Our Lady of the Lake University welcomed nationally recognized media leader and philanthropist Donald “Don” E. Graham as the Commencement speaker on Thursday, May 7, delivering a powerful address focused on education, opportunity, and the transformative impact of serving communities such as San Antonio’s Westside.
Graham, Chairman Emeritus of Graham Holdings Company and former publisher of The Washington Post, shared reflections from a career shaped by journalism, public service, and a deep commitment to expanding access to education. Speaking directly to OLLU’s graduates — many of whom are first-generation college students and proud representatives of the Westside — Graham emphasized the responsibility that comes with education: to uplift others and strengthen the communities that shaped them.
Drawing from his own family legacy in media and civic leadership, Graham highlighted how opportunity grows when institutions invest in people. His speech paralleled his work co-founding TheDream.US, the nation’s largest scholarship program for DREAMers, underscoring his belief that higher education changes not only individual lives but entire neighborhoods.
His message resonated strongly with OLLU’s mission and history on the Westside of San Antonio — a university founded to expand access to higher education for underserved communities. Graham praised the resilience, cultural pride, and determination reflected in OLLU graduates, noting that their success represents generations of sacrifice and hope.
“You carry your community with you,” he shared, encouraging graduates to remain connected to their roots as they pursue careers, advanced degrees, and leadership opportunities.
As graduates crossed the commencement stage, his words reinforced a central theme of the evening: OLLU graduates are not only earning degrees; they are becoming leaders prepared to make lasting change in San Antonio and beyond.
The university proudly thanks Donald Graham for delivering an address that honored OLLU’s heritage, affirmed the strength of the Westside community, and inspired the newest generation of Saints to lead with purpose.