On Dec. 16, Rep. Walle served as the commencement speaker for the University of Houston Downtown graduation. A product of the University of Houston system himself, Rep. Walle offered words of wisdom to the graduating class of 2023.
“Because the path to success was long and hard, I became a better person,” Rep. Walle said during the address. “And every day I bring the insight gained through my experiences to my work as a public servant.”
Walle continued, “I had honor to give a commencement speech to 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students receiving their degrees from University of Houston Downtown. Having earned two degrees and being a first generation college student, I tried to urged graduates to write their own story and persevere.”
Walle spoke to those graduating from the Marilyn Davies College of Business and the College of Public Service.
Texas State Representative Armando Walle, now in his eighth term in the Texas House of Representatives, grew up in the Aldine community and graduated from MacArthur High School. The oldest of five children raised by a single mother, he was the first in his family to attend and graduate from college. The values and lessons of his humble upbringing inform his legislative priorities, including the health, safety, and economic well-being of Houston’s working families, disaster relief, and flood mitigation. Representative Walle serves on multiple committees, including the House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures, the Select Committee on Sustainable Property Tax Relief, the Select Committee on Health Care Reform, and the House Committee on House Administration. He is also a member of several legislative caucuses, including the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, for which he serves as General Counsel.
Before Representative Walle was elected to the Texas House, he served on the staffs of multiple elected officials, including Congressman Gene Green and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Now a practicing attorney, Representative Walle earned his bachelor’s and law degree from the University of Houston. He remains a staunch supporter of the University of Houston System and an advocate of UHD.