Record-breaking summer graduating class celebrates commencement

Campus Community

Yvonne Rhodes | August 15, 2018

Thousands packed into Strahan Arena at the University Events Center for three commencement ceremonies, Friday, August 10, marking Texas State’s 100th year awarding degrees. With nearly 2,000 candidates for graduation, it was the largest summertime graduating class in university history.

Kenneth R. Huewitt, a Texas State University Distinguished Alumnus, was the keynote speaker at the 2 pm commencement ceremony. With afternoon temperatures nearing 90 degrees, many graduates joined in the Texas State tradition of leaping into the river at Sewell Park after the ceremonies.

Summer commencement marks 100 years of graduations at Texas State, which has seen more than 225,000 degrees awarded over the century.  

The 2 p.m. ceremony was attended by degree candidates from the College of Applied Arts, McCoy College of Business Administration and Graduate College. Degree candidates from the College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Engineering, University College and Graduate College attended the 10 a.m. ceremony. The 6 p.m. ceremony featured degree candidates from the College of Education, College of Fine Arts and Communication, College of Health Professions and Graduate College.

Huewitt holds a B.B.A. in accounting from Texas State. In 2007, Huewitt was an inductee into the T-Association’s Hall of Honor, the highest honor for any athlete at Texas State. In 2017, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award, the most prestigious honor bestowed by Texas State and the Texas State Alumni Association.

While attending Texas State, Huewitt was a member of the back-to-back National Championship football teams in 1981 and 1982.

With more than 25 years of experience in the audit and finance industries, Huewitt began his career as an auditor with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General. He has held a variety of roles during his career including senior audit specialist for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., senior associate for Coopers & Lybrand, and regional director of finance for the ServiceMaster Company. After leaving ServiceMaster, he joined the finance team at the Houston Independent School District, developing sound accounting policies and procedures for effectively administering the district’s $1.8 billion general operating budget until he was named interim superintendent in March 2016. In December 2016, Huewitt was named the vice president of administration and finance/chief financial officer at Texas Southern University. Huewitt has served as chairman of the Texas State Development Foundation board, a member of the T-Association board and is a past president of the Alumni Association board.