All 2020 University of Texas at El Paso graduates will have a virtual commencement ceremony this Saturday.

The COVID-19 pandemic messed up a lot of things for everyone, preempting work, shutting down businesses and canceling event after event ... including graduation ceremonies from coast to coast. UTEP graduates will finally have their ceremony this Saturday, (9/12/20), online beginning at 5pm, MDT.

Thousands of graduates will be honored in this collective ceremony which graduates, friends and family can view online. The video above from utep.com is loaded with UTEP alumni, from all eras and fields of study, sending the class of 2020 their best wishes. The friends and families of these graduates can post their own thoughts and comments here and all can view the ceremony here.

A message from UTEP President Heather Wilson to the 2020 graduates read, in part;

Class of 2020, your lives and your community – our community – will endure. And we will do so, in part, because you have reached this milestone with a sense of purpose. You’ve persevered, and you’ve capitalized on the opportunities this University has provided to you. And no matter what challenges lie ahead – big or small – you have the skills and knowledge necessary to adapt and to keep moving forward.

The year has certainly been a weird one for students and it is a major drag that their accomplishments are a bit, "minimized" shall we say, by the current situation. Nonetheless, earning a degree, (especially a Masters Degree, or, in some cases, a second or third Masters), is an amazing accomplishment. Particularly in light of the unprecedented challenges forced upon the class of 2020. I applaud you all, you did it. Now, different though it may be, enjoy your moment!!

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