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Here are Mass. colleges’ 2025 commencement speakers

Celebrities, Boston legends, and state officials will give speeches to the Class of 2025 in May and June.

Jennifer Coolidge kissed the Pudding Pot at Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals roast after being recognized as the recipient of its 2023 Woman of the Year Award. Erin Clark/Globe Staff

By Emilia Wisniewski

4 minutes to read

Announcements are under way of this year’s commencement speakers at colleges across Massachusetts, and celebrities, Boston legends, and state officials will give speeches to the Class of 2025 in May and June.

See who is speaking at Massachusetts graduation ceremonies:

  • Babson College: Linda Henry is the CEO and co-owner of Boston Globe Media and a partner in Fenway Sports Group. The Babson alum is also an investor in league-level sports groups such as the WNBA and League One Volleyball. She will speak to graduates on May 17.
  • Bentley University: Jerry Jacobs Jr. is the alternate governor for the Boston Bruins and the CEO of hospitality company Delaware North and will speak to Bentley undergraduates on May 17. Yvonne Hao, secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, will speak to business graduate students on May 16.
  • Berklee College of Music: Artists André 3000 and Sara Bareilles will both receive honorary Doctor of Music degrees on May 10. André 3000, or André Benjamin, is a nine-time Grammy award winning artist best known for being one half of the influential hip-hop duo Outkast. Bareilles is an award-winning singer-songwriter that has sold millions of albums and singles worldwide and has written music for Broadway shows such as “Waitress.”
  • Boston College: Dame Louise Richardson heads the Carnegie Corporation of New York, one of the oldest philanthropic foundations in the U.S. She became its first female president in 2023. Richardson will speak to BC’s Class of 2025 on May 19.
  • Boston University: Emily Deschanel is an actor, producer, and director who is best know for leading role in the drama TV series “Bones.” The BU alum is also a prominent animal rights activist. She will speak to graduates on May 18.
  • Bunker Hill Community College: Lieutenant Gov. Kim Driscoll joins Gov. Maura Healey in making up the first all-women executive team to lead Massachusetts. In 2006, she was the first woman to be elected mayor in Salem and revitalized the city’s downtown, rejuvenated K-12 education, and bulked up city services. She will speak to graduates on May 22.
  • Emerson College: Actor Jennifer Coolidge is known for her roles in “American Pie,” “Legally Blonde,” and most recently, “The White Lotus.” Born in Boston and an Emerson alum, Coolidge will speak to students on May 11.
  • Emmanuel College: Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan is the only woman serving as a district attorney in the commonwealth and graduated from Emmanuel in 1976. The Somerville native will be delivering the speech on May 10.
  • Endicott College: Sully Sullenberger famously landed a US Airways flight on the Hudson River in 2009 after both engines failed. The lifelong diplomat and advocate had a 2016 biographical film made about him, aptly named “Sully,” where he was played by Tom Hanks. Sullenberger will speak to Endicott students on May 17.
  • Fisher College: Pedro Martinez is a Boston Red Sox legend who played with the team from 1998 to 2004. The Hall of Famer has a top 10 winning percentage rate in all of Major League Baseball history. Martinez now runs the Pedro Martinez Foundation that provides educational opportunities and other essentials to underserved communities. He will speak on May 10.
  • Harvard University: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played with the Los Angeles Lakers for most of his basketball career and is a dedicated activist. He will be speaking at Harvard’s Class Day on May 28. For Harvard’s ceremony the next day, physician and author Abraham Verghese will speak. 
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology: YouTube phenomenon Hank Green has amassed nearly 4 million subscribers with his brother, John, on the “vlogbrothers” channel. The Green brothers make educational STEM and history videos across other channels, also with an audience of millions. Hank Green will speak to MIT grads on May 29.
  • Mount Holyoke College: Gov. Maura Healey became the first female, LGBTQ+ member to serve as the commonwealth’s governor and has served since 2022. She was also the first openly gay woman to serve as Massachusetts attorney general from 2015 to 2023. Healey will speak to graduates on May 25.
  • New England Conservatory: Chad Smith is the president and CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which he has led since 2023. Smith established BSO Humanities Institute in 2024 to enhance musical teachings with lectures, exhibitions, and other programming. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is among the honorary degree recipients. Smith will speak on May 18.
  • New England Law | Boston: Edward F. Davis is the former police chief commissioner for the City of Boston and led the response to the Boston Marathon bombing. He currently heads the Edward Davis company, a security consulting and crisis management firm. He will speak on May 16.
  • Northeastern University: Elliot Grainge serves as the CEO of Atlantic Music Group and is a Northeastern alum. Atlantic helped the careers of legacy acts like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Led Zeppelin, and current mainstream artists Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, and Charli xcx. Grainge took the helm at just 30 years old after establishing his own indie label. Grainge will speak on May 11.
  • Roxbury Community College: Dr. Thea James is a public health professional who has dedicated her work to addressing health equity gaps. She is the associate chief medical officer and co-executive director of the Health Equity Accelerator at Boston Medical Center and works in violence intervention. She will speak at RCC on May 16.
  • Stonehill College: Joe Castiglione is the longtime radio announcer for the Boston Red Sox who spent 42 years with the team, the longest run of any broadcaster in Red Sox history. The recently retired announcer will speak to Stonehill grads on May 18.
  • Tufts University: Freeman A. Hrabowski III is renown in his work in math and science education and was formerly the president at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, from 1992 to 2022. He will speak at Tufts on May 18.
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst: Award-winning creative director David Korins has created sets for TV screens and Broadway productions, most notably for “Hamilton,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” and “Beetlejuice: The Musical.” He was also behind the “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” that toured several cities across the U.S. He will speak on May 16 to UMass Amherst grads.
  • University of Massachusetts Boston: Attorney General Andrea Campbell became the first Black woman to hold a statewide office in Massachusetts when she was elected in 2022. Campbell, a Roxbury native, has served several lawsuits against the Trump administration in response to several government actions. Campbell will speak on May 29.
  • Williams College: Valerie Jarrett is the CEO of the Obama Foundation based in Chicago. The foundation motivates people to change their world through building a democratic culture. Jarrett will speak on June 8.

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