By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
In 79 years, Southwest Texas College has never held a graduation in Del Rio, until Tuesday
night when they held two at the Del Rio Civic Center, and 275 students walked across the stage.
The college had 238 fall graduates who wanted to walk, but
where SWTC has sites. (Photo by Joel Langton)
another 35 spring graduates had
asked if they could wait, and instead of walking at the main campus graduation in the spring,
wanted to wait six months to graduate in Del Rio.
“They wanted to be able to receive their diploma and walk in front of their family, in their home
town. There was no way we could stand in the way of that," said Connie W. Buchanan, SWTX’s
Vice President of the Del Rio Campus.
Buchanan said the spring graduations will remain in Uvalde but will rotate between Del Rio and
Eagle Pass for fall graduation in the future.
“This is an important day for our community,” said Joshua Overfelt, an associate professor of
history and government at SWTX, who also serves as a trustee on the San Felipe Del Rio
CISD. “This tells Del Rio students that yes, you can go to college in your hometown, take care
of your loved ones or whatever keeps you close, but you can begin getting that degree here and
soon, we’ll be able to help them get a four-year degree here.”
There were two ceremonies. A 4 p.m. ceremony was held for 126 Liberal Arts graduates while
the 7 p.m. ceremony honored 113 Applied Science graduates.
Buchanan said that the school will start offering four-year degrees in 2027.
The ceremony was held in the 10,000-square-foot Pecan Ballroom, with about 1,150 parents
and family members combined for the two ceremonies. After diplomas had been received and
the tassels moved, graduates and family members moved to the slightly smaller Red Oak
Ballroom where the school had provided eight backdrops for pictures, a human-sized mascot,
snacks and a 360 photo booth.
where SWTC has sites. (Photo by Joel Langton)
A 360 photo booth is a camera setup that spins around people as they stand on a platform,
creating a smooth, all-around video of them from every angle.
“This is one of my favorite moments of the school year,” Buchanan said. “This 90-minute
ceremony represents so much hard work from the students we can never do too much to help
mark this occasion.”
Walking the stage were students from Uvalde, Eagle Pass, Crystal City, Pearsall and Hondo,
where SWTC has sites.
“All of these students and their families came to Del Rio, enjoyed your community, ate in your
restaurants and then watched their loved ones graduate,” said Buchanan.
The SWTC Del Rio Campus can be found at 207 Wildcat Drive.
