Commencement Highlights-HD

The 2014 keynote address by Naval Adm. William H. McRaven, BJ '77, ninth commander of U.S.Special Operations Command, Texas Exes Life Member, and Distinguished Alumnus.

Once a member of UT’s track team, Richards-Ross is now an Olympic gold medal-winning runner and a proud Texas Ex. In her speech, she detailed her long, and often bumpy, road to success and encouraged the graduating class to persevere — something that, she believes, shouldn’t be too difficult for UT grads. “In our weight room it says, ‘The winning tradition of the Texas Longhorns will not be entrusted to the weak or timid,’” Richards-Ross said to the crowd. “I would dare say that isn’t just a slogan used to motivate athletes — it’s a slogan that truly represents the spirit of all Longhorns.” And it’s that Longhorn spirit that truly threads the Class of 2013 together. When he took to the podium, President Bill Powers explained that this year’s graduates came from 66 countries, 48 states and 158 Texas counties, and each had a very different path that led him or her to the Forty Acres.

Singing “The Eyes of Texas” and holding their horns up high, hundreds of Longhorns stood beneath the glowing Tower this weekend, watching the bursting technicolor fireworks that signaled the end of their time at UT through misty eyes. The 130th Spring Commencement of The University of Texas at Austin was a bittersweet moment for the 8,358 students receiving their bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. Following two days of individual recognition by UT’s colleges and schools, the university-wide ceremony — held in the Main Mall on Saturday evening — marked the end of one journey and the beginning of another.

Highlights from the 2012 University of Texas at Austin Commencement featuring the Longhorn Band and a spectacular fireworks display.