Amber Esparza
Arts, Culture & Entertainment Editor
Attention graduating seniors! — Beginning this week, Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders and the Office of Student Life will host a handful of senior-oriented celebrations to mark the fall 2024 graduation season.
The grad-focused student celebrations include a cap decorating event, free graduation photo opportunities, a stole and cord ceremony and a sendoff dinner for graduating seniors.
Graduation, personalized
The senior celebrations kick off Tuesday, Nov. 19 with a graduation cap decorating event. Seniors who already have their cap and gown regalia on-hand can join other graduating seniors for an all-day cap decorating session in the Business and Library Hall Multipurpose Room. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., students can drop in to jazz up their graduation caps in preparation for commencement day. Supplies will be provided for students free of charge and seniors can bring along non-graduating students to join them. Students can RSVP for the cap decorating event on JagSync.
Cost-free graduation photos
The Cisneros Institute is also offering two mini graduation photo sessions that will be cost-free to graduating seniors. A limited number of photoshoot slots are still available for Monday, Nov. 25 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5. The bite-sized photo sessions will take place at three different spots in the Madla Courtyard. Grads will have the opportunity to take photos at the A&M-San Antonio sign and water fountain in front of the school and in the window frame outside the Madla Building. Students will have approximately five minutes at each location to get their shots during a 15-minute session. Participants are expected to arrive dressed in full regalia and are encouraged to bring any props they would like to include in their photos. Digital copies of the photos will be sent to students during the week of Dec. 16. The photoshoot sessions are restricted to fall graduating seniors only and require RSVP on JagSync and GivePulse in advance. Graduates can RSVP for the Nov. 25 session here and the Dec. 5 session here.
Grad recognition and last-meal sendoff
Students who are a part of a recognized club or organization on campus will have the opportunity to celebrate their student involvement at a senior stole and cord ceremony from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 4 in the auditorium. According to the JagSync event page, this senior celebration will focus on “honoring graduating student leaders who have made an impact within their student organizations and in the Jaguar community.” Honorees are expected to show up in their graduation regalia or business professional attire if their cap and gown has not come in yet. The stole and cord ceremony is open to all A&M-San Antonio faculty, staff, family and community members.
Lastly, graduating seniors can celebrate their last day as a student on campus with the Jaguar Sunset Sendoff Dinner from 6:30 p.m to 9 p.m. in the Central Academic Building Vista Room Monday, Dec. 16. Tickets are required for anyone attending the dinner and run $10 per person. Students interested in having their photo included in the sendoff dinner slideshow can email images to Student Life at student.life@tamusa.edu. Graduates can RSVP for the dinner on JagSync and purchase dinner tickets for themselves and guests here.
A&M-San Antonio’s fall commencement ceremonies will take place Tuesday, Dec. 17 at the Freeman Coliseum with the College of Arts and Sciences at 10 a.m. and the College of Business and College of Education and Human Development at 3 p.m. More information about A&M-San Antonio graduation ceremonies can be found on the university’s graduation services website.
For more information about the Senior Celebration event series, email Student Life or connect with the Cisneros Institute on JagSync.
Follow A&M-San Antonio’s Office of Student Life on Instagram for the latest updates on the senior celebrations.
