Community leaders honor the Class of 2020

Our Graduating Seniors,

Please know that all of us at the San Antonio Food Bank are extremely proud of you. The journey has been difficult, but you have arrived at the destination you envisioned. You demonstrated real vision and resilience! Your “2020 Vision” is what makes you perfectly capable for the challenges ahead. You took lessons in sacrifice. You gave up time in classroom, cherished events, and a graduation ceremony. A sacrifice that kept people safe.

Sacrifice teaches gratitude and gives deep appreciation for what matters most. When you sacrificed for someone else, they are elevated, and they gain appreciation for you. Thank you! Continue to help our City rise. Use your “2020 Vision” to help us see our City without poverty and struggle. Elevate our City to a destiny only you can envision. The future is yours!

Eric Cooper

President & CEO,

San Antonio Food Bank

Class of 2020,

I love sports movies. One of my favorites is Moneyball. Moneyball is the story of Billy Bean, the longtime General Manager for the Oakland A’s. The movie is based on his career and the steps he took to change the way Major League Baseball was scouted. There is a great scene at the end of the movie where John Henry, the owner of the Boston Red Sox says, “Billy, the first person through the wall is always going to get blood on their face.”

The moral is: leading is hard. When I think of your class, the class of 2020 I think of the impact you can have on our society. I think of you leading. Not many graduating classes are presented with the opportunity to lead true change. No different than the Great Depression, WWII, Vietnam or 9/11, COVID-19 will reshape our lives and you are the leaders that will help create the shape.

I am sorry you missed so many key elements of your senior year. It wasn’t fair. I ask each of you to hold to what this has felt like and to pay it forward. Having something taken from you doesn’t just happen during a pandemic. It happens every day, everywhere. It takes a leader to seize an opportunity through hardship. It won’t be easy but I believe in you. I wish you the best of luck, health and good fortune. Go get it! Congrats!

Mark and Annalee Medici

Publisher,

San Antonio Express-News

Congratulations class of 2020!

Your class will be remembered for coming-of-age in one of the most extraordinary times in our nation’s history, and your resilience as a generation will no doubt be recognized and applauded for decades to come. I am constantly reminding our Roadrunner community to dream no small dreams, and I encourage you to do the same. Do not allow the challenges of 2020 to stop you from pursuing your wildest aspirations.

All dreams are possible when you dedicate yourself to lifelong learning and the pursuit of excellence – trust me when I say these qualities will get you noticed. Though you may not be walking across an actual stage this month, the significance of your accomplishments cannot be diminished. All of us at UTSA are celebrating with you this commencement season. Go out and change the world, and make San Antonio proud!

Taylor Eighmy

President of UTSA

Congratulations, graduates.

After years of hard work and sacrifice, you’ve reached a huge milestone and the possibilities are wide open. As parents of four children, my wife, Ginny, and I know it’s an exhilarating time.

While COVID-19 may have changed the ceremony around this rite of passage, it’s also made it more meaningful. For all of us — your family, friends and community — honoring the Class of 2020 is a reminder to embrace hope amid the uncertainty and to keep looking forward while embracing a strong sense of community and togetherness.

The pandemic has brought uncertainty, but it’s also made you stronger. You’ve shown amazing resilience, adaptability and creativity as you adjust to a new normal. This has transformed you into a different kind of thinker, doer and leader — ready for any challenge. As you make your mark in the world, hold on to these traits. And treat every day as a new opportunity to make a difference.

Congratulations, Class of 2020. We can’t wait to see what you’ll achieve.

Wayne Peacock

President and CEO of USAA, and wife, Ginny

Congratulations on your graduation.

I wish you all the best as you go forward with your well-earned new status – graduate. No matter what happens in the future, no one can ever take this significant accomplishment from you.

You are entering an uncertain and challenging world, but you are not the first to do so. Those who graduated in the Great Depression or war also faced major challenges. Your future will be determined by how you approach it, not by events. You have shown the determination and grit for significant accomplishments with your graduation. I encourage you to look at this situation and how you can master it and not let it master you. If you do that, I know you will accomplish great things and have some fun doing it. You can be part of the next Greatest Generation.

I hope each of you achieve the dreams you have set for yourself.

Ken C. Hicks

Chairman, President and CEO Academy Sports + Outdoors

Dear Class of 2020,

Congratulations, graduates! I know that your high school years didn’t end the way that you expected them to but I hope you won’t let that diminish your pride in your accomplishments or your excitement about the next phase of your lives. While there is much that remains uncertain and the impacts of COVID-19 will remain with us for the foreseeable future, I am confident that you will be well served by the determination, flexibility and tenacity that you have shown by successfully completing your senior year in the most daunting of circumstances. I am incredibly proud of each of you and look forward to seeing the mark you will make on the world, and to seeing how you take the experiences of the last few months, learn from them, and shape the future of San Antonio and the world beyond our community. Again, congratulations, abrazos and best wishes for a bright future!

Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson

President

Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Dear Grads,

The year 2020 will go down as one the most memorable years in history. It’s certainly the most memorable year of your lifetime and certainly my lifetime. I am not sure the World will ever be back to normal so you have the unique opportunity to help create the NEW NORMAL. The true new Elephant in the ZOOM is will there be offices in the future? What will air travel look like? Will shaking someone’s hand ever be a thing again? So go create the NEW NORMAL and stay positive (In attitude. Not COVID tests) and when anyone asks you the throwaway question…” How are you doing?”… always reply NEVER BETTER. Even if it isn’t true you will start to believe it. Stay safe and CONGRATULATIONS!

Cory Basso

Group Vice President Marketing & Advertising H-E-B

To all the San Antonio graduates,

First, I just want to say “thank you.”

Know that you’re no less prepared for what lies ahead. Your foundation is as strong, if not stronger, than those who came before you.

Your inquisitive nature has now been fortified with an unquestionable resolve. You’re right to be skeptical, wary and angry. Take that energy forward and use it to positively transform your surroundings.

Ahead of this pandemic, your voice was well on its way to reforming so many policies that will be necessary to ensure the resiliency of our community. In the wake of this crisis, grab the megaphone and hold us accountable to realize the future you deserve. Your city awaits your next move with open arms.

No matter where you’re headed, don’t forget to call mom and dad once in a while.

Trust me, they’re already missing you. Congratulations, graduates.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg

Dear 2020 Graduates,

Years from now, you will be able to recall the exact moment when you realized your senior year was not going to unfold the way it was planned. No one could have imagined how much disruption COVID-19 would wreak on our world.

As a student, you’ve missed out on traditional senioryear rituals, athletic seasons, arts performances, and more. Most importantly, you’ve missed your friends.

But through all the disruption, you’ve persevered -- adjusting to online classes, virtual group projects and showing all of us how to celebrate with grace and drive-by parades.

You have adjusted to a new normal with great empathy and creativity.

Because of that, each one of you faces the future with a unique ability to conquer adversity and deal with extraordinary change. Those skills will be critical for your life and any career path you may pursue.

So, no matter how you receive your diploma this year… hold your head high.

We’re all cheering you on. At Whataburger, we are so proud of you and can’t wait to celebrate under the orange-and-white stripes when the time is right.

Ed Nelson

President, Whataburger