The LBJ School of Public Affairs celebrated the academic achievements of its 54th graduating class during a ceremony in Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium at The University of Texas at Austin. May 10 marked the culmination of rigorous study for 130 students, who have earned the following degrees: a PhD in Public Policy, an Executive Master of Public Leadership, a Master of Public Affairs and a Master in Global Policy Studies.
The event centered on the themes of leading with compassion and building community amid a divisive period in our democracy.
“With your degree in hand, each of you will have an important purpose and role to play in solving the major societal challenges that we now face.” said dean of the LBJ School JR DeShazo. “I encourage you to remember the values, principles and skills that we have taught you at the LBJ School.”
The LBJ School also recognized students who achieved the highest grade point averages in their class. Those students are Annabelle Sala, Olivia Claire Shaffer, Emma Grace Brunk, Libby Jane Morris and Evan Hunter Wolstencroft.
Jordan Jessie, a Master of Public Affairs graduate, was elected by the class to make remarks on their behalf.
“I’d be remiss not to mention that we sit here today—as people dedicating our lives to public service—at a time where public servants across the country face unprecedented hardship,” Jessie said during her commencement remarks. “I hope everyone here today—Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative can look at the graduates sitting in these rows and understand that our education, the degrees we’ve spent years of our lives earning and the work we set out to do when we leave here is valuable. Government touches every facet of one’s everyday life from the roads we drive on, to the food we eat, to the air we breathe. The world needs public servants. The world needs us.”
LBJ School alumna Alejandra Castillo (MPAff ’98) delivered the commencement address emphasizing the power of showing up with dignity, purpose and community in service to others, especially during times of uncertainty and change.
“You are the walking embodiment of a president's dream—graduates of an institution created not just to teach theory, but to forge architects of change who will build the policies, programs and institutions that transform lives, communities and hopefully the world,” Castillo said.
Castillo went on to share some advice for the graduates.
“Let me give you some very, very practical career guidance: The future belongs to shapeshifters—people who pivot fast, learn faster and update their skills more often than their streaming passwords. Be fluent in multiple disciplines. Think like a policymaker, build like an entrepreneur, empathize like a social worker, analyze like a scientist. In a world shifting by the minute, your real power isn't your job title—it's your ability to reboot, recharge and reinvent yourself without losing sight of what matters.”
She closed her remarks with a message of hope.
“Remember always: In a world that too often settles for less, excellence is an act of resistance,” Castillo said.
Over 800 guests joined the event in person, while more than 1,000 viewers tuned in to watch the ceremony via livestream.
