The crowd of friends and family gather in the stands at Stocker Stadium before Colorado Mesa Univeristy’s first spring graduation begins.

Roger McClelland sits in a folding chair to anchor down a wind-tossed net filled with balloons so that they won’t fly away until time to free them in the ceremony.

Stephanie Casares breaks from the line for a moment to wave at the crowd during the processional.

Francesca Perry and Heather Sawyer sing “America” to open the commencement exercises.

Stephanie Beck, left, and Mollee Hall decorated their hats with their class year.

Justin Kawcak, president of the Associated Student Government, delivers the address to the Class of 2012.

Emily Prock and Jennifer Walder perform the musical selection “Flight.”

CMU President Tim Foster hands Becky Jones her associate’s degree.

Taylor Young does a Tebow as she crosses the stage to receive her degree.

Logan Scott hugs one of her professors after getting her diploma.

Nathan Poirier shakes President Tim Foster’s hand as he receives his diploma.

Frank Medaris celebrates as he leaves the stage.

Courtney Maihi of New Zealand graduates while wearing the native costume of her country.

An ecstatic graduate celebrates on the stage.

Graduate Bryan Lopez walked across the stage with his children to accept his degree.

Non-traditional in every way, Lee Baker waves his diploma over his head.

Eleven-year-old Hunter Kopfman accepts his uncle Justin’s masters degree conferred posthumously following Justin’s death.

Three friends hug each other after receiving their diplomas.

Pace Bates, right, walks off the stage for the second time this week Saturday after receiving his degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado through a partnership with Colorado Mesa University. Bates is one of nine men in the first graduating class of the partnership who took all of their coursework at CMU but earned bachelor of science degrees from CU-Boulder.

Seniors graduating with perfect 4.0 grade point averages are recognized before leading their class in the turning of the tassels.

More than 1,000 balloons, one for each graduate, float into the air near the end of the ceremony.