Congrats, December grads!

Photos: UIC Creative and Digital Services

Thousands of UIC students celebrated the culmination of years of hard work at commencement ceremonies Saturday.

More than 1,400 graduate students and 1,500 undergraduate students were eligible to participate in graduation ceremonies held at Credit Union 1 Arena.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a University of Pennsylvania senior academic administrator, was the featured speaker for the graduate student ceremony, and Eric Smith, regional president of Fifth Third Bank (Chicago), spoke to undergraduate students.

A group of “Golden Graduates” from the Class of 1968 also celebrated with Class of 2018 Saturday.