Nursing students Isabella Crea, Leah Holt and Madelyn Knasinski embrace when they arrive and see each other at the UWM Panther Arena before the ceremony begins. (UWM photo/Elora Hennessey)
Education majors Keizan Sato and Blake Gribble pose for a photo. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Childhood education major Maddie Masse shows off her stole signed by her students and colleagues. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Commencement speaker Gale Klappa gives UWM graduates words of wisdom. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Lea Denny looks toward the audience after she is hooded as an honorary degree recipient with a doctorate of Community Mental Health and Leadership in recognition of her decades of work researching and developing a comprehensive mental health model that directly addresses historical and intergenerational trauma. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Arijit Sen, professor of architecture and urban studies, hoods Mania Taher who received her PhD in architecture. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
MLIS graduate student Nana Yorke pauses for a photo after receiving his master's diploma. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Chancellor Thomas Gibson shakes hands with a graduate student on stage. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
School of Freshwater Sciences students Stephen Scannell, Jena Choi and Natalie Chudzik stand when their school was called. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Juana Villarreal, an Information science and technology graduate, Marine Corps veteran and first-generation student, displays her degree as she walks across the stage. (UWM photo/Elora Hennessey)
Finn Engelbart, who received a Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in fibers, shows the diploma to family and friends in the audience. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey
A student decorated their cap with a Bilbo Baggins quote from "Lord of the Rings": "I think I'm quite ready for another adventure." (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Friends Fadwa Kahla, Aisha Hameed and Natalie Suboh walk together arm in arm after receiving their degrees. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
Lubar College of Business PhD Program Coordinator Monica Camacho embraces and poses with her nephew Max Meskin as he graduates from the College of Business. (UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey)
The UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena was filled with pride Sunday as the university handed out just over 1,500 degrees, including 1,100 bachelor’s degrees, nearly 300 master’s degrees and 34 doctoral degrees.
Some graduates are the first in their families to earn a college degree. Most volunteered in the community, completed an internship or took advantage of research opportunities at UWM. Many left the stage not only with a degree in hand, but with job offers already secured.
The ceremony also marked a milestone for the university, serving as the first commencement led by UWM Chancellor Thomas Gibson, who joined the university over the summer.
Lea Denny, founder of HIR Wellness Institute, received an honorary doctorate of Community Mental Health and Leadership in recognition of her decades of work researching and developing a comprehensive mental health model that directly addresses historical and intergenerational trauma.
The celebration was capped by a commencement address from Gale Klappa, a 1972 UWM graduate and chairman of the board of WEC Energy Group, who encouraged graduates as they begin the next chapter of their journeys.
