South Texas College of Law Houston presented 76 graduates in the fall class of 2025 with Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degrees Saturday, and the newly minted alumni joined a strong network of more than 16,000 STCL Houston alumni who serve the legal profession with distinction across the country.
The crowd was inspired by messages from 2025 valedictorian Tevin Long ’25, commencement speaker Juan Garcia ’04, STCL Houston Alumni Association President Alex Gonzalez ’12, and President and Dean Rey Anaya Valencia.
Long — a University of Houston graduate who was in construction management prior to attending law school — said, “We’ve just completed the warm-up period before we begin our lives as attorneys. South Texas Law has guided us on this journey, and no one got here alone. Our loved ones sacrificed for us, professors taught us and volunteered extra time for us, alumni came back to mentor and coach us, and our fellow students studied and stood with us.”
He continued, “As we go into our future as attorneys, it’s about more than arguments or contracts. It’s about how we use our experience and law degrees to make a difference. Accomplishments, money accolades — those aren’t the best measures of success. True success is not derived from what you get but what you give — time, energy, compassion. It’s about how we make others feel and how we impact lives with our profession. It’s not about how high we fly, but how many people we lift up along the way.”
Tevin will clerk for the Hon. Jennifer Elrod of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Court this fall.
Garcia, founding parter of Johnson Garcia LLP and recipient of the law school’s 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award, told graduates the key to opportunities in their lives is to get involved and to serve. He shared his person story of active involvement in the community and the legal profession. He is the first Hispanic member to serve on the executive committee of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and he was unanimously chosen to chair the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority board of directors last fall — the organization bringing seven games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Houston.
“These things wouldn’t have happened without South Texas Law,” Garcia said. “I earned the opportunity and privilege to serve because I earned my J.D. You will have the opportunity to serve clients; serve them with passion, dignity, and loyalty. You will have the opportunity to make more money than you can imagine. But your degree is also your key to service, to making others’ lives better. Answer the call to serve when it comes. It’s easy to say in our profession, ‘I’m too busy.’ But I’ll tell you that I don’t know a person who serves who is not successful; it makes them better attorneys and better people.”
Garcia also encouraged the graduates to leave South Texas Law with confidence in themselves and their preparation. “When you walk into a room, know you belong there,” he said. “Go forward with humility, with courage, and with a relentless work ethic. Congratulations, class!”
Gonzalez, founding partner of Gonzalez Injury Lawyers PLLC and 2022 STCL Houston Young Alumnus of the Year, let graduates know, “South Texas is our shared home, and you can return anytime you want.”
He encouraged them with three points of advice: “First, you are capable. You received a first-class legal education from South Texas, and you just need to keep challenging yourself. Second, take care of yourself. The practice of law can be overwhelming, and finding things to fill your cup will help you feel and do your best. And finally, define what success is for you. It is often not about bigger titles and higher salaries. Choose something you love, pour yourself into it, and find ways to give back.”
Dean Valencia discussed the transformational power of education — specifically the legal education the graduates just completed. “Dr. Martin Luther King talked about how the moral arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice. As lawyers, we have to be the tip of the spear that bends that arc. We have gained the knowledge and experience to fight for justice and to uphold the rule of law. Now we need to use it for good. We owe it to the world to bend that arc.”
The South Texas Law Alumni Association celebrated each graduate with a gift as they exited the ceremony. The graduates’ next step is to study for the February 2026 bar exam.
The full recording of the commencement ceremony can be found here: stcl.edu/commencement.
