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A person raises their hands to make a W as the crowd looks ahead at a fireworks display.

Celebrations fill a Terrace-perfect commencement weekend

Photos by Althea Dotzour, Jeff Miller, Xiaomeng Shen and Taylor Wolfram

Joy dominated the Kohl Center and Camp Randall commencement ceremonies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10, with crowds of family and supporters cheering the biggest graduating ceremonies in UW history. It was one of those Terrace-perfect weekends Madison routinely churns out — the kind that will make it heartbreakingly difficult for graduates to leave the city.

A crowd of people, some wearing graduation caps and gowns, walk along a wide path through a park setting on a bright, sunny day.

Soon-to-be graduates, their families and friends make their way into Camp Randall Stadium for the Saturday ceremony.

A crowd fills the stands at Camp Randall. On the field, graduating students in red and black gowns sit in packed rows of chairs facing a stage.

A crowd of just over 48,000 people gathered for the celebration.

A photo from above fills the frame with a sea of back caps and red gowns.

In total, nearly 9,500 bachelor's, master's and law students participated on Saturday.

The night before, celebratory cheers, proudly smiling faces and a sea of velvet hats filled the Kohl Center as hundreds of UW–Madison graduate and professional degree recipients celebrated the culmination of years of work.

A graduate wearing cap and gown carries a red banner with the UW crest down a center aisle, surrounded by fellow graduates.

Just over 900 Badgers participated in the Friday ceremony.

The frame is filled with the smiling faces of seated graduates wearing caps and gowns.

Graduates cheer as they receive their degrees.

A new graduate smiles and points to her diploma.

A proud graduate waves to supporters in the audience as she displays her diploma.

Connection, engagement and optimism

On both days, speakers shared their humor, experience and advice with the graduating Badgers.

Chancellor Mnookin speaks at a podium and gestures with her hands while looking out at the crowd.

Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin reminded graduates that an essential part of their UW–Madison education has been learning to find ways to connect, not disconnect, and to engage, not disengage. And to do that even when they disagreed — to move beyond bubbles and echo chambers.

Sam Mahlum stands at a podium and looks out as she speaks to a crowd.

Student speaker and senior class president Sam Mahlum said one of the things she and her fellow graduates learned at UW was the value of time including, among other things, time “to study for the next exam, to hang out with friends or to just stay here, in this special place in our lives.”

Jason Gay gestures and speaks while wearing a red and black academic robe and standing behind a podium.

Journalist and humorist Jason Gay encouraged graduates to choose to be an optimist among the pessimists, a fixer instead of a complainer. “You can give energy to the people around you, rather than take it away,” he said. “And you can listen. That alone is a life with great purpose – to be someone who listens.”

Jump around

Throughout the pomp, the circumstance and the turning of tassels, graduates showed the gathered crowds how to celebrate, Badger style.

Five new graduates standing together move the tassels on their caps from the right side to the left.
Badgers move their tassels from right to left, marking their official transition from students to alumni.
Graduates in cap and gown stand with their arms around each other and sing the university's alma mater.
The grads join together in Camp Randall for a round of UW–Madison's alma mater, Varsity.
A woman blows bubbles while sitting among fellow graduates.
One graduate helped lighten the already lively mood with some bubbles.
Two graduates pose for a selfie photo while celebrating during UW–Madison's spring commencement ceremony at Camp Randall Stadium
Graduating members of the UW Marching Band take time for a selfie.
Graduates wave red inflated surgical gloves in the air as they sing the alma mater.
Some new grads bring medical precision — and humor — to a round of Varsity during Friday's ceremony.
A group of women gather around their championship trophy and show off their championship rings to the camera.

Graduating members of the Badgers women's hockey team show off their NCAA championship title.

Graduates hold up small foam fingers, one on each hand, to form a Wisconsin W.

New grads showed off a new way to W.

A graduate holds up small foam fingers to make a W.
Seen from the back, a graduate wears a cap with small foam fingers attached to each point.
Chancellor Mnookin and Bucky Badger join hands and dance on stage as a crowd of people cheer and jump around them.

While Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and Bucky Badger jumped around.

Honoring Badger icons

During Friday’s ceremony, the university took time to honor two towering figures in UW and Wisconsin public life with honorary degrees: Former Chancellor Donna E. Shalala and retired U.S. Representative Jim Sensenbrenner.

Chancellor Mnookin smiles as former Chancellor Shalala holds her honorary degree.

Shalala is not only a former chancellor of UW–Madison who made impressive advancements for campus research facilities, investments in faculty and athletics, but she is also a remarkable leader in government. She has a long record of transformative contributions to the nation, and she’s been recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

A woman in academic robes places a sash of velvet fabric around the shoulders of Jim Sensenbrenner.

Sensenbrenner is a lifelong public servant with the longest congressional career in Wisconsin’s history. He advanced policies that continue to shape the nation, strengthened voting rights, safeguarded civil liberties, enhanced national security and expanded disability protections — often bridging political divides to enact lasting reforms. He credits listening as the key to his success.

A Badger family celebration

Family, friends and loved ones came out to support the graduates.

Two people smile excitedly and hold up paper fans with the face of the graduate they've come to support.
The proud parents of graduate Carly Shindler wave paddles showing her photo.
Family members gather around a graduate for a group photo outside Camp Randall as a crowd of people walk by.
Second from the left, graduate Miguel Garcia poses for a photo with his family, who are in town from Beloit, Wisconsin.
A grad poses for a photo with his two young daughters.
Michael Jackson poses with his daughters Elliot and Quinn before the Friday ceremony.
A woman in cap and gown stands on the field and leans over a barrier to hug her sister in the crowd.
Graduate Alex Skidell hugs her sister Addison.
A graduate hugs his beaming mother and father outside Camp Randall.
At left, Michael Rolfs, graduating with a degree in chemistry, poses for a photo with his parents Deb and Scott Rolfs from Mequon, Wisconsin, outside Camp Randall.

The next chapter

With fireworks, hugs, tears and shouts of joy, UW–Madison’s newest alumni closed one chapter of life on campus to open another and become, in the words of student speaker Sam Mahlum, “whatever it is we have been working so hard to become.”

A screen in the background reads Congratulations as new graduates toss their caps in the air.
Graduates toss their caps in celebration.