Students kick off the fall semester at Salutation

Photo by UTHealth Houston

New connections, familiar faces, and plenty of school spirit filled the Cooley University Life Center Sept. 23 as students gathered for UTHealth Houston’s 28th annual Salutation.

Hosted by the Student InterCouncil, the annual event gave students from all seven schools an opportunity to enjoy food, games, giveaways, and prizes while connecting with classmates and learning more about university resources and services that support the student experience.

"Salutation is one of those events that reminds you how much bigger UTHealth Houston is beyond your own program,” said Hani Soni, a second-year MPH student in epidemiology at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. “As someone who co-led the planning through SIC, it was incredibly rewarding to see students from all seven schools come together, enjoy themselves, and discover resources they didn't even know were available. Events like this are what build a real sense of community on campus, and that's exactly what SIC is here to support."

Students were able to interact with university leadership, including UTHealth Houston deans as well as administrative and student leaders.

“By attending a high attendance event like this one, I’m expecting to meet people from other departments and other schools,” said Cesar Luis Cardona, a first-year PhD student at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. “We’re a little isolated as it is, so it’s nice to see and meet people outside of our programs while getting new information about the university.”

Alongside the fun, students had opportunities to learn about student services and connect with representatives from offices across the university, including Student Health and Counseling Services.