Marking a full return to the traditions of Final Exercises, thousands of University of Virginia students and thousands more family members and spectators massed on the Lawn and outside Old Cabell Hall as graduation ceremonies returned to their rightful home.

The 193rd Final Exercises took place Saturday and Sunday under sunny skies and some of the year’s warmest weather, leading President Jim Ryan to quip that the event was “the hottest show in town.”

Over the weekend, University awarded more than 7,800 degrees, including nearly 600 to first-generation college graduates.

Finals Weekend began Friday with the Valedictory Exercises at John Paul Jones Arena, with a keynote address from Ralph Sampson, a UVA alumnus and basketball legend.

On Saturday and Sunday, the graduation festivities returned where they were meant to be. For the first time since 2019, students paraded down the Lawn and took their seats in rows in front of Old Cabell Hall. In 2020 because of the pandemic, Final Exercises were virtual; last year, the procession walked down the Lawn, but continued to Scott Stadium, where graduates and spectators could safely spread out.

On this page, see photo galleries and read accounts of the weekend’s events, and discover stories about some of the graduates who earned their degrees.

UVA Final Exercises 2022: Memories and Moments

Finals Weekend Speakers: Ralph Sampson, Claudrena Harold, Dr. Taison Bell

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Mask Requirements Lifted in More Locations on Grounds; Details for Final Exercises

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Sunday

The Power of Belief Echoes Throughout the Lawn as Final Exercises 2022 Wraps

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Photos: On Sunday, The Newest UVA Grads Walked the Lawn

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Final Exercises Remarks of Sunday Keynote Speaker Dr. Taison Bell

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Saturday

Arts & Sciences Grads Celebrate ‘Hottest Show in Town’ During Final Exercises

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Photos: See Images From Saturday’s Final Exercises

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Final Exercises Remarks of Saturday Keynote Speaker Claudrena Harold

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Valediction

Ralph Sampson to the Class of 2022: ‘Stay Connected, Leave Your Footprint’

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Class of 2022 Members Honored at Valedictory Exercises

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What’s Next for UVA’s Class of 2022?

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Looking Back

UVA Releases Admissions Decisions and ‘#UVA22’ Begins Trending on Grounds

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Welcome to UVA Summer Orientation!

Class of 2022 Move-In Kicks Off Week of Welcome Programming at UVA

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Class of 2022 Become Official Wahoos With Move-In Weekend

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First-Year Class is Largest, Most Diverse In UVA History

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Media Contact

McGregor McCance

Darden School of Business Executive Editor