Sit Down with Commencement Speaker Soledad O’Brien

By Anissa Gardizy

Television journalist Soledad O’Brien delivered the college’s 2019 Commencement speech and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters on Sunday.

Before O’Brien stood at the podium in Boston University’s Agganis Arena in front of approximately 970 graduates, she sat down with the Beacon. 

O’Brien founded Starfish Media Group —a production and distribution company—in 2013. She currently anchors Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, a nationally syndicated political show owned by Hearst Television. She is the founder and board chairperson at the PowHERful Foundation which aims to assist young women in attending college.

Earlier in her career, O’Brien anchored CNN’s American Morning from 2003 to 2007. Throughout her career, she received three Emmys, the George Peabody Award, and an Edward R. Murrow Award among other honors.