Every spring, students with extraordinary talents, histories and ambitions graduate from the University of Virginia. Most go on to make significant contributions in their careers and to society, and many reach the heights of their professions. But what of their stories up to this point? The Department of Chemical Engineering asked a handful of majors who are graduating this month how they got here, why and how they lived their UVA experiences. This is just a glimpse into the ChemE Class of 2021; it's not possible to highlight everyone, though there are doubtless many more fascinating tales to tell. Click on the links below for stories of a few members of the UVA Engineering class who began their time at UVA following the abrupt trauma of the Unite the Right events of Aug. 11-12, 2017, and endured the slow burn of the first worldwide pandemic in 100 years.