Tennis champion Venus Williams will deliver the keynote address at Loyola Marymount University’s undergraduate commencement ceremony Saturday, May 16. It was announced today. The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Sunken Garden on LMU’s Westchester campus, according to the university.
With seven Grand Slam titles, five Wimble-don championships, and four Olympic gold medals, Venus is one of the “most accomplished and inspiring women in the history of sports,’’ the university said in a statement.
“Beginning at the age of 14, she quickly took the tennis world by storm – rising to the top-ranked position, breaking countless records, and winning numerous championships.” Off the court, Williams has built a range of business ventures in design, wellness and media. She founded the design firm V Starr and launched the plant-based nutrition company Happy Viking, and has also worked as an investor and ambassador in the wellness space.
Officials said Williams has also been a leading advocate for gender equality in sports, playing a key role in efforts that led to equal prize money at Wimbledon and earning recognition for her work promoting equity.
Media executive Ben Sherwood, CEO and publisher of The Daily Beast, will deliver the keynote address at the graduate ceremony Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Sunken Garden. Judge Anthony Devos Johnstone of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will speak at the Loyola Law School commencement Sunday at 2:30 p.m., also in the Sunken Garden. Nearly 3,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students are expected to participate in commencement events at LMU.