"This marks the end of a long journey," said Sorenson, 92, after the ceremony. "I had a dream of what this school could be. It's very rewarding to see it grow in this way."

The school's promotion to university status may be the end of one journey, but it marks the beginning of a new one, said John Valentine, president of the Utah State Senate.

"Today is the first day of Utah Valley University," he said. "The chalkboards are blank. We have a clean slate, a slate upon which we can determine what time of university this will become."

Hatch expressed his faith that UVU will do the state proud.

"Utah is a state that stands for the opportunities that come through education," he said. "This great university is going to be one of the great pillars of our state education."

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