This month, we were so excited to celebrate the College of Fine Arts Class of 2023. After missing last year’s commencement ceremony, I was thrilled to take the reins of my first commencement as dean to celebrate more than 330 graduating students.

We were honored to have Butler School of Music alumnus Lecolion Washington as our commencement speaker. A Texas native, Lecolion shared his own moving journey from student to professional musician to arts administrator who advocates for making his field more inclusive and welcoming.

We do commencement a little differently in our college and celebrate our students as they showcase their personalities and talents as they cross the stage. One student’s walk across the stage went viral on social media—you can see why for yourself here.

These talented, passionate and creative graduates enter their post-college lives with incredible artistic might and an ethical compass from their time spent at The University of Texas at Austin. What starts here changes the world, and I expect incredible things from these newly minted alumni.

While commencement always seems like a conclusion to the academic year, it’s really just a momentary pause of celebration for our graduating students. You’ll continue to hear from me over the summer — our doors are open, and our work continues. We’re already preparing to welcome a new incoming cohort of students, new faculty members and new department leadership.