Parade of Jaguars receive UHV class rings
As Judith Ballines sat inside the Walker Auditorium in University North, she couldn’t help but reflect on her college journey at the University of Houston-Victoria.
Seated in the front row, she was backed up by rows upon rows of Jaguars, all beaming with pride and anticipation as they prepared to receive tangible proof of all of their hard work and dedication: a UHV class ring.
The rings were blessed by jaX, UHV’s beloved mascot, the day before the ceremony at the Texas Zoo. Sealed in a polyvinyl chloride container, the container and the rings inside of it were set inside the jaguar exhibit at the Texas Zoo where jaX and his partner, Sophia, came to bless them.
“It’s a fun event for the students to celebrate before the ring ceremony,” said Kelsey Norgard, director of alumni relations and annual giving. “It celebrates the hard work and the multitude of hours they have put in to get this far in their academic journey.”
Held on Friday, May 2, the two UHV Class Ring Ceremonies invited parents, faculty, staff, students and their guests to come take part in the celebration to witness their loved ones receiving a class ring from UHV. The first ceremony was held at 5 p.m., followed by another at 7 p.m.
“I am the first one in my family to graduate from college, and for me, this is a big milestone, so I wanted to carry with me not only the memories, but also a ring,” said Ballines, who also served as the event’s 5 p.m. speaker. “I am the first woman in my entire family lineage to go to college.”
Coming from New Braunfels, Ballines started her academic journey right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, where she faced unprecedented challenges, she said. In her speech, she touched on her journey to Victoria, when she came to a new town not knowing any of its inhabitants or the community, and navigated the first-generation guilt she felt of moving away from her family and the way she overcame it.
“Being at UHV, it has helped me grow into the woman I am today,” she said. “I love this school so much for everything it has done for me.”
This May, she will receive a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and a minor in humanities. Looking forward, there are plenty of things to be excited about, she said. The graduating senior is excited about moving back home with her mother, who had just purchased a home, and also planning new adventures this year.
“It’s bittersweet,” Ballines said. “I’ve been living in Victoria for five years by myself. I’ve gotten to know the community and made friends here. Everybody would ask me, ‘You’re from New Braunfels? What are you doing here in Victoria?’ And I would tell them, ‘I go to college here at UHV.’”
For the 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. ceremonies on May 2, Norgard led the events with the welcome and closing remarks. UHV President Bob Glenn also addressed the attendees and presided over the presentation of the rings. During the 7 p.m. ceremony, UHV student Olivia Valadez shared the student story. Bo Walding, Student Government Association president, delivered remarks on the symbolism of the class ring.
After the ceremony, students and their guests were invited over to Galvan Community Hall to take part in the Jaguar Hand Dunk. The hand dunk gave students the opportunity to dip their hands inside a bowl of dyed water from the Guadalupe River. The dye stains their hands red for 24 hours to symbolize their time here at UHV.
More than 60 students were eligible for their class rings this semester. Undergraduate students are eligible to purchase a class ring after completing 60 credit hours toward their degrees, Norgard said. Graduate students are eligible once they are officially enrolled as graduate students, and the rings are available for alumni as well.
For more information about ordering a class ring, please contact Kelsey Norgard, director of alumni relations and annual giving, at (361) 570-4869.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.