The Mesquite Online News - Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Ring ceremony set for Nov. 5

By Patricia Sierra BarriosThe university’s13th ring ceremony will take place from 10 a.m to noon Nov. 5 at the Charles Boggess Center, 12121 S. E. Loop 410.

The purpose of the ceremony is to award the university ring to a select number of students who are in good academic standing. Recipients of the President’s University Ring Scholarship are also announced at this biannual event, making it one of the first annual traditions celebrated in succession on this campus.

The ring scholarship requirements are as follows: currently enrolled students must have earned 90 credit hours toward their undergraduate degree or 18 toward their graduate degree.

Laura Pantano, vice president of student engagement and success, said 115 students will participate in the  ceremony.

Students must have purchased their rings prior to the ceremony to be able to participate. Those applying for the scholarship can choose to purchase the ring prior and be reimbursed, or wait until they are notified that they received the scholarship and then purchase their ring.

Scholarship recipients who purchase their ring in advance of the ceremony are reimbursed up to the amount of the scholarship, Pantano said.

Students can still order rings, Pantano said. Students who want to participate in the ring ceremony must purchase their ring by Tuesday and immediately notify the office of student engagement and success.

The President’s University Ring scholarship, offered each semester, provides a 10 karat standard ring for male or female recipients. Past semester scholarship recipients received scholarships with a value of $540 for the women’s ring and $661 for the men’s ring. Scholarship amounts can increase or decrease depending on the fluctuating value of gold, Pantano explained.
In spring 2011, seven students applied for the scholarship: three received full scholarships and four received partial scholarships. In fall 2010, six students applied: two received full scholarships and four received partial scholarships.

Pantano said ring vendor Herff Jones provides two full scholarships. Partial ring scholarships are awarded by the university, depending on availability.

Commissions from ring sales are given to the university, which are in turn used to provide the partial scholarships, Pantano said.

President Maria Hernandez Ferrier is actively involved in the selection process.

“Dr. Ferrier personally reviews every application and then she decides who receives the scholarship,” Pantano said.

During the ceremony, the ring’s symbols are explained. The symbols include the rose window, three bells, the Texas flag, the words integrity and tradition, the mesquite tree and cactus, the archway, the keystone, Roman numeral columns with the Latin words Praestare and Commendare, the jaguar bricks and the San Antonio River.

Students who want to apply for the ring scholarship next semester must be enrolled during spring 2012 and have completed at least 90 hours towards their bachelor’s degree, or 18 hours towards their master’s degree. In addition, students must submit an application along with an essay, resume, two letters of recommendation and an official transcript.

The deadline for the application is usually one month prior to the ceremony to allow time for processing and for notifying successful applicants, Pantano said. “She (Dr. Ferrier) likes to meet with students to give them the news personally.”

The ring ceremony is open to the public. No tickets are required.

About the Author

Patricia
Patricia Sierra Barrios is a communications major and an education major at Texas A&M University-San Antonio.

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