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Gail Roberts of Farmville, who was among the 8,442 graduates honored during the 152nd general commencement ceremony from the University of Utah Thursday, May 6.

Roberts’s graduated with her masters in social work.

The remarkably resilient Class of 2021 includes students who graduated in the summer 2020, fall of 2020 and spring of 2021-completing their degrees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our graduates distinguished themselves by completing their degrees in incredibly difficult circumstances,” Michael L. Good, interim president, said. “We celebrate their achievements and are excited to see what they accomplish in the next phase of their lives. We are confident they have the skills, expertise and knowledge to excel and contribute to making our world a better place.”

Students in the Class of 2021 ranged in age from 18 to 86 and earned 9,035 degrees. Graduates represented 53 U.S. states and territories, and 66 foreign countries.

The University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, is the flagship institution of higher learning in Utah. Founded in 1850, it serves over 32,000 students from across the U.S. and the world with over 100 major subjects at the undergraduate level and more than 90 major fields of study at the graduate level.