With graduation ceremonies postponed due to COVID-19, Hawaii universities and colleges will hold their ceremonies later this year or host virtual celebrations.

Some seniors are disappointed, but others are grateful for accomplishing their last year of college during a pandemic.

This semester, Hawaii Pacific University honored more than 550 graduating students.

“Although we can’t gather in person this spring, we’re committed to honoring the Class of 2020 and all of their academic accomplishments,” HPU Vice President of Advancement Brooke Carroll said in an email before the graduation.

HPU’s virtual celebrations were held on May 9 and hosted by the university’s departments to honor their graduates.

Some of the University of Hawaii’s departments will hold a virtual graduation ceremony on May 15, while other departments are planning celebrations at a later date. A total of 1,717 undergraduates, 791 advanced degrees, 93 law students and 64 medical students will be graduating this semester.

“It cannot be overstated that, even in the midst of this present crisis, every student who graduates this semester should be very proud of everything that they have accomplished,” UH President David Lassner said in an email. “Nothing should eclipse the feelings of well-earned pride of our graduates and everyone who has worked hard to help them achieve this important goal.”

Chaminade University was originally supposed to host their graduation commencement on May 11, but it was postponed until Dec. 14 at the Blaisdell Arena.

“We strongly believe that having our students and their families gather together for this achievement is something we cannot replicate online,” said Chaminade President Lynn Babington. “For our students, our May commencement is the culmination of four years of hard work, a few bumps, well-earned wins, learning and in many cases, long nights. We are committed to coming together as a community in December with lots of lei, tears of joy and much hope for what lies ahead.”

GERALDINE ILAN, HAWAII PACIFIC UNIVERSITY

Hawaii Pacific University student Geradline Ilan, 22, did not expect to finish her last year of college during a pandemic.

Ilan, who had a concentration in hospitality and tourism management, planned explore the world with her HPU choir class once she graduated, but that has been canceled due to travel safety concerns.

“I was super excited for my last college semester because we had so many things planned. … I’d rather be safe than sorry,” she said.

Ilan graduated via Zoom with her class on Saturday. However, she is still waiting on her cap and gown to be delivered. Once it comes, she’s planning to keep it.

“I still want to be able to see myself in it,” she said. “I do want to take pictures even if we won’t have an actual in-person ceremony, and just to feel like I’ve accomplished something because to me I feel that pictures are sentimental.”

She is currently interning with the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association. Once her internship ends, she hopes to pursue a career in the hospitality industry.

So far, she has kept herself busy by helping her church and participating in online extracurricular activities.

AUSTIN HALEYALPIY, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA

University of Hawaii at Manoa student Austin Haleyalpiy, 26, said graduation means the world to him and his family.

“Being from the outer islands of Yap and Palau (in Micronesia), I know that whenever there’s a birthday or graduation everybody turns up, everybody pitches in and everybody shows support,” the social work major said. “Especially for college, it’s always been one of the things that’s been a monumental accomplishment.”

His parents are first-generation college graduates, and Haleyalpiy said he wants to make sure that their sacrifices for leaving their home islands to come to the states wasn’t in vain.

“The sacrifices they made were worth it,” he said. “Not being able to have a graduation is bumming me out a little bit, but for us it hurts on that level.”

He is currently finishing up his last week of school online and preparing for finals.

“As I’m sitting here looking at the reflection of my bed, I just want to jump in there right now and hibernate until next year,” he said.

Haleyalpiy said despite the challenges, there’s an accomplishment that the Class of 2020 made.

“I feel like this is one of these things we will always remember each other for,” he said. “We didn’t just graduate together, we’re that class that went through a pandemic and had to finish up everything online.”

He added that the experience has strengthened his relationship with his friends and family, and reconnected him with his old friends.

The university intends to resume both on-campus and online instruction when the fall semester starts on Aug. 24. After Haleyalpiy graduates with his bachelor’s degree, he said he will continue to obtain his master’s degree in the same field.