This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Anuhya Bobba. 

The life of an engineering student is filled with all-nighters, exams and senior projects – but all that ended Friday after the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s graduation ceremony.

Student speaker Omono Sarah Ukpoma, who earned her M.S. in computer science, congratulated students for overcoming a rigorous curriculum.

“No matter how hard those times were, greater stories of our accomplishments should be told when we meet again,” she said.

Jon Weintraub, who was recognized as a graduating scholar in the ceremony, said that it is important to not lose the sense of community that existed in SEAS.

“Engineering is not a discipline that was meant to be taught in isolation,” he said. “This idea should not stop after we get out diploma today. Let’s celebrate our four years together, and begin our fifth year as a community.”

As students of the School of Engineering and Applied Science filled their seats in the Smith Center, Dean David Dolling warned the soon to be graduates to “never be tempted by shortcuts.”

He said that more than anything, graduates should leave GW understanding the “absolute imperative of ethical behavior both personally and professionally.

Keynote speaker and alumna Gazelle Hashemian, described as a “dynamo” by Dolling, said graduates should believe in themselves, not accept “no” for an answer, and take risks. Hashemian, who earned her master’s degree from SEAS, co-founded the Paragon Technology Group with her husband, one of the fastest growing companies in the D.C. area.

She also said that it was “refreshing” to see an increasing number of women in the STEM field, compared to when she graduated from the University.

Women constitute 39 percent of the engineering school’s class of 2013, which is double the national average. Hashemian encouraged these women to “speak up and stay engaged.”