TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)– As Sage Dooley looked around on Saturday, she couldn’t be prouder of the hundreds of students by her side. 

Dooley, the president of the class of 2023, was joined by over 400 others who got their degrees during the commencement ceremony at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Dooley looked back on the past four years– and all the obstacles they had to overcome. 

“It feels amazing today,” she said. “Everyone’s done such a great job, even going through COVID and going through all those hard times, to see the class here, we’ve all finally made it.”

Students participated in the traditional walk across campus– from Hatfield Hall to the Sports and Recreation Center Fieldhouse– prior to graduation. Dooley said graduation wouldn’t of been possible without the support she received the past few years.

“The motivation to keep going is just everyone here,” she said. “Our community, we work together and our friends always have our backs. Although we’ll have hard times, hard stresses academically and with extracurriculars, but as long as I have my friends by my side, it’s a great day.”

Over 90% of graduates have placements already for their next steps– including Dooley, who has a job set up in Cincinnati. She talked about the ways in which she believes the school prepared her for post-grad life. 

“Rose-Hulman is a very tight-knit community, and I hope that we can bring our community and togetherness into the workforce because ultimately that’s what a great leader is,” she said. “They are able to bring people together, take action and step up to the plate.”