For many in the Class of 2024, Commencement Weekend marked not only their last day as UConn students, but also their first time wearing the traditional cap and gown and celebrating one of life’s great milestones.

The class whose high school graduation was lost to the COVID-19 pandemic made the most of their first chance at formally celebrating their academic achievements: ingeniously decorated hats, TikTok-inspired dances, and selfies in front of the statue of Jonathan near Gampel Pavilion were the order of the day as thousands came to Storrs on Saturday and Sunday to cheer on the graduates.

And the celebrations aren’t over yet: master’s candidates, doctoral students, and the School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine will have their ceremonies on Monday, May 6, and the UConn School of Law will wrap up commencement season on Sunday, May 12.

Every commencement is special, and every commencement offers opportunity for reflection on what came before, and excitement over what comes next.

Here, in photographs captured by University photographers Peter Morenus and Sean Flynn, are some of the sights and sounds of UConn’s biggest annual event.