UMass Dartmouth graduates were applauded for their perseverance and determination during commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday.

“It’s an incredible achievement even in the best of times,’’ interim chancellor Mark Fuller told the graduates. “And if we’re going to be honest, this hasn’t been the best of times.’’

This year, graduation was once again held in person, although in three separate ceremonies.

On Friday, June 11, the school held a joint ceremony for UMass Law’s class of 2020 and 2021.

The next day, a ceremony was held in the morning for 2021 graduates of the Charlton College of Business, College of Engineering and School for Marine Science and Technology.

In the afternoon, diplomas were handed out to 2021 graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Sciences and College of Visual and Performing Arts. 

During all three ceremonies, speakers reflected on the unprecedented year the students experienced, one fraught with change, uncertainty and sacrifice.

“It’s been 16 months of mourning,’’ UMass Law Dean Eric Mitnick said at Friday’s ceremony. “But know that having survived something truly challenging, you will forever have the resilience and strength that comes only from enduring that which is incomprehensibly difficult.’’

Student speaker Kevin Burchill noted some of the challenges in a more light-hearted way.

“We have spent the most impactful evolutionary career of our legal period on Zoom — away from that building off of Route 6,” he said. “Or 195 if you’re coming from a little far away.” 

Saturday morning commencement speaker Maria Valentina Roa echoed the importance of difficult lessons learned. 

“The Class of 2021 won’t be defined by what we lost to this virus but by how we responded to it. And I think we did pretty awesome. We’re here. We did it.’’

Before the virus, life moved “insanely fast,’’ she said. “Instead of us running our days we were letting each day run us instead.’’

At that pace, she said, “we forgot to take a step back and not only enjoy but be in that moment. In time we built up this world where there is absolutely no tolerance, no patience. No tolerance for being different. And the sad part is, the true beauty of life is because we’re different.’’

In an address that drew a standing ovation from her peers, Saturday afternoon commencement speaker LaToya Rene Robertson said that she and her fellow graduates are all “your ancestors’ wildest dreams.’’ She noted that as she was about to receive her doctorate degree, just five generations ago, one of her ancestors was a slave.

“You are a dream realized,’’ she said. “And like a dream, protect and honor yourself. Uplift yourself. Speak to yourself about yourself like someone you love.’’

“Live each day with gusto as if it might be your last,’’ she said. “But also with deference, as if you might live forever.’’ 

UMass President Marty Meehan gave brief remarks via video.

“You have reached a very important milestone — though, you may not have imagined traveling this exact road to reach this destination,” Meehan said. “Take pride in your hard-earned degrees and be proud of whatever way you step forward to help individuals and communities stricken by this pandemic.”

While law school students  speakers also reflected on pandemic struggles, they also stressed the importance of helping others now that they are juris doctors.

“We successfully completed law school by seeking justice,” Goodwin said. “This commencement ceremony represents our voluntary commitment to knowingly apply the lessons we learned in law school — to use them, to pursue justice where we live, where we work, and where we serve.” 

Burchill agreed.

“Who better than the classes of 2020 and 2021 to be on the front lines of this necessary revolution?”