Women in Panama Represent 80% of the new UDELAS Graduates in Colón.

The Specialized University of the Americas (UDELAS) graduated 391 new professionals from the 2025-2026 class at its Colón Extension, in the levels of technical careers, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and teaching degrees.  Of the total number of graduates, approximately 80% are women, reflecting the high female participation in academic training and their early integration into the labor and educational environment of the province, the institution reported in a statement.  The ceremony was presided over by the Rector of UDELAS, Dr. Nicolasa Terreros Barrios, who urged the graduates to be promoters of equity. “UDELAS programs directly address the core issues of society: health, education, social development, and care for the most vulnerable populations.

Therefore, as graduates, you must always stand out for your empathy and offer dignified, inclusive, and humane treatment,” she stated.  She also urged them to use their knowledge to “help eliminate barriers, propose innovations that include all people, and build a society where equal opportunities are no longer a utopia.” On behalf of the graduating class, Melanie Villamonte Burgos, the valedictorian, congratulated her classmates on achieving their goal.  “No matter what our battles have been, we never stopped believing that this day would come. That’s why I don’t see a hall full of graduates, but of courageous people,” he stated. During the last year, the UDELAS Extension in Colón registered an increase in its student population, with significant growth in the Faculty of Special Education and Pedagogy, which accounts for 47.8% of the total enrollment at this campus.