Calkins: People warned these two Memphis graduates about the city. Then they fell in love with the place.
Married couple Katie Avila Bettencourt and Pablo Avila, pictured on Thursday, May 7, 2026, will graduate from the University of Memphis this weekend. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Geoff Calkins
Geoff Calkins has been chronicling Memphis and Memphis sports for more than two decades. Calkins has been named the best sports columnist in the country five times by the Associated Press sports editors, but still figures his best columns are about the people who make Memphis what it is.
She is from California. He is from Bogota, Colombia.
When the couple told people about their plans to enroll at the University of Memphis, it was not well received.
“I have family in Marion, Arkansas,” said Katie Avila Bettencourt. “They’re not big on the Memphis scene. They don’t cross the bridge unless they have to.”
The pushback didn’t just come from family, either.
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University of Memphis commencement Pablo Avila Katie Avila Bettencourt Subscriber OnlyThank you for reading The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
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