A record number of University of Washington Tacoma students will gather this week at the Tacoma Dome to participate in the school’s 24th annual commencement ceremony.

According to University of Washington Tacoma officials, a record 1,549 undergraduate and graduate degrees will be awarded by the campus this year. This year’s graduates range in age from 19 to 70. Eighty percent of the class of 2014 comes from the South Sound region., while the remainder comes from all across the U.S. and 12 other countries. Eighty percent of University of Washington Tacoma alumni stay in the region after graduating. This year, 62 students will receive cum laude honors, 34 will be recognized with magna cum laude, and 12 will gain summa cum laude honors.

According to University of Washington Tacoma officials, 2014 is the largest graduating class in UW Tacoma’s history, and the largest of any South Sound four-year degree-granting institution.

The Chancellor’s Medal, recognizing the graduating senior who has the most distinguished academic record, will be presented this year to Sharon Hunter, who will receive a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. Hunter received a Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Scholarship and a Mary Gates Research Scholarship.

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson will be the commencement speaker at the ceremony. Ferguson is a University of Washington alumnus, having served as president of student government and graduating with a political science degree in 1989.

The 2014 University of Washington Tacoma commencement ceremony will be held on Fri., June 13 between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Tacoma Dome, located at 2727 East D St.

More information is available online at tacoma.uw.edu/commencement.