Austin Community College District (ACC) celebrated major milestones at its Spring 2024 Commencement. More than 3,000 graduates were invited to participate, and 853 students—along with their families—attended the ceremony at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park on Friday, May 17.
Graduates were first greeted with a welcome squad as they walked into the center. Representatives from Student Affairs, Student Life, Recruitment, College Relations & Marketing, Bold Representation of Student Success (BRASS), and Texas State University lined up to congratulate students.
Texas State University at San Marcos Chancellor Dr. Kelly Damphousse presented this year’s keynote address. ACC mascot R.B. the Riverbat was joined at the ceremony by Boko the Bobcat, Texas State’s mascot.
The ceremony took about two hours and ended with a bang as the Soul Train Drumline from Northeast Early College High School closed the event.
View a slideshow of photos from the day in our Flickr album below.
ACC faculty shared some wonderful advice with the class of 2024. Watch the video below.
Watch the full ceremony below.
In addition to the collegewide commencement celebration, the college hosted several completion events for graduates. Read more about some of these events below.
ASCENDER Celebración
More than 300 people attended the 9th Annual Ascender Celebración on May 2 at the Austin PBS Black Box studio in the ACC Highland Campus. Special guests included Austin PBS CEO Luis Patiño and former Texas Representative Celia Israel, with performances by students from Leander Elementary School showcasing Ballet Folklórico and Xunaxhii, a graduating senior from Leander High School. Learn more here.
AVANCE to College Program
The college celebrated the first cohort of the AVANCE to College Program––a program to support parents who want to attend college––on Wednesday, May 8, at the Riverside Campus. The program’s two-generation approach fosters long-term success and economic mobility for predominantly Latino families, addressing their unique needs and promoting school readiness and family growth. Learn more here.
National Adult Education Honor Society
More than 140 Adult Education students were celebrated at the National Adult Education Honor Society induction ceremony, which serves as a completion ceremony, on May 2 at ACC Eastview Campus. The annual event honors students who earned their GED® this year, as well as students from ACC’s High School Equivalency, English as a Second Language, College Prep, and Career Pathways programs. Learn more here.
Future Healthcare Heroes
The Future Healthcare Heroes ceremony honored 18 students from Eastside Early College High School. The ceremony was part of the Future Healthcare Heroes grant initiative, a partnership between ACC’s Health Sciences Division, Eastside ECHS, HCA Healthcare-Healthier Tomorrow Fund, and St. David’s HealthCare. The initiative aims to identify and nurture rising juniors and seniors interested in pursuing careers in healthcare after high school. Learn more here.