POCATELLO — At Idaho State University’s 2023 winter commencement ceremony Saturday, student speaker Selena Drolet-Palmer congratulated her fellow students, many of whom pushed through the struggles of raising families, working long hours and spending long nights studying to achieve their goals.

All graduates, she said, should be proud of what they have accomplished.

“Many, like myself, are first-generation students who have completed a degree and will lift their families for generations,” she said. “These same students have also led groundbreaking research, distributed necessary humanitarian resources, and engaged in our communities in ways I can only imagine.”

More than 300 students walked across the stage Saturday. Idaho State University conferred 1,357 degrees and certificates. The institutional reader was Geoffrey Bennett. The “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Alma Mater Hymn” was performed by Miren Gabiola.

Idaho State University President Kevin Satterlee conferred the degrees for his final commencement.

“Know that from where you are today, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. I call on you to set your mind on what fulfills you as a person,” he said. “Build the life that you have dreamed of, that makes you proud, and that ultimately brings you happiness and fulfillment.”

State Board of Education member Cindy Siddoway asked graduates to share their experiences and to become ambassadors for higher education.

“Please encourage others to follow in your footsteps,” she said.