The largest number of graduates came from the School of Business & Public Administration, which conferred 105 undergraduate degrees and 21 graduate degrees. The School of Education graduated the largest number of graduate students conferring 28 master’s degrees. This graduation also saw the first UOG graduate with a Master of Science in Sustainable Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources — the University’s newest master’s program, which started in 2017.

“I thank our graduates for learning with us, for challenging us to think in new and different ways, and for your commitment to making the world a better place for all of us and for those who come after us,” said University of Guam President Thomas W. Krise in his remarks.

 The class valedictorian selected was Seanne R. Clemente, a biology major with a chemistry minor. In his speech, he encouraged his classmates to always do their best.

“Fellow graduates, we are living in a time of change," he said. "In such a short amount of time, we have seen amazing advances in technology, medicine, and social change. … There is still so much to do, and as the children of this generation of change, it our responsibility to perpetuate that change for the better.”

Delivering the the commencement address was Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, the first woman to be elected governor of Guam in 2018 and the first Pacific Islander woman to serve as governor of a U.S. territory or state.

“Last month, during my first State of the Island address, I told the people of Guam that the state of our island is promising. … YOU are part of that promise," she told the graduates. "I was not born a leader. I became a leader because people saw promise in me. And today, I see promise in all of you.”

 Graduates were excited to begin the next phase of their lives and grateful for all who helped them complete their degree.

“Graduating today is for my family, so it feels really good. I value the people I’ve met along the way — people who changed my life, and I feel like a better person because of it,” said Efigenia Barcinas, who earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in finance and economics.

John Sablan, who earned his Bachelor of Nursing, said, “Graduating with a nursing degree, I can’t wait to start helping people in the community.”

The ceremony was streamed live and is viewable on UOG’s Facebook page. Photos from the ceremony, including portraits of each graduate, will also be available for download at https://www.flickr.com/photos/uogtritons/albums.