Gabby DeMarchi
Editor-in-Chief
Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren will address the Springfield College undergraduate commencement on May 19, while Marian Heard will speak to the Springfield graduate students on May 18.
On Tuesday, April 2 it was announced that Democratic U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has been named the 2013 Springfield College undergraduate commencement speaker. Graduation will take place on Sunday, May 19 at 9:30 a.m. at the MassMutual Center.
This past January, Warren became the first female senator from Massachusetts. Before Warren was named senator, she served as a law professor for more than 30 years, most of them at Harvard Law School. While there, she was honored twice with the Albert M. Sacks-Paul A. Freund Award for Teaching Excellence.
She also was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine. On top of that, she was also named one of the Most Influential Lawyers of the Decade by the National Law Journal, and additionally was awarded with the Leila J. Robinson Award by the Massachusetts Women’s Bar Association.
Also on Tuesday, Marian L. Heard, a well-known community leader, was named the graduate commencement speaker. That graduation will be held on Saturday, May 18 at 9:30 a.m. on Naismith Green.
Heard earned her master’s degree from Springfield College in 1978. For more than 30 years, Heard worked with the United Way and was the president and CEO of the United Way Boston, as well as CEO of the United Way of New England. Heard retired in 2004.
Afterwards, Heard served as the founding president and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation. The organization was created to support volunteerism and service. Heard was recognized by George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush in 2009 for her contributions and service to children and families across the United States.
Heard has also received the National Public Citizen of the Year Award and the Warren Bennis Award for Leadership Excellence. She currently serves as the president and CEO of Oxen Hill Partners, a company specializing in leadership development programs.
“I know our students will appreciate the opportunity to hear from Senator Warren and Marian Heard this May. Both women are dedicated public servants, who, throughout their careers, have taken steps to ensure that everyone gets a fair shot, regardless of their age, background or economic status,” said Jean Wyld, vice president for academic affairs. “They both exemplify the Springfield College mission of Humanics, for leadership in service to humanity.”
Both Warren and Heard will receive honorary degrees from the college for all of their hard work and dedication to service for all.