Constance Filley Johnson looks back fondly on her days at the University of Houston-Victoria, and she hopes the graduating students this semester will share the sentiment.

òòò½ÊÓƵœIòòò½ÊÓƵ™m looking forward to welcoming graduates to their next step and congratulating them as they move forward into their next chapters,òòò½ÊÓƵ Johnson said. òòò½ÊÓƵœI hope they can look back fondly on their time at UHV, the same way that I do now.òòò½ÊÓƵ

Johnson, the criminal district attorney for Victoria òòò½ÊÓƵ, will be the speaker for UHV’s spring 2024 commencement ceremonies. The university will hold two ceremonies on May 11 at Faith Family Church, 2002 E. Mockingbird Lane, in Victoria. The 9 a.m. ceremony will be for graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences and the College of Natural & Applied Science. The 1 p.m. ceremony will celebrate the graduates from the College of Business and the College of Education & Health Professions. A live-streaming broadcast of the ceremonies will be available at .

òòò½ÊÓƵœI am excited to welcome Constance Filley Johnson to join us in our commencement ceremonies,òòò½ÊÓƵ UHV President Bob Glenn said. òòò½ÊÓƵœAs a UHV alumna, she shares a connection with our graduates and has been a longtime supporter of our university. UHV is grateful to her for everything she has done for our university and the Victoria community, and I look forward to hearing her inspiring message.òòò½ÊÓƵ

Johnson graduated from UHV in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on education. After graduation, she became a teacher in Victoria for 11 years before she decided to go to law school with the goal of becoming a district attorney like her father was years ago.

òòò½ÊÓƵœIòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve always looked up to my dad, and I had always thought that òòò½ÊÓƵ˜maybe somedayòòò½ÊÓƵ™ I could be a district attorney,òòò½ÊÓƵ Johnson said. òòò½ÊÓƵœI realized at one point that I was reaching a òòò½ÊÓƵ˜now or neveròòò½ÊÓƵ™ point in my life when it came to education. My children had grown up enough to be more independent, and it was a good time for me to go back and pursue those dreams.òòò½ÊÓƵ

As she prepares to speak to UHVòòò½ÊÓƵ™s graduates, she hopes to share a message of resilience in the face of adversity. Many of the graduates endured the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she hopes to acknowledge their perseverance during difficult times as part of her speech.

òòò½ÊÓƵœTheir experience has looked so different from anyone who came before them and likely will be different from those who follow after,òòò½ÊÓƵ Johnson said. òòò½ÊÓƵœBut they persevered through all those struggles and unfamiliar territory to reach success. That perseverance will serve them well in the future.òòò½ÊÓƵ

In addition to her message about perseverance, Johnson hopes that graduates will strive to make a positive impact on the world.

òòò½ÊÓƵœThese students are talented and have achieved so much already,òòò½ÊÓƵ she said. òòò½ÊÓƵœI hope they are able to use their gifts to do good in this world. And I hope they will recognize how UHV has been a part of helping them reach this point.òòò½ÊÓƵ