Both Liberty University and Radford University have announced their graduation speakers.
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Liberty University names commencement speaker
Liberty University President Jerry Prevo has announced that John Maxwell, an authority on business and leadership training, will be the keynote speaker for Commencement 2022.
Commencement 2022 is expected to be the largest in the school’s history. Liberty is preparing for a record 60,000 graduates, family members, friends, and other special guests to participate in commencement events taking place on campus over three days.
More than 23,000 degrees will be conferred. Individual degree presentation ceremonies will be held May 5-7. Maxwell will speak at the commencement main ceremony, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. May 6 at Williams Stadium.
This year’s commencement will be a culmination of Liberty’s 50th anniversary celebration. The main ceremony will be followed by a fireworks show along with other activities for graduates and guests.
Maxwell has advised Fortune 500 CEOs, the presidents of nations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. The multiple #1 New York Times-bestselling author, speaker, coach and leader has sold more than 34 million books in 50 languages. He is the founder of Maxwell Leadership, a leadership development organization that has trained tens of millions of leaders in every nation. His work also includes that of the Maxwell Leadership Foundation and EQUIP, nonprofit organizations that have impacted millions of adults and youth across the globe through values-based, people-centric leadership training.
Maxwell is a recipient of the Horatio Alger Award and the Mother Teresa Prize for Global Peace and Leadership from the Luminary Leadership Network. He has been called the No. 1 leader in business by the American Management Association and Business Insider and the world’s most influential leadership expert by Inc.
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Radford names commencement speakers
Two Radford University alumni will serve as commencement speakers.
Nick Mayhugh ’18, a Paralympic gold medalist and international track star, will serve as the keynote speaker for Radford University’s spring 2022 commencement at 9 a.m. May 7 on the university’s Moffett Lawn.
Also, Stacey Price ’99, M.S. ’01, will be the university’s first graduate hooding ceremony keynote speaker. That ceremony is set for 5 p.m. May 6 at the Dedmon Center.
This marks the first time two speakers were chosen to address graduates during spring commencement exercises.
Mayhugh, a former Radford men’s soccer player, traveled to Tokyo in August 2021 as part of the U.S. Paralympic track and field team and dominated three of the four races in which he competed. He won gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter races and the 4-by-1 universal relay. He broke the world record in all three of those races and won a silver medal in the 400-meter race.
Mayhugh has a mild form of cerebral palsy. During his last year at Radford in 2017, he discovered that his diagnosis qualified him to try out for the U.S. Para 7-a-Side National Soccer Team. He has participated in six major competitions and played in seven different countries, all while scoring 34 goals and having 31 assists in only 25 appearances.
Price has two decades of experience activating community. Price, first an economic development consultant and now a talented curator, is on a mission to grow the maker economy. In 2017, she launched Shop Made in DC, a new generation incubator that uses inventive space to empower and scale Washington, D.C., artisans. Since opening, she and her team have launched Shop Made In Virginia and Shop Made In Maryland, supporting over 1,000 makers with access to customers, education and capital. In less than five years, she has helped launch eight locations and generate nearly $5 million back to local makers.
Price has a master’s degree in corporate communication from Radford University, having completed thesis work in social capital and community engagement. She currently serves on the board of directors for Pyramid Atlantic, MESS HALL and on Kaiser Permanente’s PFCC leadership team as a patient partner for the Mid-Atlantic region.