Editor’s note: 2018 was an incredible year for UTSA students, faculty, staff and alumni. It was a year of intense momentum as the university moved forward to become a model for student success, a great research university, and an exemplar for strategic growth and innovative excellence.
Join us as we look back at the top ten news stories of 2018, and experience our biggest accomplishments once again. These stories set a rapid pace of accomplishments going into 2019 and our 50thAnniversary celebration. Here’s number four.
(Dec. 28, 2018) — During an hour-long visit to The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) on Thursday, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor—the first Hispanic justice appointed to the nation’s highest court—inspired, surprised, awed and entertained. More than 1,000 students, faculty, staff and special guests filled four different rooms between the Main and Downtown Campuses to watch her speak.
As a first-generation college student and Latina, Sotomayor talked about her struggles and subsequent accomplishments, resonating with the crowd and at times bringing people to tears. She walked among the seats in the auditorium, shaking hands while answering students’ questions. And at the end, President Taylor Eighmy presented her with a truly unique gift: a UTSA “first-gen” T-shirt. “I’ll be sure to wear it,” Sotomayor said, exiting to a standing ovation.
Take a look at images from her visit.
