Suzy Gill, a Penn State graduate, sat in Thompson Hall on Saturday with her freshman year roommate and another good friend reminiscing about their college days.

They looked and laughed at pictures from their freshman and sophomore years and joked about the Snap, Crackle and Pop punching bag they broke and tried to salvage in the dorm bathroom. Talk of dying fish, changing majors and more serious talk of growing up "a little" completed their college years.

A half hour earlier, Gill's education came to a more formal close at the 302nd graduation ceremony in Rec Hall, along with 3,643 other students.

Keynote speaker Charles L. Hosler, senior vice president for research and dean of the graduate school, discussed what he hoped the graduates had learned and introduced the challenges that lay ahead, weaving themes of world awareness through his speech.

"Expansion of the mind must never cease if life is to be savored," Hosler said.

Some of Gill's peers carried flowers, one a balloon, others bore caps reading "Thanx Mom and Dad," "Hi family," "Bye," and initials, which perhaps only the graduates and their families understood.

As University President Bryce Jordan conferred degrees to the standing graduates of each of the colleges, yelps of joy rang out, graduates hugged, and threw confetti in celebrations ranging from subdued to joyous.

After Jordan conferred the degrees of each college, a student marshall acting as a representative graduate was handed a diploma.

While all the student marshalls were chosen for their unique achievements, being named student marshall for two colleges gave Janelle Eucher a unique place in Penn State history. Eucher, marshall for both the College of Engineering and the College of Science, achieved a 4.0 grade point average with a double major in chemistry and chemical engineering.

It was the first time in Penn State history that a double honor was given to a student, Jordan said.

Eucher humbly explained her remarkable achievement. She said she concentrated on learning the material and did not worry about gaining the grades. Though Eucher admitted some pressure, particularly, in the last semester to maintain the grades, she said, she never really expected to continue her perfect record.

"I never counted on having it. It wasn't really the grades, it just kind of happened," Eucher said.

The crowd gasped audibly and applauded repeatedly at the announcement of Eucher's achievements.

Most students had to wait until after the ceremony to pick up their degrees, using their assigned graduation numbers to pick up diplomas under the stands.

Judi Chapin, another graduate who stood in line for her diploma, said she was reminded of the many lines she stood in during her four- and-a-half years at the University.

"Isn't this symbolic? Isn't this the perfect way to end a Penn State career?" said Chapin, who graduated with a degree in economics.

After the ceremony, parents and graduates milled about outside Rec Hall looking for each other and taking pictures.

Ed Lutz, a recent business logistics graduate, stood next to his proud father in his cap and gown to take a picture.

"It's sort of a transition. A time to be moving on," Lutz said.

Gill, Eucher and Lutz all will be moving on into the world of employment. Eucher already has a job lined up and later plans to return to the academic world. Both Lutz and Gill will start looking for jobs immediately.

"I hope (the degree) pays off," Lutz's father said.