CEDAR CITY – Southern Utah University celebrated its 1,817 graduates Friday and Saturday in its first-ever two-day commencement event.

The general commencement ceremony was moved from its usual Saturday morning time to Friday at 4:30 p.m. The move allowed individual college convocations to take place all day Saturday in the Centrum, since four of the six convocations were large enough to require the facility this year.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Beverley Taylor Sorenson College of Education and Human Development, the College of Science, and the School of Business had convocations in the Centrum Arena. The College of Performing and Visual Arts and the College of Computing, Integrated Engineering and Technology met in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.

Sen. Bob Bennett was the keynote speaker at the commencement, and related graduates’ to the commencement of many difficult times in American history.

He spoke of the settlement at Jamestown, Va., the pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and other significant events with deprivation and death.

“Commencement into new and challenging times has never been easy for Americans,” Bennett said.

As the students commence their lives after college, there is no guarantee that everything will work out, but the theme of all the challenges the country has faced is the “America has always prevailed,” he said.

“You can prevail,” he added.

Bennett told the graduates faith and determination are necessary, and they need to hold on to whatever their own personal faith is, and to have faith in their country and themselves.

The students are entering a world of uncertainty.

“Don’t fear it, embrace it,” he said.

Bennett received one of the two honorary doctorate degrees the university awarded this year. He was given a Doctor of Public Service degree. He is in his third term as a United States senator, and before being elected to the senate he served at CEO of Franklin International Institute, now Franklin Covey. He has made a positive impact on the SUU campus, the state, and the nation, according to a video shown at the commencement ceremony.

The other honorary doctorate, a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, was conferred upon Norma W. Matheson. Matheson is a former Utah first lady and is a selfless servant to her community and her family. She has served more than 20 community and nonprofit organizations and has started several nonprofits. She has worked tirelessly to improve living conditions and create opportunities for the people of Utah, a video shown at commencement reported.

SUU President Michael T. Benson spoke and listed many of the university’s accomplishments over the past year.

SUU Alumni President Mark Russell welcomed the new alumni, and spoke about the growth since the class of 1910 – less than 30 students – graduated 100 years ago. He said that year there were 198 total students. Now there are about 8,000 students, Benson said. Russell said in 1910 there were 12 faculty members. Now there are more than 300.

He told the students they should be glad to have graduated from Southern Utah University.

After the commencement there was a graduation celebration in the Sharwan Smith Center Rotunda with refreshments for faculty, staff, graduates and their guests.

The two-day celebration finished Saturday with the individual college convocations where the graduates were each recognized and awarded their degrees.