The University announced Sarah Drew as this year’s Valedictory Exercises keynote speaker during halftime at Monday’s men’s basketball game at John Paul Jones Arena. Drew is known for her extensive acting career, including her part as Dr. April Kepner in “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Each year, the speaker is selected by the Graduation Committee of the Fourth Year Trustees, with the help of the President’s Office Advisor Stacy Smith and Fourth Year Trustees Advisor Mary Elizabeth Luzar.
Fourth-year College student Jasmine Chiu, chair of the Graduation Committee, spoke a little about the process of selecting a speaker.
“At our first workshop we thought about different qualities we wanted our speaker to have,” Chiu said. “From there we decided who we wanted to pursue, and that led us straight to Sarah Drew.”
Chiu said she hopes her fellow students recognize the lessons Drew can provide.
“I think one of the things that stands out to me the most is that although she has been thrown in this Hollywood setting where there are so many different influences and people pushing you one direction or another, she is still able to be herself and protect her values and her basic life philosophy,” Chiu said.
Drew graduated from the University in 2002 with a degree in drama. She recognized professors such as Richard Warner, Kate Burke and Betsy Tucker in helping her achieve her career goals. Drew also married her husband at the Chapel the same year she graduated.
Chiu said the Graduation Committee liked the idea of having a speaker who is an alum, unlike past speakers such as Ed Helms, Peyton Manning or Stephen Colbert.
“We felt that having somebody that knows where we’re coming from, understands the school structure and traditions [...] would be able to speak very powerfully to us,” Chiu said.
Unlike some other higher-level institutions, Chiu said the University does not grant honorary degrees or pay speakers to come; speakers must choose to volunteer their time and enthusiasm.
Drew said she is excited to be returning to the University.
“The last 14 years [have] been a paradoxical journey of joy and grief, success and failure, control and surrender,” Drew said in an email statement. “I'm excited to meet this graduating class where they are, share my life with them and hopefully offer something useful for them to take into this next chapter of their lives.”
There has been both support and criticism of Drew’s announcement, but Chiu said she hopes fourth-year students can acknowledge what the young alumna can contribute to Final Exercises.
“I strongly believe my classmates will learn a lot from what she has to say,” Chiu said.
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