Victoria County judge to deliver keynote address at UHV commencement
Ben Zeller remembers feelings of accomplishment and pride when he graduated in 2005 from the University of Houston-Victoria, and he looks forward to seeing other students experience those same feelings when he delivers his keynote address at UHV’s spring commencement ceremonies.
“It was a great milestone for me, and I feel incredibly honored to get to come back and speak to students who will soon be my fellow alumni,” Zeller said. “UHV opened some wonderful opportunities for me, and I am looking forward to encouraging these students as they take their next steps forward.”
UHV will hold two commencement ceremonies on May 18 at Faith Family Church, 2002 E. Mockingbird Lane. The 9 a.m. ceremony will be for graduates of the schools of Arts & Sciences and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. The 1 p.m. ceremony will be for graduates of the School of Business Administration.
Zeller graduated Magna Cum Laude from UHV with a Bachelor of Business Administration. He also earned a Master of Business Administration in 2009 from Texas A&M University-San Antonio. He has worked at Wells Fargo and TDECU, and now is the Victoria County judge.
“Ben Zeller is a testament to how an education from UHV can help students achieve great things,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “As one of the university’s many successful alumni, he has much to share that will benefit our newest graduates, and I look forward to hearing his words of encouragement and inspiration.”
In 2018, Zeller was recognized as the Young Alumnus of the Year during the university’s annual Alumni Banquet. The Young Alumnus of the Year Award is presented to a UHV graduate who is younger than 40 and is distinctly accomplished professionally or in service to others.
In addition, he serves on the university’s Here, We Go fundraising campaign’s leadership committee. In that capacity, he helps guide the campaign toward its goal of raising $12 million by 2020.
“UHV is a big asset to the community and the region,” Zeller said. “I’m grateful for the opportunities to stay involved through the committee and various alumni events. There’s so much exciting growth happening here, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact UHV will continue to have on Victoria”
As he prepares to address the latest group of UHV alumni, Zeller hopes the graduates will remember their milestone with the same feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment that he felt at his own ceremony. And he hopes they will continue to move forward.
“Their hard work at UHV has laid the foundations for their futures,” he said. “This is a wonderful step, but they should not just stop here. My hope is that this will be one of many more notable accomplishments in their lives and careers.”
UHV holds graduation ceremonies in two different locations each year. Spring commencement is in Victoria, while the fall ceremony is held in Katy to better accommodate UHV students who take classes at UHV Katy. Summer and fall graduates have the option of attending the commencement ceremony in Katy or waiting until the May graduation in Victoria.
For more information about commencement, contact graduation@uhv.edu or UHV at 361-570-4848.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
