Austin Community College held its closing Ascender ceremony on May 5th at the Eastview campus, where over 200 students, families, professors, advisors, mentors, and administrators gathered to commemorate the first year of college for Ascender students. Diana Gorostieta Martinez, the Hispanic Outreach Coordinator, was the Master of Ceremonies that evening.
To start, Dr. Gary Moreno, Director of the Latin American Cultural Center at ACC, talked about the importance of Cinco de Mayo. Next about 60 students were recognized one by one on stage with their stole by Dr. Ruth Reinhart, Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Support Services, and Dr. Shasta Buchanan, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, who also shared a few words of encouragement. After students received their stoles, the keynote speaker, Travis County Attorney Delia Garza, gave a motivational speech.
There was also a range of performances, from a young lady who sang in Zapotec to a surprise Aztec dance accompanied by drums aimed to embrace the culture and celebrate indigenous heritage. Lastly, guests enjoyed Mexican cuisine with the accompaniment of live mariachi music.