Members of the Southwest Minnesota State University class of 2023 celebrated after receiving their diplomas Saturday morning. The SMSU R/A Facility was full of cheering families, as 350 university students graduated.

MARSHALL — It was a milestone day for more than 300 students at Southwest Minnesota State University. At a Saturday morning commencement ceremony, speakers congratulated students who were about to receive their diplomas.

“Remember you will carry our name and our reputation always. You have worked hard to earn this degree, so you should be very proud of your achievement and of your university,” said SMSU President Kumara Jayasuriya, as he addressed the students. Graduates would always be part of the SMSU community, he said. “Once a Mustang, always a Mustang.”

This weekend, 350 students took part in SMSU’s commencement ceremonies, out of a total of nearly 500 students who were eligible to receive degrees. In addition to getting their diplomas, graduates receiving master’s degrees also got their master’s hoods at commencement.

Katelynn Urness was also named the recipient of the SMSU Alumni Association’s Outstanding Senior Award. Urness graduated Saturday with a double major in biology and environmental science.

Speakers at SMSU commencement urged new graduates to remember how their time at the university affected them, and the impact they left on other people. Student Association President Ashton Ayres talked about the “senior legacy” graduates would be leaving behind.

“Everyone always kind of talks about the people that have graduated, and who’s going to fill that person’s shoes and the things that they did after they were gone,” Ayres said. “In the end, each and every one of you is going to be setting the same standard to all your fellow students who aren’t graduating today.”

“Being here today to celebrate with you is honestly one of the high points of my life,” keynote speaker Haywood Boston, Jr., told graduates. “I would never have guessed at my own graduation ceremony 45 years ago, that I would have the privilege of being your commencement speaker.”

Boston, a 1978 graduate of SMSU, spoke about the impact that coming to the university had on his life. A North Carolina native, Boston was recruited to play basketball for the Mustangs.

“My coach at the time was Dale Honeck, who had just accepted a job here. He came to a bunch of us players and said, ‘Do you want to go with me?’ And we were kind of a little reluctant, but we said yes,” he said.

“Traveling to Marshall seemed like we were going to the end of the world,” Boston said. Attending a college with mainly white students was also an adjustment. However, Boston said the faculty, coaching staff and community at SMSU made a difference for him. Boston said one of the most influential people he met was Dick Jorgensen, a lifelong supporter of the university.

“Dick was a hard-working individual, and what meant most to him was his family,” Boston said. Jorgensen was an important mentor at a time when Boston needed one, he said. Jorgensen would also later become Boston’s father-in-law, when Boston married Jorgensen’s daughter Jean.

“Southwest meant a lot in my life and in turning me around, because if I didn’t come here, I might not be standing here,” Boston said.

Boston’s wish for the class of 2023 was that they would continue to learn throughout their lives.

“Living a great life involves learning every day. Never have a closed mind to information or advice. The young, the old, the educated, and the uneducated all have something to offer,” he said.