Universidad del Sagrado Corazón confers 1,101 degrees in 87th graduation ceremony

Universidad del Sagrado Corazón (USC) awarded an honorary doctorate to former Gov. Sila M. Calderón Serra during its 87th graduation ceremony on Tuesday. From left, USC President Gilberto Marxuach Torrós, Calderón Serra, and Samuel Céspedes, chairman of the USC board of directors.

USC president to graduates: ‘Where are you going to put your heart?’

By THE STAR STAFF

Universidad del Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart University; USC by its initials in Spanish) held its 87th graduation ceremony on Tuesday at Coca-Cola Music Hall in Miramar, where 1,101 academic degrees were awarded and former Gov. Sila María Calderón Serra received an honorary doctorate in Humanities.

The ceremony was held within the framework of the 146th anniversary of the educational project of the Sociedad del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) in Puerto Rico.

Of the total degrees conferred, 240 were associate degrees and 594 were bachelor’s degrees in 40 academic concentrations. Of those, 172 were earned by first-generation university students in their families. In addition, the university awarded 254 master’s degrees and 13 graduate certificates.

This year, for the first time, students graduated from the bachelor’s programs in business development and management, graphic design, industrial design, fashion design and management, and creative writing and literature. At the graduate level, members of the inaugural class in design and creative production earned master’s degrees.

Academic distinctions were also conferred, with the highest recognition granted to the student from each school who has achieved an exemplary record of academic excellence, leadership, university commitment and significant contribution inside and outside of the university. Those recognitions went to Tanairy Soto Rodríguez from the Ferré Rangel School of Communication, who also stands out with the honor of Valedictorian of the Class of 2026; Alexia Pérez Bosques from the School of Arts, Design and Creative Industries, who is also the Salutatorian of the Class of 2026; Lemuel Sánchez Pérez from the School of Health and Sciences; Fabián Emil Llanos Morris from the School of Business; and Camila Rivera Vega from the School of General Education.

In his message to the graduating class, USC President Gilberto J. Marxuach Torrós urged the students to assume the commitment to build, pointing out that this task involves choosing, every day, between two possible paths. Returning to a recent reflection of Pope Leo XIV, he stressed that it is a question of deciding between raising a new tower of Babel, imposing but empty and alien to human dignity, or working on the construction of a shared city, following the example of the prophet Nehemiah, who promoted the reconstruction of Jerusalem through the commitment and collective responsibility of all his people.

“Today you leave with something that millions of young people in the world and thousands in Puerto Rico do not always have the opportunity to receive: an education of excellence,” Marxuach Torrós said. “With it, they will be able to lift careers, businesses, homes, and communities. I urge you to do so with pride, without ever forgetting the transformative power of a prepared person who decides to build community. Our island faces great challenges and demands a fairer, wiser and more responsible way of leading itself. It is up to each of us to contribute to this construction with integrity, commitment and love. That is why I leave you with the following question: Where are you going to put your heart?”

Another significant moment in the ceremony was the awarding of an honorary doctorate in Humanities to Calderón Serra, in recognition of a career dedicated to public service, leadership, and a commitment to social justice and community development.