BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Graduating college students in the class of 2024 have had a unique educational experience. For many students in this class, it started in 2020 during a global pandemic, and is now ending on some college campuses with campus protests related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Some graduating seniors from Northeastern University spoke to WBZ NewsRadio and reflected on the last four years. For many students, it was a college experience that was all about rolling with the punches.

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“It’s a disappointment for them, there really isn’t much that I feel they can do about it. You know, universities are in a hard place, but I think that they could be a bit more sympathetic about it and they’re not,” said Leah, an NEU student.

“It was definitely not your typical freshman experience, we were getting Covid tested every three days, and you couldn’t really socialize or go out,” said Kelsey Hagan, another graduating senior who started out her college experience with hybrid style learning.

“For us when we started hybrid learning, that is something that had never been done before,” Kelsey added.

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Now in 2024, those same students are seeing an unprecedented moment, with protests on college campuses not just locally but nationwide.

“I think it’s just another major event in this journey that we’ve been through, and definitely makes it memorable,” said Julia, another graduating senior.

“It is kind of the climate of the world right now and I think that it’s inspiring to see my classmates and people across the country stand up for something they believe in,” concluded Kelsey.

Commencement for Northeastern University students will take place on May 5 at Fenway Park.

WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.

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