Hispanic, African-American, and Asian Students Make Up Majority of Spring 2011 University of Houston-Downtown Graduates to Receive Diplomas at May 21 Commencement Ceremony at Minute Maid Park

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than 1,000 Spring 2011 graduates of University of Houston-Downtown – most of them Hispanic, African-American, or Asian – will receive their diplomas on May 21 to signal the completion of a four-year degree program. Yet, for many of these graduates, the walk across the stage starting at 4 p.m. this Saturday at Minute Maid Park represents a steadfast journey toward achieving their higher education goals while working full-time, supporting a family, honoring military responsibilities, and studying part-time.

“One day I would like to be the first female secretary-general of the United Nations”

Founded in 1974, UHD is one of four distinct universities in the University of Houston System. With 1,158 graduates, the Spring 2011 Class is one of the largest of the university’s 50 graduating classes. Over 1,000 of the Spring 2011 UHD graduates will participate in the May 21 ceremony, and an estimated 20,000 family members, friends and supporters will be there to cheer them on.

The oldest Spring 2011 UHD graduate is 64, and the youngest is 20. Of the Spring 2011 undergraduates, 118 are Asian; 290 are African-American, 362 are Hispanic and 306 are Caucasian. Five are American Indian and 33 others represent 18 nationalities.

Houston area leaders who graduated from UHD include City of Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland (Criminal Justice, 1998); Ed Gonzalez, Houston City Councilman for District H (Criminal Justice 2000); and Houston Community College Trustee Mary Ann Perez (Business, 2003).

According to UHD President Dr. William V. Flores, UHD is filling a much needed niche in higher education in terms of its location, affordability, quality, and the age and cultural diversity of its students. (Note: Dr. Flores speaks fluently in English and Spanish.)

“There is no ‘typical’ student at UHD. The cultural and age differences that our students share make them alike in their differences,” commented Dr. Flores. “Approximately 75 percent of our students have transferred from community colleges or other universities. We have proven to be an affordable and practical solution for higher education. Our downtown Houston location makes us attractive to students who live in the suburbs and work in or near downtown. And, for those students in Kingwood, Cy-Fair or Northwest Houston, we offer classes in their neighborhoods or through our online courses. Our tuition and fees run about $4,800 annually - significantly less than that at many other public universities.”

UHD’s total Spring 2011 enrollment was 12,429. African-American and Hispanic students represented the majority of the Spring 2011 student body at UHD: 29.7 percent of all registered students this past semester were African-American and 37.6 percent were Hispanic.

The top five most popular undergraduate degrees pursued by students at UHD are Bachelor of Science in interdisciplinary studies; Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting; Bachelor of Arts – interdisciplinary studies, education; Bachelor of Business Administration in finance; and Bachelor of Science in criminal justice.

“UHD students are excellent examples of what anyone can achieve through perseverance, ingenuity and faith,” Dr. William V. Flores said, offering the following examples of student success stories:

--	Nancy Adossi, 21, student representative of the Spring Class of 2011 and commencement speaker on May 21, who will earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science with a minor in International Relations. “One day I would like to be the first female secretary-general of the United Nations,” Adossi said.
	Adossi was born in the West African nation of Togo. She and her family migrated to the U.S. and settled in the Houston area in 1999. She is fluent in English, French and Ewe, a tribal language. Adossi attended Carver Magnet High School in the Aldine Independent School District and enrolled in UHD after her high school teachers recommended UHD’s English program.
--	Adrian Hopkins, 31, the first graduate to graduate with from UHD with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Insurance and Risk Management and a decorated Army veteran who served in Iraq. Hopkins is one of the first 12 students who began the UHD Insurance and Risk Management Program in the Fall of 2009. He has earned the Army Commendation, Achievement, Expeditionary, Good Conduct and Global War on Terrorism medals along with other certificates and ribbons.
--	Jason Gay, 29, Bachelor of Business Administration in Supply Chain Management; one of 20 adopted siblings who dropped out of school at 16 and spent a total of seven years in juvenile and adult prison. At one point, he was in a jail from which he could see UHD daily. He turned his life around in a positive way. He worked full time while attending UHD and took advantage of scholarships and financial aid to earn his degree after six years.
--	Elda Rueda, 30, who was the first in her family to attend college and came from Colombia on a student visa to study English for two years before pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. Rueda has been accepted into the doctoral program for vision science at University of Houston’s College of Optometry.

Additional student stories are available upon request.

Commencement Ceremony Details

A private reception at the Baseball Bar (Club Level, 2^nd Floor) will be held at 3 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT) for members of the UHD “platform party” which includes UHD President Bill Flores, university executives, University of Houston System administrators, the Board of Regents, and UHD faculty.

Guests and media will enter Minute Maid Park, Right Field Entrance, 501 Crawford Street, Houston, Texas. The commencement ceremony begins at 4 p.m. CDT and will end at about 7 p.m. CDT. Admission is free and open to the public, but advance tickets are required. Tickets can be obtained by contacting Liza Alonzo, Associate Director of Community Involvement, 713-221-8682, [e-mail].

NOTE: Media are welcome to attend a VIP reception at 3 p.m. and the commencement ceremony beginning at 4 p.m.