I hope that this email finds you well. I write with the exciting news that actress and producer Hilary Swank will be Chapman’s keynote speaker at the university’s 2025 Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 23, at 7 p.m. on Wilson Field.
She is perhaps best known for her Academy Award-winning performances in Boys Don’t Cry and Million Dollar Baby, as well as her recent role on Showtime’s Yellowjackets. Outside of her film and television career, she is an advocate for underserved and under-represented groups. She is the founder of the fashion brand Mission Statement and the charity Hilaroo that connects abandoned animals with foster children, helping them all to thrive. Ms. Swank will receive an honorary doctorate at the ceremony.
Ms. Swank also has a great personal connection to Chapman – she was here for the 2017 Fowler School of Law Degree Ceremony, when her niece Eleni Swank (née Watts) graduated magna cum laude.
I want to thank Dodge College of Film and Media Arts Dean Stephen Galloway for his critical role in securing our keynote speaker.
We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Swank to campus to inspire our Class of 2025, and we hope you will attend the commencement ceremony to celebrate our graduates and their families.
Best,
Matt