A sea of white uniforms filled Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium as midshipmen waited for their names to be called, marking the culmination of four years of hard work at the Naval Academy.

The video scoreboard captured smiling, waving graduates with infectious smiles as 1,040 midshipmen commemorated the day under blue skies. As the ceremony came to a close, the mids joyously tossed their caps, or covers, in the air as audience members cheered.

Among the 725 men and 315 women to graduate Friday was Kaylah Gillums of Arlington, Virginia, a member of the Navy boxing team.

Gillums said she was inspired by her parents, who both served in the Marine Corps.

The 23-year-old received a bachelor of science in political science. “The biggest day of my life comes to a head right here,” Gillums said.

She said attending the academy was an opportunity not only to receive a “world-class education” but to participate in a “leadership laboratory.”

“If you want to serve in the military and be an officer, this is the best place to do that. You’ll definitely be the best version of yourself by the time you commission,” Gillums said.

Gillums will be commissioning into the Marine Corps.

“I don’t feel like I know everything that’ll happen, but I feel prepared to handle anything that would happen,” she said.

At the start of Friday’s ceremony, “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival blasted through stadium speakers as graduates socialized before lining up to walk to their seats. Sprinkles of rain misted the crowd, and the humidity prompted some to fan themselves. Shortly after 11:30 a.m., the sun came out in full force.

Vice Admiral Yvette Davids, the first female superintendent of the academy, noted that the class of 2024 began its journey during the global pandemic, which could be called a “unique start to their time as midshipmen.”

“I am so grateful to your class for your perseverance, the leadership you have shown … and your enthusiasm,” Davids said.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin offered an encouraging, humorous commencement address.

“I am absolutely delighted to join you on this proud day. It is great to be here, even though the first guy that I met said, ‘Beat Army,’” quipped Austin, a retired Army four-star general.

He acknowledged the challenges the graduating mids faced.

“Class of 2024 didn’t have an easy road to get to this day,” Austin said.

Liberty was rare during the class of 2024’s plebe year because of the pandemic, Austin said.

Midshipmen used unconventional tactics to protest this lack of freedom, such as throwing printers out of the windows. One intrepid member of this class even climbed onto the Naval Academy Chapel Dome to put a printer on top, Austin said.

“It’s pretty impressive considering how long it took class of 2024 to climb Herndon,” Austin joked.

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said the midshipmen will be problem-solvers, diplomats and, most important, leaders.

“As you face great challenges … you are the embodiment of strength,” Del Toro said.

The top three graduates are all commissioning as Navy ensigns. They are Robert Edward Klanac of Strongsville, Ohio, an operations research with honors major; Ian Thomas Dinmore of Odenton, a chemistry major; and Samuel Saem Shin of Northbrook, Illinois, an operations research with honors and mathematics with honors major.

Austin remembered two midshipmen who died, Luke Bird and Mason Halsey.

Honorary members of the class include the families of Bird and Halsey and Command Master Chief Karim Cole.

With the class of 2024, some 91,000 midshipmen have graduated from the academy since 1845, including President Jimmy Carter. More than 6,700 women have graduated since 1980.

Austin paused to acknowledge Carter, who at 99 is in hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia. A building at the academy that was named for a leader in the Confederate navy was renamed for Carter last year.

“As one of your predecessors once said, ‘We must adjust to changing times and still hold on to unchanging principles.’ That was President Jimmy Carter, class of 1947,” Austin said to applause. “I am proud that one of this school’s most distinguished alumni, a man of deep faith and a champion of human rights, is now honored on the yard with the naming of Carter Hall.”

According to an academy news release, midshipmen study subjects including small arms drill, seamanship and navigation, tactics, naval engineering, naval weapons and leadership. They receive a bachelor of science upon graduating and receive commissions as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps and serve at least five years as officers.

“The United States has the most capable Navy and Marine Corps in the world and, make no mistake, we’re going to keep it that way,” Austin said. “And you are going to keep it that way.”

The iconic hat toss originated in 1912 and has become the traditional ending to commissioning ceremonies.

Before 1912, Naval Academy graduates had to serve two years in the fleet as naval cadets or midshipmen before being commissioned as officers in the Navy or Marine Corps. They needed to keep their midshipman hats for their sea tour, so they were not allowed to toss them. In a spontaneous move during graduation in 1912, the new officers tossed their old hats into the air. This gesture became the symbolic visual of what we see today.

The headline on this story has been updated to remove an incorrect attribution to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.