FAIRFAX, Va – George Mason University officials announced Thursday morning that Governor Glenn Youngkin will address the graduating class of 2023 at its Spring Commencement ceremony at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax on Thursday, May 18th.

Mason President Gregory Washington stated in a new release that he looks forward to welcoming the Governor to speak to the graduating students, who he expects will comprise the largest and most diverse class of graduates ever.

Last year Governor Youngkin signed into law a biennial budget that included nearly 33 and a half million dollars in new financial aid for Mason students.

Youngkin becomes the latest sitting governor of the commonwealth to address Mason graduates. Past governors include Jim Gilmore (1998), Mark Warner (2003), Tim Kaine (2007) and Terry McAuliffe (2016).

Youngkin, a Virginia native, holds an engineering degree from Rice University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Prior to his inauguration as Virginia’s 74th governor in January 2022, Youngkin worked at The Carlyle Group, where he spent 25 years.