AUSTIN, Texas—Sara Martinez Tucker, the speaker for the 2005 spring commencement at The University of Texas at Austin, asked graduating students Saturday (May 21) to think about all the inspiring forces that influenced their lives at the university, and urged the graduates to strive to inspire ambition in others.
“You have spent the last few years in an inspiring place surrounded by inspiring people. What ambition has your time at the university inspired in you?” asked Martinez Tucker, president and chief executive officer of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the nation’s leading organization supporting Hispanic higher education. She spoke about the influence faculty, parents and family members have in shaping the lives of students.
“My single most important message for you tonight? Your impact on others can be as much or even more than others’ impact on you,” Martinez Tucker said.
More than 20,000 people attended the festive 122nd spring commencement ceremony on the university’s Main Mall honoring the more than 8,300 undergraduate, graduate and professional students eligible to receive their degrees this spring.
A transcript of Martinez Tucker’s speech is available on the Commencement 2005 Web site.
For more information contact: Robert D. Meckel, Office of Public Affairs, 512-475-7847.
