Photo story: Mason celebrates its 2023 winter graduates

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Winter Commencement at ��AV on Dec. 14 at EagleBank Arena celebrated 5,000 graduates and certificate recipients. Graduates hailed from 78 countries, 41 states, and 24% of bachelor's degree recipients identified as first-generation graduates.

Photos by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

As the graduates entered the arena, they and their family and friends got a full dose of musical entertainment by the Green Machine, known widely as the top pep band in the country.

Doctoral candidates and their faculty advisors stand in line as they process into the EagleBank Arena.

The Green Machine band plays music, entertaining the waiting crowds.

Mason President Gregory Washington welcomed everyone to the event. And commencement speaker Paul Misener, JD '93, principal of Misener Innovation and a former global vice president at Amazon, told the graduates that graduation provides new opportunities for other areas of education and exploration.

University President Gregory Washington stands at the podium, looking out towards the not visible crowd of graduates.

Speaker Paul Meizner addresses the graduates.

Student Commencement speaker Shruti Sekar, BS computer science, spoke eloquently about the strength of the Mason community. "We learned that the power of education and community cannot be taken away from us," Sekar said. "We learned that Patriots sponsor change within our state. ... We are the authors of our own story."