ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Hundreds of University of Texas graduates at Arlington will take to the stage at Globe Life Field Thursday, at the university’s first in-person ceremonies since December 2019.
Donning a hat and dress marks the culmination of years of hard work, and the ability to celebrate in a more traditional way is not lost on graduates.
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“I was like, ‘Ugh, we’re just going to be doing a virtual degree or something,’ and when they finally said we were going to have a personal opening ceremony, I thought I couldn’t miss that,” Catherine Martinez said of the moment graduated from UT Arlington Nursing School. “This is a very big moment. I want my friends, family here. I want to celebrate this moment. I am very happy that something is happening today.”
Eight different opening ceremonies will be held in the stadium over the next three days to limit the number of spectators.
“When the opportunity arose for something in person, I didn’t have to think about it,” said Brian Cisneros, who is also graduating from nursing school. “I just went in and signed up because it’s a one-time thing.”
For some, starting on Thursday marks the beginning of a career. For others, it’s a chance to take theirs to the next level.
“I’ve been a nurse for 23 years, but it cost me forever because I had four children and a family to look after,” said Jenny Glenn, who now has her Masters degree to become a nurse.
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The pandemic posed challenges for all students.
“It was really hard, especially with COVID, because we had to teach them at home for a while while I did my clinics, which took a lot off my hands,” said Glenn.
Classes were completely online at one point and some nursing students had difficulty getting hands-on training.
Cisneros volunteered at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic to practice injecting.
“I personally had to vaccinate about 100 people, so now I have experience,” he said.
None of UT Arlington’s 2020 graduates were able to hold ceremonies in person, so the university is giving them a second chance to take the stage this week.
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On Thursday at 7:00 p.m., last year’s Nursing School graduates will be part of an opening ceremony at Globe Life Field, and UTA expects to be almost as well attended as the ceremony for this year’s graduates.