Hobby School Commencement
2025 Commencement Celebrates Achievements
Graduates, their families and friends celebrated the completion of an important goal in their academic careers at the ninth Hobby School commencement on May 8. The ceremony honored those earning undergraduate and advanced degrees and certificates in public policy and public administration.
The 2025 graduating class joins a robust group of mission-oriented leaders who have mastered interdisciplinary coursework, ethics and leadership training and advanced quantitative analysis since the school was founded in 2016.
2025 Student Speaker Saron Regassa, Bachelor of Science in Public Policy
Speaking on behalf of the Hobby School graduating class of 2025, Saron Regassa encouraged fellow graduates to use their education to advocate for the issues that matter to them and be mindful of the impact of their actions and decisions.
“As the next generation of public servants, we inherit the task of choosing both the issues and resolutions of the future. These challenges illuminate the importance of our training now more than ever. Recognizing the benefits and drawbacks of a policy solution will be key to developing the innovative approaches we will need to come together in critical moments.”
Danielle Guevara, Bachelor of Science in Public Policy
2025 Garnet Coleman Award for Student Excellence
Danielle Guevara (‘25) has engaged in classroom and leadership learning opportunities to fulfill her goals and build a community. She worked as a Hobby School peer assistant, participated in two Civic Houston Internship Program assignments and helped found the Hobby School Registered Student Organization.
"As a public policy major, my experiences in the classroom, internships and leadership opportunities have equipped me for a future career in public policy. The courses have taught me that a successful leader pays attention to details, works as a team to achieve outcomes, and, most importantly, considers the philosophy behind politics and policy. These components have been key to my ability to compromise and step outside of my comfort zone to become an effective leader."
Lorenzo Salinas, Master of Public Policy/Master of Social Work
2025 Garnet Coleman Award for Student Excellence
Lorenzo Salinas (MPP/MSW ‘25) has worked on research initiatives during the 2023 legislative session, partnered with an area nonprofit on a data analysis project during a summer internship and was a teaching assistant. In the community, he serves on the City of Houston Food Insecurity Board.
"The Hobby School has equipped me with the analytical and technical skills to be an effective public servant and has reinforced my belief that policy must always be grounded in values and ethics. These lessons will continue to guide my work as I advance a career focused on public service and policy change. To be honored in the name of Rep. Garnet Coleman, a lifelong advocate for health equity, mental health care and justice, is a reminder of the legacy I hope to build—one rooted in service, guided by values and accountable to the community.”
2025 Commencement Speaker
Former U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady delivered the 2025 commencement address, sharing stories of his upbringing, his mother's profound influence in his approach to public service and lessons from the halls of Congress. He encouraged the new graduates to devote part of their lives to giving back to their communities, consider serving in public office, and to start by diving in locally. Brady was a longtime public servant in the state, first in the Texas Legislature and for 26 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. On Capitol Hill, he rose to lead the influential House Committee on Ways and Means, a historic reform of America's tax code and free trade agreements crucial to the nation and the Houston region.
"I'm optimistic about our future because I have seen so many good and decent public servants in Congress, Texas and our communities devoting a huge portion of their lives to making our future better. The degree you obtained today, no doubt, gives you a better shot at a job and a successful career. Work is where you become a better version of yourself; work is where you achieve earned success. But as Winston Churchill said, 'We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.' My challenge is to devote some portion of your life to giving back to your community, your church, the causes that matter to you and anywhere you want to make a difference."
Class of 2025
Fifty-seven graduates walked the stage, the largest class in the Hobby School's history. The 2025 cohort includes 20 students who earned a bachelor's degree in public policy, 21 Master of Public Policy graduates and 13 Master of Public Administration graduates. Nine are two-time Coogs, three completed graduate certificates in public policy and five achieved dual graduate degrees. Eighteen are members of Pi Alpha Alpha, a prestigious global honor society in public affairs and administration. Whether enhancing their current roles, continuing their education or exploring new avenues, the graduates are poised to make a difference and carry forward Bill Hobby's public service legacy.