CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (CBS19 NEWS) — UVA students from the College of Arts and Sciences, the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the School of Education and Human Development took their final walk on The Lawn on Saturday as current UVA students to participate in the final exercises ceremony.

There were jubilant cheers and plenty of smiles and laughter on the lawn Saturday morning as the Class of 2024 crossed the finish line and officially became UVA graduates. As they reflected on the past four years, one word stuck with them: resilience.

“We’ve been through so much. As we begin 2020 as a college student during the pandemic, it’s great to be here,” the graduate said.

“It has truly been beautiful to see the University flourish over these four years. We started with masks, but by the end everything was open and we met a group of wonderful friends,” said the graduate.

“Being a COVID class and actually having a graduation. We haven’t had a class like this since the 8th grade, it’s amazing,” said the graduate.

The Class of 2024 graduated from high school in the spring of 2020 and due to Covid, many did not experience a graduation ceremony. But on Saturday, rain or shine, their day finally came.

And for many of them, the people and memories will last a lifetime. Now, UVA alumni have provided some words of wisdom for future college classes.

“Just be yourself. There’s a lot of pressure in college, but once you get here, you’ll have fun,” said the graduate.

“You have to stay motivated, even when it’s difficult,” said the graduate.

“Don’t learn too much, but enough,” said the graduate.

“Enjoy it because it goes by really quickly. Much faster than you could imagine,” said the graduate.

“Eventually everything will work out and it will be great. You’ll want to keep those memories, look back and know you had a great time,” said the graduate.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024 and we wish you all the best in all your future endeavors at CBS19 News.