Bagpipes filled the air, and hundreds lined Napier streets yesterday, to celebrate the newest EIT Hawke's Bay graduates.
With a growing number of graduates, yesterday's was the first of three ceremonies to be held at the Napier Municipal Theatre this week, with each encompassing different academic disciplines.
After years of hard work, EIT students from the schools of business, computing, tourism and hospitality, primary industries, viticulture and wine science and the centre for veterinary nursing were capped.
During the ceremony the students were encouraged with speeches by guest speakers Yvonne Lorkin, wine writer and senior wine judge, and Dr Russell Wills - the former Children's Commissioner, and medical director of quality improvement and patient safety for the Hawke's Bay District Health Board.
Addresses were also given by honoured valedictorians who represented their former classmates - Bachelor of Nursing graduate Sheila Argent, Bachelor of Viticulture and Bachelor of Wine Science graduate Anton Luiten, and Bachelor of Applied Social Sciences graduate Sophia Raroa.