WGS major Patricia "Cuca" Ramírez Miranda (she/her) had a busy commencement week! A committee of peers, faculty, and staff selected Cuca to deliver the senior oration. Her remarks celebrated all that the Class of 2024 has accomplished since arriving to campus amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, challenged her peers to "keep our institution accountable to continue equipping citizens and stay true to the liberal arts education it offers to incoming and current students," and offered specific suggestions for alumni action.
By joining these ranks as alumni today, we have a fundamental role to play. We must join committees—and give our input as recent graduates who have experienced firsthand the issues our institution faces. Not only that, but we have contacts with the student body and should give them a voice in ongoing conversions. As a class, we have addressed institutional changes and uncertainty, so we are almost overqualified for the job. Donate money to programs you cherish. Host internship opportunities for students. Be the person who comes back to campus four times a year to network or socialize. Whatever you do, remember to give back to this community.
At the ceremony, Cuca was also awarded the university's Julie Berebitsky Prize in Women's and Gender Studies, the Schauss Award for inquiry, initiative, and engagement in Spanish-speaking culture, and the national Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, presented by Vice Chancellor Rob Pearigen (pictured above).
Upon graduation, Cuca heads to Memphis, Tennessee to begin an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Tennessee Health and Science Center.
Congratulations, Cuca!
