University of Houston-Downtown alum on donating old graduation regalia: 'I’m so appreciative of this project'

The commencement ceremony is a once in a lifetime moment, yet most students slated to earn their degrees from University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) are making the heartbreaking decision to skip graduation because of inflation.

Per a report from Houston NBC affiliate KPRC, one UHD graduate has lent a helping hand to her fellow Gators who couldn’t afford a cap and gown.

Sheila Ortega-Calvillo graduated from UHD in 2020 and is now working as an academic success coordinator, KPRC reported.

Ortega-Calvillo said that she noticed graduating seniors and grad students would ask other students for money or choose not to walk because their finances are strained.

“During my first year as an academic advisor, I noticed that students were not as excited about making commencement arrangements because they’re too busy stressing out about their final semester and studying for midterms,” she told the station.

KPRC reported that Ortega-Calvillo took to LinkedIn to appeal for help, and one of the people who heeded her call was fellow UHD alum Terry Graham, who recently earned a degree in management information systems.

Graham told the station that an online chat he participated in revealed less excitement for graduation.

“Some students even said they made the hard choice not to walk because they simply cannot afford it,” he said in the report. “So, to stare at a gown that was worn one night, for a few hours, just hanging on my closet, was heartbreaking.”

Per KPRC, Graham was able to part with his old regalia, which he arranged for Ortega-Calvillo to retrieve. 

“I’m so appreciative of this project,” he told the station. 

A report from Inside Higher Ed said that many students wonder why something that’ll be worn only once costs so much, to which CAPGOWN president Farbod Farzin points to numerous “middlemen” involved in the delivery process from factory to student. 

Farzin said that as a low-cost regalia company, CAPGOWN not only sells direct to the consumer, but it provides the option to rent. 

“It’s a lot less expensive for someone to be able to wear their school’s colors for graduation without having to spend $400 or $500,” Farzin told Inside Higher Ed.