Nearly 6,000 Cal State LA graduates will walk the stage next week at the Shrine Auditorium, backed by a commencement lineup that feels more like a civic all-star bill than a typical cap-and-gown affair. Tennis legend Billie Jean King is set to finally complete her long-paused bachelor’s degree and deliver the Monday evening keynote, while Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries will be honored and speak earlier that day.
According to MyNewsLA, King will receive her Bachelor of Arts in history and serve as the 5 p.m. keynote speaker for Monday’s ceremony. The outlet also reports that Father Boyle will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and deliver the 9 a.m. address, with attorney Omel A. Nieves and civil-rights leader Capri Maddox among the other honorees over the three-day stretch.
When and Where
Cal State LA has lined up nine college-based ceremonies from Monday through Wednesday, May 18–20, with sessions set for 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., according to Cal State LA. All ceremonies will be held at the Shrine Auditorium, which provides parking and transit information for guests on its website so families are not circling the block while names are being called.
Father Greg Boyle's Honor
Father Greg Boyle will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and speak at the Monday morning ceremony in recognition of his decades at the helm of Homeboy Industries, which evolved from small parish efforts into a major gang-intervention and job-training network. His national profile climbed even higher in 2024, when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Homeboy Industries’ own site outlines the organization’s programs and history that helped earn him the honor.
Other Honorees and Campus Ties
Cal State LA notes that Omel A. Nieves, president of the Cal State LA Foundation Board of Trustees and a long-time regional attorney, will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during a Wednesday ceremony. The university will also present its Presidential Award to Capri Maddox, the founding executive director of the Los Angeles Civil Rights Department and a two-time Cal State LA alumna, recognizing her work on local equity issues.
Why It Matters
King’s choice to return and complete a degree decades after leaving for professional tennis has become a headline draw for the weekend, and the move has attracted both local and national coverage, MyNewsLA reported. For Cal State LA, the slate of speakers and honorees ties high-profile civic recognition to the university’s focus on upward mobility and community engagement, framing the moment as nearly 6,000 graduates step into their next chapter.
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