Behind the Caps and Gowns: The staff and students who make Anderson Convocation happen
Twice a year, the Anderson School of Management celebrates its graduating students with a convocation ceremony and reception at The Pit in May and December. These events are made possible by the dedicated Anderson staff and student leaders who give their time and energy to ensure every detail runs smoothly. From coordinating logistics to guiding guests, staff and students play an essential role in creating a memorable and meaningful experience for graduates and their families.
“The convocation is the culmination of our mission, and it’s the culmination of all of our efforts. It’s wonderful to see it all come together,” said Emily Ballo, academic operations officer for the Anderson School of Management. This is Emily’s second time participating at convocation, where she has assisted on stage with organizing diploma covers. “This event feels like the finish line of the semester. Watching students cross the stage and seeing the joy on their families’ faces is incredibly rewarding.”
“Everyone is so excited and happy,” said Angela Miller, who is the administration operations manager. Participating for the first time, Angela noted how inspiring it was to witness the students’ hard work paying off. “It’s truly a joyous event that you can feel just by being in the arena.”
Michelle Ramirez, unit administrator and first-time participant, enjoyed witnessing the collaboration across Anderson. “It’s great seeing staff from so many different departments work together. Being my first time, the event gives a clear picture of how everyone is able to collaborate together to ensure the ceremony is as seamless as possible.” She added that seeing the behind-the-scenes teamwork gave her a greater appreciation for the level of care and coordination that goes into every convocation.
Each convocation ceremony celebrates more than 200 graduates along with their families and friends. The event honors undergraduate students receiving their Bachelor of Business Administration as well as graduate students earning their master’s in business administration, program management, cybersecurity and business analytics, and accounting. Together, these ceremonies highlight the academic achievements of Anderson students and the dedication of faculty and staff who support them throughout their educational journey.
Abel Rocha, a senior academic advisor for undergraduate students who has been working at Anderson for two and half years, has frequently assisted with convocation during his time.
“My favorite part of graduation is the start of the ceremony, the music begins, announcements are made, and students walk towards the audience. The energy feels elevated like a concert or major sporting event!” said Abel. “I really enjoy being an usher. Leading your group of graduates, you get to see up close the excitement of the audience and the joy on the graduates faces as you guide them to their seats.”
“My favorite part of graduation is hearing what our graduates say about their experience here. As evidenced by our graduate student speaker last week, it is most often emotional, and I can feel the impact Anderson has on our graduate’s lives,” said Annie Stohl, a graduate admission coordinator for Anderson and employee at UNM since 1996. “Because I am part of master’s admissions, I love hearing student names that, not too long ago, crossed my desk as applicants. It is a full-circle moment.” It is for this reason Annie enjoys assisting the dean with diploma covers on stage. She enjoys seeing how excited and ready the students are to take on the world.
Leading the coordination for the graduation events is Olivia Mercado and Kate Kennedy from the Communication and Events team of Anderson. Olivia and Kate work together to coordinate and assign staff and students in roles while also managing all the details involved with the event. Planning for the December convocation begins as early as August and this past convocation had over 45 staff and students assisting in various capacities during the ceremony and reception.
Thank you to all the staff and students who give their time and enthusiasm to the convocations each year!
