2008 Woodie Awards
Pelosi to Speak at Graduation
Rachel Mirsky
Issue date: 3/9/05 Section: News
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Before Pelosi was selected as this year's commencement speaker, a series of steps were followed to allow the members of the graduating class a chance to voice their opinions.
Last spring, the officers of the class of 2005 met with President Sanford J. Ungar and their Staff Advisor, Heather Koch, to discuss commencement speaker options.
Class officers were encouraged to brainstorm a list of people they felt were worthy of receiving a Goucher honorary degree. In place of payment, the honorary degree recognizes and appreciates of the speaker's commencement address.
The officers asked the rest of their class for suggestions of names of potential speakers, and then met with Ungar to discuss the list once more. The list was then sent out to the students for a vote.
A final list was submitted to President Ungar, who gave it to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees for approval. Based on the votes, the names were placed into Tiers 1, 2 or 3, in order of descending preference.
The Executive Board of Trustees and President Ungar got a final say in the choice of a speaker, but tried to pick a speaker from the list the students compiled.
"I think Nancy Pelosi is a good choice for a commencement speaker," Rachel Brooks, '05 said. "She will have a lot of positive things to say."
For the 2005 graduating class, Pelosi was pleased and honored to be chosen as commencement speaker, especially because of her connection with Baltimore.
"I think, as the first woman minority leader, she's a trail blazer. [She is] someone who has something to say," said Wendy Belzer, Special Assistant to the President.
Pelosi's father, Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr, represented Baltimore for five terms in Congress from 1939-47 and served as Mayor of Baltimore from 1947-1959. Pelosi's brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, also served as Mayor of Baltimore from 1967-71.
Pelosi began her political career as a volunteer for the Democratic Party. She served as the State and Northern Chair of the California Democratic Party and Chair of the 1984 Democratic National Convention Host Committee. These positions were followed by Pelosi's role as a Democratic National Committeewoman from California for 20 years between 1976 and 1996. She was elected as a California Representative to Congress in 1987.
According to her official website, Pelosi has advocated an increase in the investments put towards health research, such as studies in cancer and HIV/AIDS.
Pelosi created the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program (HOPWA). HOPWA helps improve the quality of life for people with AIDS and their families.
As an advocate for HIV/AIDS, Pelosi has also worked to accelerate development of an HIV vaccine, expand access to Medicaid for people living with HIV, and increase funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, an act to improve the quality and availability of health care for people with HIV.