On Saturday, Texas Wesleyan University honored more than 300 graduates.

The ceremony was held at the MacGorman Chapel of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and featured graduates receiving their doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees.

The commencement ceremony featured a keynote speech from Julie Murphy, a 2010 graduate and author of Dumplin, a New York Times best-selling novel, as well as a speech from Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks, who received an honorary doctorate from the University.

Murphy, who graduated with a political science degree from Wesleyan, had advice for the graduates.

“Whether it’s family or friends, you all have support systems in some way,” Murphy said. “These are people who have brave the waters with you and have shown themselves loyal. These are people who can truly value a day like today when you are at your best, because they have seen you at your worst.”

Murphy also provided some comic relief when she said she had “written a really sappy speech, where I quoted philosophers. But I scrapped it the other day and decided there was no other way to deliver the speech than by channeling my college self and writing It the day before.”

Glenn Tuggle, a 1985 graduate who is also the president of the Alumni Association, congratulated the graduates and said he hopes that the alumni will represent Wesleyan with pride and continue to pass the torch down to future generations.

“While many things may change in the world, there is always one thing that will remain the same, you will always be a graduate of Texas Wesleyan University,” he said.