ollusa.edu