Skip to Main content

ASU Commencement Speaker

April 15, 2013

Angelo State University alumna Satcha Pretto, an Emmy Award-winning news anchor for Univision Network, will deliver the commencement address during ASU’s spring graduation ceremonies on Saturday, May 11, in the Junell Center/Stephens Arena.

Pretto will address graduates of the College of Education and the College of Health and Human Services during a 10 a.m. ceremony.  She will speak to graduates of the College Business and College of Arts and Sciences in a 2 p.m. ceremony.  More than 800 ASU graduates are expected to walk across the stage during the two graduation exercises.

A 2001 ASU graduate, Pretto has been the news anchor for “Despierta América” (“Wake-Up America”), the top-rated live Spanish-language morning show in the U.S., since 2011.  In that role, she has anchored live coverage of everything from the 2013 Presidential Inauguration to the Supreme Court rulings on the Affordable Care Act and Arizona State Bill 1070.

Prior to joining “Despierta América,” Pretto anchored Univision’s weekend news magazine show “Primer Impacto Fin de Semana” (“First Impact Weekend Edition”).  During her five-year tenure, she became the first journalist from a Spanish-language media outlet in the U.S. to travel on board the Papal plane with Pope Benedict XVI, and was the only Spanish-language network reporter to broadcast live from Neverland Ranch on the death of pop icon Michael Jackson.

A native of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Pretto has also covered the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and co-hosted Univision’s broadcasts of the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., from 2006-08.  Her coverage of the 2007 parade earned her an Emmy Award in the Live Special Events – Programming category.

After graduating from ASU with her bachelor’s degree in communication, Pretto worked as a reporter and anchor for KTLE-Telemundo and KWES-TV (NBC) in Midland-Odessa.  She then moved to KUVN-Univision in Dallas-Fort Worth, where she anchored “Cinco en Punto” (“Five O’Clock”) and reported for “Edición Nocturna” (“Evening Edition”).  She also collaborated with CNN as a reporter for “Anderson Cooper 360” and “Paula Zahn Now.”

Pretto’s many honors and awards also include a Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Award, a Tribute to Hispanic Women Award from Vanidades magazine, and an Emmy nomination for best investigative report.  She was featured in People en Español’s 2009 “Top 10 Best Dressed Celebrities” edition and 2010 “50 Most Beautiful” edition.

In addition to her duties as a journalist, Pretto is actively engaged in campaigns that focus on empowering young students, and participates in several charity projects.  In 2008, she was named a Smile Ambassador for the nonprofit organization Operation Smile.