On Sunday friends and families gathered inside Youngstown State University's (YSU) Beeghly Center to watch hundreds of graduates walk across the stage.

During the commencement ceremony the graduates celebrated the end of one chapter and the start of another. For some, this means staying close to their roots in the Mahoning Valley.

Computer science student John Bearss told 21 News that he can't imagine living and working anywhere other than the Mahoning Valley. After graduation, Bearss will begin a quality assurance internship, but he hopes to land a job in his desired field. 

"The computer science industry has a really, really quickly growing market, but there's also a lot of competition right now. We're going to see what happens in the next five years," Bearss said. 

Keeping graduates in the area is a priority for YSU. Which is why they are working with the Youngstown Business Incubator to provide more job opportunities for YSU students. 

However, biology major Isabella Butchko said she will be seeking opportunities in a larger city. 

"I'm staying in the biology field [and] I will be relocating down to Columbus, Ohio to work at Labcorp in the microbiology department. I just really like the Columbus area. I have family down there so I want to be closer to them. I just like the city life," Butchko told 21 News. 

With a degree in Mechanical engineering, Adam Bodendorfer said that he is committed to building his family and career in the Mahoning Valley.

"My next plans are to basically hunker down, keep the family going, and just keep doing quality control in the area," Bodendorfer said.