Congrats, graduates! Hundreds of UWM students walk stage to begin new era 🎓

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A new class of graduates celebrated the end of their college lives in Milwaukee Sunday, Dec. 21. 

The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee hosted its fall commencement ceremony Sunday morning at the Panther Arena downtown. 

The school handed out just over 1,500 degrees including 1,100 bachelor's degrees, nearly 300 master's and 34 doctoral degrees. 

Sunday's ceremony was the first for the university's new Chancellor Thomas Gibson, who was thrilled about his first semester. 

"It's great! We get to celebrate students' hard work," said Chancellor Gibson. "Again, this is a culmination of all their hard work over the years, the many exams, the papers, the projects and to finally have it all come to this momentous occasion. All of us are just so proud of our students." 

Sunday's commencement speech was delivered by Gale Klappa, the chairman of WEC Energy Group, which owns We Energies. 

Klappa was a graduate cum laude of UWM in 1972. 

Congratulations to everyone graduating!!