ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHMOST COLLEGE
Established in 1926 as the first institution of higher education in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas Southmost College represents the region’s boundless potential. Now approaching 100 years of service to our communities, the many achievements of the students, faculty, and staff are a testament to the dedicated work of the Board of Trustees, community supporters, and the entire Scorpion family.
REGISTRATION FOR SPRING 2025 IS NOW OPEN!
SPRING Classes Start: January 20, 2025
REGISTER NOW Visit tsc.edu/register to learn more!
Photos and video from today's ceremony will soon be available at tsc.edu/grad and on our social media channels .
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Adela G. Garza Chairwoman
Place 1
Tony Zavaleta, Ph.D. Trustee
Place 3
Edgar E. Garcia
Trustee
Place 5
Delia Saenz Vice Chairwoman
Place 4
Alejandra Aldrete, M.Ed. Trustee
Place 2
Dr. Jesús Roberto Rodríguez President
Dr. Norma Lopez-Harris
Secretary
Place 7
Edward C. Camarillo Trustee
Place 6
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
DR. GONZALO SALAZAR
grew up in Brownsville and attended TSC where he received an Associate of Arts Degree.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (1996) with a major in Spanish and a minor in Bilingual Education from The University of Texas at Brownsville. He received a Master of Education degree (1999) in Educational Administration with a concentration in Bilingual Education from UT Brownsville. Salazar holds a Doctorate of Education (Ed. D.) degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where he conducted a study titled An Autoethnographic Exploration of the Professional and the Person; A Life’s Journey of a Hispanic Superintendent in South Texas.
Salazar has served in the role of Superintendent of Schools for Los Fresnos CISD since June of 2006 and has extensive experience in school leadership and bilingual education. During Salazar’s tenure as superintendent, the efforts of Los Fresnos CISD’s staff have been rewarded with student performance that has consistently surpassed state and regional averages. Los Fresnos CISD received an “A” rating on the Texas Education Agency’s state accountability standards and has been awarded the Post-secondary Readiness Distinction every year since TEA created this measure, in addition, the number of Advanced Placement scholars is increasing annually.
In 2011, The University of Texas at Brownsville honored him with the Distinguished Alumnus Award, and he was selected as a TED Ed Innovative Educator in 2019. His direct—to—camera TED Talk is available online.
Salazar was named 2024 Superintendent of the year for Region One, and he advanced though this recognition program as one of the top five superintendents in Texas. He has served on numerous state and local committees and Boards including the Commissioner’s Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) Cabinet of Superintendents and Legislative Council, the State Board of Education Long Range Planning Steering Committee, the Accountability Policy Advisory Committee, and as past president of the Texas Association of School Administrators. When asked, however, he we will tell you that his favorite title is Dad.
GRADUATE DESIGNATIONS
All Honor Graduates are identified by wearing a gold cord.
Graduates earning a certificate and/or associate's degree with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher are identified in the program by the following symbols:
SUMMA CUM LAUDE
3.900–4.000 Grade Point Average
MAGNA CUM LAUDE
3.700–3.899 Grade Point Average
CUM LAUDE
3.500–3.699 Grade Point Average
Texas Southmost College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award certificates and associate's degrees. Texas Southmost College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Texas Southmost College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website www.sacscoc.org.
Processional
Presiding Invocation
National Anthem
Welcome and Special Introductions
TSC Board of Trustees
Keynote Speaker
Conferring of Degrees and Certificates
Recognition of Candidates
Closing Remarks
Recessional
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE by Edward
Elgar
DR. JESÚS ROBERTO RODRÍGUEZ President
SARAI JUAREZ TSC Staff Member & Alumni
AVIGAI GONZALEZ Fine Arts Program Administrator
DR. JESÚS ROBERTO RODRÍGUEZ President
ADELA G. GARZA Chairwoman
DR. GONZALO SALAZAR Superintendent, Los Fresnos CISD
DR. JESÚS ROBERTO RODRÍGUEZ President
MARIA LUISA PACHECO Faculty, Communication and Language Department
DR. JESÚS ROBERTO RODRÍGUEZ President
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE by Edward Elgar
- 9:00 AM
GRADUATES: Associate of Arts Degree
Liliana Baldonado
Irma Marie Padilla
April M. Prado
Abraham D. Quijano
Johana N. Santana
Dora A. Galvan •
Eduardo Vera
Eduardo Aguilar III ♦
Allison Ivette Avila
Magdalena Barajas
Kat D. Bernal
Julieta Bernal
Blanca E. Bernard
Jorge Chavez
Juana M. Cordero #
Claudia Coronado
Kevin Cortez
Pablo De Luna
Jesus Giovanni Flores
Danielle Lee Galan ♦
Nathalie Galarza
David Galindo
Daniel Galindo
Martha Guadalupe
Garcia Rico
Samantha Garcia
Maria Carolina
Garcia Rangel
Rodrigo Santos Garcia
Genesis M. Gonzalez •
Fernanda Govea
Fernando Hernandez Pino
Jazmine Nathalie Jimenez
Luis Mariano Lopez Vergara
Raymundo Martinez
Marcelina Mejia
Francis C. Miller
Britney I. Nunez
Adir Ochoa-Silva
Jared Alfredo Ramirez
Alejandro Aaron Ramirez
Abner Ramirez ♦
Amanda B. Ramos
Dulce M. Rivera #
Sharon A. Rodriguez
Katarina Rodriguez
Susana Rodriguez Hernandez
Estefany Salazar
Ruby G. Salinas
Jose Luis Salinas
Joan A. Sprecher
Santiago Trevino #
Naylah Melissa Trevino
Daniela Valdez
Luis J. Valle
Mikey Vasquez
Eloy Vidal
Emily A. Villanueva Martinez
Chang-Jei Wu
Ashley Azeneth Alvarado
Angel Arredondo Salazar
Deissy Y. Banda
Sonia Natalie Barbosa
Rolando Benavidez #
Manuel Alexandro Calleros
Anthony Cartagena
David Cepeda
Maribel Chapa
Jocelyn B. Cibrian
Romeo De La Cruz
Patty De Leon
Jorge Diaz
Omar Espinoza Jr.
Diego Ivan Flores
Chelsea F. Moran
Aishli Garcia
Dallas M. Garcia
Ruben Alejandro Garcia
Raul A. Garcia de Alba •
Devaney Benice Gil
Galilea Gonzalez
Ryan M. Hausfeld #
David Hernandez
Brandon Davis Hernandez
Valeria Herrera
Keycia Anahy Huerta
Yulema Y. Ibarra #
Gerardo Juarez
Sean M. Lebron
Juan M. Lopez Jr.
Lizett Lopez •
Juan Francisco Lozano
Thessla Y. Luna Trevino
Emilio Mares •
Alexis N. Marroquin
Alejandro Medellin
Graciela Y. Montanez
Leonel Mora
Oscar Moreno
Mariana Nieto
Dafne P. Olivares #
Alicia Olivas
Erika Olvera
Julian Padilla
Felipe Perez
Sergio G. Pina
Joel C. Prieto
Luis Alexander
Quiroz-Perez #
Elyssa Monique Ramirez #
Irvin Regalado
Lizeth Rocha
Islene Y. Rodriguez
Jackelyn Rodriguez
Sonia Rodriguez
Jesus Salazar #
Humberto Sanchez #
Rigoberto Armando Sandoval #
Pedro Jesus Segura Zarate
Favio Valdez #
Stephanie M. Vega
Alfredo M. Villarreal •
Alberto Yanez
David Enrique Zapata
Gilberto Almanza
Rocco A. Almazan
Karlina M. Alvarez
Arelis C. Aquines
Carlos Arcia II
Jocelyn Z. Arriaga
Bilal Awan
Andrea Barrera
Gavino Barrera
Jocelyn Basurto
Jeremy M. Burkhardt
GRADUATES: Associate of Arts Degree (continued)
Samantha L. Candanoza
Kayla Cantu
Ava Alexandra Cantu #
Joe R. Cardenas
Krystal Marie Cardona •
Mia Ashtyn Castaneda
Priscilla Castillo •
Rolando Castillo
Angel Cervantes
Angelica Cervantes
Sebastian Raul Chavez ♦
Cindy P. Cisterna #
Edith Coronado
Ivana Isabella Cortez ♦
Melani Renee Davila Perales
Bryanna De La Cruz •
Sebastian De la Fuente •
Jennifer Iris de la Fuente •
Esteban Del Angel
Isla del Castillo
Victor Facundo
Jadalyn P. Figueroa
Mario Alberto Flores Jr.
Sarah Elizabeth Flores
David A. Flores
Laura Denise Flores
Prescilla Flores
Edgar Axel Gamboa
Chessica Garcia
Yrania Yahaira Garcia
Makayla R. Garcia ♦
Adam L. Garcia
Lourissa Lynnet Garcia
Myriam I. Garcia
Nicole Desiree Garcia
Tiffany Garcia
Celeste L. Garza
Silverio Gatica-Portugal ♦
Alejandra Gonzalez
Christian J. Gonzalez •
Sebastian F. Gonzalez
Camila Gonzalez
Anabelle Lee Gonzalez •
Brianna Gonzalez •
Luis E. Gonzalez
Elizabeth Guerra
Paola Guerra ♦
Laura Izabelle Guevara
Gabriela Gutierrez
Cinthia Guzman #
Cecilia Hernandez
Eleonor Rubi Hernandez
Emmanuel D. Hervey
Jasmin Monique Hinojosa
Pedro A. Hurtado
Rosa M. Ibarra #
Eric J. Infante
Besher Asem Irtaimeh
Juan Izaguirre Jr.
Dayana Itzel Jaramillo
America Arlene Jimenez #
Johnathan Juarez
Roin Khurami •
Karianna Lamas •
Victor Manuel Lara #
Salvador Larrasquitu
Cesar A. Leal
Emilyann Marie Leal
Danna Dominique Ledezma
Karyme Aracely Longoria
Alexa Estefania Lopez
Janie A. Lopez
Raul Eduardo Lopez
Michelle Lopez Dieckmann #
Roberto A. Lozano
Anna J. Maldonado ♦
Maribel C. Martinez #
Anja N. Martinez
Kaylene Marie Martinez •
Mirtala Martinez ♦
Ariana Meza
Sofia Moreno
Tanya Mottes
Oscar Navarrete ♦
David Olmos #
Alexander Ortiz
Jose Dante Ortiz Jr. #
Maria I. Ortiz •
Alejandra P. Ortiz-Apolinar #
Osvaldo Padilla
Jesse Palafox •
Mabel Palomares
Destaney Marie Palomin-Ramirez •
Arianna Rae Pantoja •
Ary Paredes
Marisol Pecina #
Jacqueline Alexa Perez •
Jackelyn Perez
Alicia P. Portales
Melissa Naomi Ramirez
Enrique R. Ramirez
Reyna R. Rico
Nadia Y. Rivera
Janine A. Rivera #
Andrea Lizeth Rizo
Noe Robledo
Yanilcy Vyanca Rocha
Melissa P. Rodriguez
Gabriel Rodriguez
Enrique Rodriguez
Oralia Guadalupe Rodriguez #
Martin Rodriguez Jr.
Eduardo Rojas
Jennifer Y. Rojas
Johan Ricco Rosales •
Abraham Ruiz •
Brandon N. Russell
Octavio A. Salazar
Genesis Saldaña
Daniel V. Salinas
Andorena Sanchez
Christopher Andre Sankovet
Aubrie Santiago
Guadalupe Sarmiento
Sayra Saucedo
Claudia Segovia Gonzalez
Diana N. Silva de la Garza
Jaden S. Torres
Harvey Iván Urbano •
Daizy Valdez
Refugio M. Vasquez
Joselyn Celeste Velasco ♦
Jaime A. Vidal
Yuliana Villarreal
Ximena Yepez #
Maria Fernanda
Avendano ♦
Monica Paola Bochas
Hannah Renee Delgado
Elisha M. Flores
Arnoldo Molina
Sherlyn Pena
GRADUATES: Associate of Arts Degree
Sasha N. Perez
Diana G. Rodriguez
Jovana A. Rodriguez
Anthony E. Rodriguez #
Paulina Salinas
Ana L. Sanchez #
Brenda Cavazos
Luis Roberto Delgado
Miriam C. Gamez
Reyna Hernandez
Julia E. Lira
Triana E. Maldonado
Araceli Martinez
Krystal Medina
Aide A. Quintanilla
Krystal Marie Rico
Maria Teresa Saenz
Ivan A. Villarreal •
GRADUATES: Associate of Arts Degree in Teaching
Dayra Lizeth Barrera
Jackeline J. Bautista
Paris Nicole Bustos
Christina Carrizales •
Vanessa Michelle
De La Cruz
Brianda L. Garcia Ignacio •
Riley S. Garcia
Roy Sol Esther Garcia
Alyssa A. Gomez
Ana Hernandez
Franco J. Hernandez
Casandra MacOuzet
Julissa L. Mascorro #
Allison L. Molina
Larissa Marie Moody
Stephania Alma Pena #
Brissa Nicole Puentes •
Carmen Lynn Rosenbaum
Lisa Marie Saldivar
Erica Vega
Sophia Verduzco
Jenny G. Zamora
Emilio L. Cahuiche
Juvian E. Escandon
Carla Alejandra Lopez
James Knight Paschall #
Dominique Janel Ramirez
Aaron A. Rodriguez
Hannia Y. Chavez
Saul E. Collazo Jr.
Daisy Fuentes
Nadia Gonzalez
Susana I. Hernandez
Lesslie A. Lastra-Guillen
Alexa D. Lopez
Estefany Mayorga Garcia
Katelyn Lindsay Moran
Jessica D. Obregon Padilla
Andrea Ochoa
Karen Alexa Puente
Arianna I. Sanchez
GRADUATES: Associate of Applied Science Degree
Nereida M. Aguilar Gil •
Mayra G. Carranza #
Aaron Alfonso
Sanchez Gonzalez •
Angelina Luci Villarreal
Omar A. Davila
Samuel Cortez
Daniel Deciga
Kareen Y. Lopez
Susy Alvarado
Marilu Alondra Millot
Jose Cavazos Jr. #
Arturo Chairez #
Ricardo Novoa Jr. #
Roberto A. Padilla •
Juan M. Rodriguez •
Gilberto Santos •
Andre G. Cuevas
Luis Chavez •
Manuel Santiago Trevino
Samantha Marie Delgado
Julian Vallejo
GRADUATES:
Joanna Marie Compean
Kaitlyn B. Morales
Noe Belmares #
Fabian A. Covarrubias
Emmanuel Garza
Julio E. Romo
Gabriel Alejandro Urie ♦
Zayra M. Esquivel •
Christian Martinez
Tiffany Ochoa ♦
Luis Enrique Sanchez
Eduardo A. Santillana
Raúl I. García
Karla Casanova
Maribel Gomez
Erika Gudino ♦
Avril I. Solis Rosales
Kelly Jo Tapia #
Francisco Alvarado •
Leslie Alvear •
Sean A. Barrera
Ashley Michelle Bobadilla
Lindsay Dawn Cravy #
Gustavo Adolfo Cuellar
Annel Flores
Haley N. Flores
Gregorio Franco Jr.
Karina C. Hernandez #
Yessica Susana Munoz
Consuelo Mirleny
Rodriguez
Rebecca F. Rodriguez •
Viviana Andrade
Alyssa Michelle Castro
Lisa A. Figueroa
Luis Rafael Alejos Jr. #
Tayre Banda #
Daisy Duran
Ricardo Guerrero
Carlos Guzman •
Malarie Anne Hernandez
Yannira Herrera
Pedro Luis Luevano •
Brandon Martinez
Hemangini Rama ♦
Jennifer Edith
Salazar Alonso
Associate of Science Degree
Eric Ibarra
Israel Mata
Arnulfo Olvera Jr.
Cesar E. Lopez
Juan C. Sanchez-Torres
America P. Guerra #
Nelson O. Gurrola
Angel Martinez
GRADUATES: Certificate of Proficiency - Level Two
Nicole Aguayo
Dariana C. Aguirre
Aldo Alvarado •
Adryana Arredondo
Katelyn De La Cruz
Samantha De los Reyes #
Fatima R. Espino
Karyana Martinez
Alondra Montelongo #
Sade Cruz Olivas
GRADUATES: Certificate of Proficiency - Level One
Sergio M. Estrada ♦
John David Soto
Tomas A. Lugo
Jesus R. Fuentes
Anthony L. Gonzalez
Carlos Morales
Christopher M. Rosas
Leonardo Vazquez
Karina E. Valdez Garcia
Clarissa I. Cruz
