Ring Guarding Brings Together Cougars of All Ages

Rebecca Valdez Frausto (’99) is eagerly anticipating Dec. 6. On that day, 25 years after her graduation, she will attend the University of Houston Ring Guarding Ceremony at the Houston Zoo. When she was a graduating senior, UH did not have a cougar mascot or a ring guarding ceremony, and this year, she is excited to finally experience both.

“My daughter will be graduating from the University of Houston this spring, and I wanted to find more information about the ring guarding,” said Frausto. “I saw a link on the UH Alumni Association Facebook page and also watched the YouTube ring guarding video from 2023."

"Seeing all that led me to ask if I could attend the ring guarding ceremony as an alum. To my surprise, they said I was welcome! So now I’m planning to be there.”

The big event will take place at the zoo's cougar habitat. Since Frausto has had her ring since 1999, she will bring it along, and all the rings will be placed in a large box and placed in the enclosure. Shasta VII and Louie will be brought in to sit on the box and pose for photos, with humans on the other side of the plexiglass wall. It will be the cougars' responsibility to watch over the rings until the actual ring ceremony on the 8th, when the students will be able to collect their rings.

“My love for Shasta goes back to my first UH experience when I was 7 years old,” said Frausto.

“My sister attended a summer program, and I had to tag along with my mother. While we were waiting on my sister, we went around the campus to pass time. It was then that I saw Shasta’s Den, where she was kept in a cage. Years later, when I became a student, the cage was gone, but a plaque remained in that plaza. At that time, the idea of a cougar habitat at the Houston Zoo was just talk. But today, the habitat is such a much better environment for Shasta to live. I’ve visited the habitat with my kids, and often thought about the ring guarding ceremony, and now that my daughter is approaching graduation, I want to be sure she gets to participate.”

Frausto is a first-generation college graduate.

“My parents understood the importance of a college education and supported me strongly. It was a group effort; I did the academics, and my family did the financials.”

Current UH students receive free daytime general admission to the zoo with a valid ID throughout the year, but they must reserve a ticket online prior to their visit.