Cap and gown pickup for San Antonio College students participating in the Commencement 2024 Ceremony is underway and will continue through Monday each day from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Fletcher Administration Building, room 113.
Fall 2023 and spring 2024 graduates are eligible to participate in the ceremony, and those who filled out the graduation application by the March 22 deadline have a cap and gown waiting for them. Students will receive one cap, gown and tassel, and they must fill out a name card to ensure correct spelling of their name. The pickup process is expected to take about 30 minutes for each student, according to a campus-wide email sent out Wednesday.
Graduation Coordinator and Senior Coordinator of Student Success, Phillip Casarez said anyone who is unable to pick up their cap and gown in person before the window closes Monday afternoon can send a representative to pick up their cap and gown. Anyone unable to coordinate pickup by Monday should email sac-grad@alamo.edu.
“We will work with students who are not able to attend any of the dates,” Casarez told SAC Student News. “We want everyone to have a chance to celebrate their hard work.”
The college is providing graduation regalia to students at no cost.
“Providing a free cap and gown is something we take pride in as we know the potential burden an additional cost can place on our students,” Casarez said.
Peer Advisor Lisa Guerrero, who studies human resources management at SAC, said she spoke to several students who were concerned about cap and gown costs.
“Students are asking me, ‘How much is it’ or ‘I don’t think I can pay for it until payday.’ It’s completely free; go get it,” Guerrero told SAC Student News. “We worked hard to get to the point of walking the stage and earning our degree. [The cap and gown] should be considered a ‘gift’ to the students for all they have accomplished at San Antonio College.”
Graduates expressed appreciation for the college’s decision to offer a free cap and gown.
“Receiving the cap and gown at no cost helped me because I do not think I would have been able to purchase it on my own,” Sarah Merlo, who studies social work at SAC, said.
Cassandra Reyes, who also studies social work, agreed.
“Many students face different hardships during [their] time in school. It’s good to know we don’t have to worry about that [expense].”
Students are not required to return their cap and gown after graduation. SAC officials estimate that 1,000 students will walk the stage at the Alamodome May 22 at 10 a.m.
“Commencement is a time to celebrate, and we want our students to enjoy their day,” Casarez said. “Graduating from college is a huge deal, and the cap and gown is part of the essential representation of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice.”
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