By Institutional Communications
San Juan, Puerto Rico – Universidad del Sagrado Corazón held its 87th Commencement ceremony yesterday at the Coca-Cola Music Hall, where it conferred 1,101 academic degrees and awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities to Sila María Calderón Serra. The ceremony took place as part of the 146th anniversary of the educational mission of the Sociedad del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Puerto Rico.
Of the total degrees conferred, 240 were associate degrees and 594 were bachelor’s degrees across 40 academic concentrations. Of these graduates, 172 are first-generation college students in their families. In addition, the University awarded 254 master’s degrees and 13 graduate certificates.
This year marks the first graduating classes of the bachelor’s degree programs in Business Development and Management, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Fashion Design and Management, and Creative Writing and Literature. At the graduate level, the first cohort of the Master’s Degree in Design and Creative Production also graduated.
The University also presented its Academic Distinctions, the highest recognition awarded to a student from each school who has demonstrated exemplary academic excellence, leadership, commitment to university life, and meaningful contributions within and beyond the University community. This year’s recipients were Tanairy Soto Rodríguez from the Ferré Rangel School of Communication, who was also named Valedictorian of the Class of 2026; Alexia Pérez Bosques from the School of Arts, Design, and Creative Industries, who was named 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 address to the graduating class, Sagrado’s President Gilberto J. Marxuach Torrós challenged students to embrace the responsibility of building, noting that this task requires choosing each day between two possible paths. Drawing on a recent reflection by Pope Leo XIV, he emphasized that the choice is between constructing a new Tower of Babel—impressive yet empty and disconnected from human dignity—or helping build a shared city, following the example of the prophet Nehemiah, who led the rebuilding of Jerusalem through the commitment and collective responsibility of its people.
“Today, you leave with something that millions of young people around the world and thousands in Puerto Rico do not always have the opportunity to receive: an excellent education. With it, you will be able to build careers, businesses, homes, and communities. I encourage you to do so with pride, never forgetting the transformative power of an educated person who chooses to build community. Our island faces great challenges and calls for a more just, wise, and responsible form of leadership. Each of us has a role to play in that construction through integrity, commitment, and love. And so, I leave you with this question: Where will you place your heart?” said the University president in his remarks to the graduates.
Honorary Degree Conferred
One of the most significant moments of the ceremony was the awarding of the Honorary Doctorate in Humanities to Sila María Calderón Serra, in recognition of her distinguished career of public service, leadership, and unwavering commitment to social justice and community development.
“We confer this honorary doctorate upon the Honorable Sila María Calderón Serra in recognition of a legacy of service, human compassion, and an unwavering commitment to building a more just, supportive, and inclusive Puerto Rico. Her example reminds us that the most meaningful leadership does not arise from power, but from the ability to transform the lives of others through vision, empathy, and courage,” said Dr. Anuchka Ramos Ruiz, Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón.
Through this distinction, the University recognizes her embodiment of the values it seeks to promote: justice, peace, solidarity, and service.
To view the commencement ceremony webcast, the public may visit Sagrado.TV.