Cullen College of Engineering students were among more than two thousand—who dedicated years to realizing the dream of higher education—that participated in a newly structured commencement ceremony in the Hofheinz Pavilion Dec. 18.
General Commencement featured three consecutive ceremonies that were held in honor of graduates from 7 of the twelve University of Houston colleges. During the second, roughly 230 from the Cullen College turned their tassels alongside those from the C.T. Bauer College of Business. Here are two of their stories:
Michelle Holt
Behind most graduating seniors is someone who helped inspire them to be their best. For some at the Cullen College that just may be Michelle Holt.
An adviser for freshman and sophomore mechanical engineering students, Holt has helped dozens plan their futures in the engineering field. With Pi Tau Sigma, the national mechanical engineering honor society, she has aided others who have struggled to grasp course materials.
But this work, the 25-year-old Houston native admits, is not just about helping others succeed.
“Being able to teach others is not only gratifying work that’s helping someone else better themselves,” Holt said, “it has helped me become better by solidifying what I’ve learned in my own courses.”
Better her it has. During her time at UH, Holt has been a regular on the dean’s list, the Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Junior in 2008 and even taken home a few first place prizes in national competitions. Friday she graduated magna cum laude with her bachelor’s in mechanical engineering.
Parnak Charkhchi
For Parnak Charkhchi the pursuit of an advanced degree at the University of Houston was more than just gaining new knowledge. Earning her master’s degree in civil engineering brought this 25-year-old one step closer to realizing a bigger dream.
“It has been my dream and always on my mind,” said Charkhchi, “that I will work for my father one day.”
A civil engineer back in her native Tehran, Iran, her father runs a construction and design business. She traveled to the United States in the hopes of taking back new ways of doing things to the family firm. While travel problems made it impossible for him to see her degree conferred, she says, he is still a proud father.
“It is really exciting and important for him,” Charkhchi, who had her mother and sister in from Tehran for the event, said. “My parents always wanted for me and my other siblings to have the highest level of education and that was the priority of their life.”
Charhchi hopes to pursue her doctoral degree, possibly at UH, before returning home.