TAMPA, Fla. — On Sunday, USF held graduation ceremonies for 1,200 students that graduated over the last year and a half. The university promised students an in-person commencement when cancelations were announced.
"We graduated May 2020," said Marissa Bloom. "So it's been a year."
Bloom completed her nursing degree from USF and has been working since graduation. She shared what it meant to get to walk across the stage more than a year later.
"I was a first-generation student so none of my family has been able to graduate with a bachelor's and walk across the stage, so that's what it meant to me," she said.
Bloom's family is from Cuba. Her grandfather set aside money for her schooling, so she could have opportunities other family members could not.
USF held seven commencement ceremonies over the weekend to ensure smaller crowds at each graduation.
"It was kind of a bummer," Greg Stevanus said as he recalled when the school announced they were canceling graduation last year. "It was tough because we tried to do makeshift graduation across the living room. Now that they're doing it now, I'm really excited."
CDC guidelines were enforced, with all guests, grads, and staff required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. Many people at the 9 a.m. ceremony were seen without a mask. The university provided masks for free, as well as hand sanitizer sprays.
For guests uncomfortable with attending in-person events, the ceremonies were live-streamed.