From Viola Davis to Rita Moreno, here are some famous New England graduation speakers

Rin Velasco, USA TODAY NETWORK - New England
·3 min read
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What do Chris Christie, Viola Davis, and Maura Healey have in common?

They're all going to be graduation speakers in New England this spring for the class of 2024.

New England colleges are in for a treat this May, as many schools' commencement ceremonies are being headlined by famous guest speakers.

It's not an unusual experience for commencements to attract well-known speakers. But still, it can be very fun to see which famous personality will be turning up to speak to New England's best and brightest. Here's a look at who is speaking this year:

Governor Maura Healey, UMass Chan Medical School

Gov. Maura Healey speaks at a kickoff fundraiser for the Adams Presidential Center at Granite Links Golf Club in Quincy on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.
Gov. Maura Healey speaks at a kickoff fundraiser for the Adams Presidential Center at Granite Links Golf Club in Quincy on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

The governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, will deliver the commencement address and receive a Chancellor’s Medal at UMass Chan Medical School on Sunday, June 2.

Healey, who has served as the attorney general of Massachusetts from 2015 to 2023, is the first openly LGBTQ person elected to statewide office in Massachusetts.

In 2022, she became the first woman to be elected as governor of Massachusetts.

Viola Davis, University of Rhode Island

Viola Davis walks the runway for "Le Défilé L'Oréal Paris - Walk Your Worth" during Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 1, 2023.
Viola Davis walks the runway for "Le Défilé L'Oréal Paris - Walk Your Worth" during Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 1, 2023.

A graduate of Central Falls High School, Rhode Island College and the Juilliard School, she has won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards for her work, and is a New York Times bestselling author.

URI's commencement includes eight ceremonies over three days, May 17 to May 19. Honorary degrees will be May 18.

Famous Graduates: 25 famous alumni from RI colleges and universities. Emma Watson is just the start.

Rita Moreno, New England Institute of Technology

Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno

From her breakout role as Anita in the 1961 movie version of "West Side Story" to the 2023 film "80 for Brady" the 92-year-old actress has literally done it all, becoming the only Latina to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards for her work.

New England Tech's commencement is May 5.

Commencement: Viola Davis, Rita Moreno, CVS CEO: Here's who's headlining RI college graduations in 2024

Ken Burns, Brandeis University

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns speaks during the kickoff event for the Gettysburg Film Festival, Friday, April 5, 2024, at the Adams County Historical Society in Gettysburg.
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns speaks during the kickoff event for the Gettysburg Film Festival, Friday, April 5, 2024, at the Adams County Historical Society in Gettysburg.

Burns, one of the most prolific documentarians in the film industry, will be speaking at Brandeis University’s 73rd commencement ceremonies on May 19.

Burns has made more than 40 documentaries over a career that spans half a century, directing and producing acclaimed historical documentaries, like “Brooklyn Bridge," “The Civil War,” “Baseball," “Jazz," and “The Vietnam War."

Burns' filmmaking style is so renowned that he even has his filter in video editing software, the "Ken Burns effect."

Students completing Brandeis' film, television and interactive media program are sure to get a kick out of hearing such an esteemed filmmaker speak during at their graduation.

Chris Christie, Endicott College

Chris Christie answers questions in the Spin Room after the fourth Republican Presidential Primary Debate presented by NewsNation at the Frank Moody Music Building on the campus of the University of Alabama on Dec. 6, 2023.
Chris Christie answers questions in the Spin Room after the fourth Republican Presidential Primary Debate presented by NewsNation at the Frank Moody Music Building on the campus of the University of Alabama on Dec. 6, 2023.

Christie, former New Jersey governor and presidential candidate, will be the commencement speaker on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at Endicott College.

Christie has been a fixture in modern politics, a divisive figure in Republican politics and a steward of the state of New Jersey for eight years.

He was an ally of Donald Trump during the former president's time in office and ran for president himself in 2016 and 2024.

Ed Cooley, Stonehill College

Jan 27, 2024; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Georgetown Hoyas head coach Ed Cooley gives a thumbs up before the first half against the Providence Friars at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports, file
Jan 27, 2024; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Georgetown Hoyas head coach Ed Cooley gives a thumbs up before the first half against the Providence Friars at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports, file

Ed Cooley, head coach of the Georgetown University Hoyas men’s basketball program, will be giving the keynote address at Stonehill College’s 73rd Commencement.

Cooley, a Providence native and Stonehill alumnus, has been coaching basketball for 30 years.

He has received the Naismith College Coach of the Year honor as well as the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year Award.

Sy Montgomery, Lesley University

Bestselling author Sy Montgomery is pictured with a cheetah in Namibia. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, and met virtually with a Krempels Center book club that had read her book, "The Soul of an Octopus."
Bestselling author Sy Montgomery is pictured with a cheetah in Namibia. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, and met virtually with a Krempels Center book club that had read her book, "The Soul of an Octopus."

Lesley's 2024 Commencement speaker is renowned naturalist Sy Montgomery

Montgomery is a conservationist and an adventurist.

She has authored 34 books for adults and children, including Of Time and Turtles.

Roger Federer, Dartmouth College

Roger Federer
Roger Federer

A tennis legend in his own regard, Roger Federer will be the speaker at Dartmouth's commencement ceremonies on June 9, 2024.

Federer dominated the sport of men's tennis between 1998 and his retirement in 2022.

He ranked No. 1 in the world for men's singles for a record of 237 consecutive weeks, totaling a 310-week reign.

Federer will be receiving an honorary degree at the commencement event.

Paul Edward Parker of the Providence Journal contributed to the writing of this article.

Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: Celebrity graduation speakers 2024: Some famous speakers coming to NE