ARKANSAS (KFSM) -- Thousands of young adults became college graduates on Saturday as several ceremonies took place at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.
In Fayetteville, several U of A colleges held their commencements Saturday afternoon after the all-University commencement took place that morning.
UA officials said more than 4,400 students applied to graduate this spring.
UAFS held its graduation Saturday as well during two ceremonies. The first at 10 a.m. was for the Colleges of Applied Science and Technology and for Communication, Languages, Arts and Social Sciences. The 2 p.m. ceremony took place for the Colleges of Business; Health Sciences; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
"Extreme excitement and relief and the sense of empowerment that this was able to be done," said graduate Scarlette Bourne about her feelings at the ceremony. "I have a lot of friends in there that are mothers and wives, I have a lot of friends that are husbands and fathers, and you know, it's a great sense of accomplishment for all of us."
Hundreds attended the ceremonies today at the Stubblefield Center in Fort Smith.