Commencement Speaker

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, drummer, author, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, music journalist, and record producer. He is best known as the drummer and joint frontman for the Grammy Award-winning band The Roots, the…

Theo Epstein was the President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs until 2020. In 2002, he became the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball when the…

On April 15, 2013, what is referred to as Marathon Monday in Boston, Heather Abbott of Newport, RI set out on an annual tradition with six friends.  They would attend…

Hawa Abdi is a Somali human rights activist and physician, and Somalia’s first female gynecologist. She is the founder and chairperson of the non-profit Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation, which Dr.…

Janus Adams is the author of three books and creator of the groundbreaking BackPax children's book-and-audio series. An Emmy-winning journalist and talk show host, she writes the syndicated column, "What…

For Gospel legend Yolanda Adams, her stirring Elektra debut Mountain High. Valley Low was an opportunity to bring both her inspirational vision and her wide range of influences to an…

Buzz Aldrin grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. His mother, Marion Moon, was the daughter of an Army Chaplain and his father Edwin Eugene Aldrin was an aviation pioneer. Buzz…

Tatyana Ali is a Broadway-trained actress, singer, producer, activist and graduate of Harvard University. Known to millions worldwide from her role as “Ashley Banks” on the iconic television series “The…

Kirstie Alley's career has encompassed success in top-grossing films and highly acclaimed television, garnering multiple awards. Most recently, she made her return to network television by producing and starring in…

Dr. Juan Andrade Jr. president and executive director of the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute, Under Andrade's direction, the Institute has trained 200,000 present & future leaders, registered 2 million new…

India.Arie is known and cherished by fans and fellow musicians as a poet, a songwriter, a producer, a musician, a singer, an advocate, a friend and a philanthropist — but…

Alan Arkin performed with folk music groups from the late 1950s to the late '60s. He was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor for his screen acting debut,…

Lloyd J. Austin III General, U.S. Army (Ret.), and Former Commander of U.S. Central Command General Austin is a retired U.S. Army General with nearly 41 years of military service.…

Emmy Award-winner Hank Azaria provides multiple voices on FOX's animated hit series THE SIMPSONS, including Moe the bartender, Apu the Kwik-E-Mart owner, Police Chief Wiggum, Professor Frink, Dr. Nick Riviera…

Former Minnesota Congresswoman, Michele Bachmann became the first Republican woman elected to represent Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was listed in Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People”…