This year’s spring commencement ceremonies on May 23 will feature Kay Warren as the keynote speaker after last year’s cancellation due to the death of her son just over a month before she was scheduled to speak. As co-founder of Saddleback Church and an advocate for people with HIV and AIDS, Warren will also receive an honorary degree at the ceremony.
President Barry Corey has wanted Warren to speak at commencement for some time now, according to Greg Leith, director of strategic alliances and corporate relations.
“He thought Kay would be a person who would speak with a lot of conviction and a lot of connectivity between things that are passionate for her and things that students are thinking about,” Leith said.
The topic of her address is yet to be determined, although it will most likely come from her personal journey, Leith said.
“Her journey right now is this sort of intersection between theology, psychology and the local church as that relates to care for mental illness,” Leith said.
After the death of Matthew Warren, the Warrens began the Matthew Warren Fund for Mental Health to raise awareness and fight mental illness, as stated in a previous Chimes article. Warren spoke at a conference hosted by Saddleback Church on mental health and the church on March 28.
Warrens to receive honorary doctorates
In addition to giving the address, Warren, along with her husband Rick, will be presented with honorary doctorate degrees. This is a degree given to someone based on their life accomplishments, according to Brian Shook, administrative director for the office of the president.
“It’s a way of the university recognizing them as a significant contributor to the world or to the kingdom of God,” Shook said.
The Warrens will be receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Laws, which is one of several types of degrees depending on the recipient’s type of service. The Doctorate of Laws is based on a generic type of public service rather than something as specific as evangelical work, Shook said.
A person must be nominated to receive an honorary doctorate, and after research on the individual is done, the board of trustees votes on their candidacy, Shook said.
Rick Warren delivered the commencement address six years ago, but did not receive an honorary doctorate because it was Corey’s first year as president and the university was not giving out honorary degrees at that time, Shook said.
Commencement ceremonies will take place at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on May 23. The honorary doctorate service for the Warrens will take place during the 7 p.m. ceremony.
