Dwyane Wade, a three-time NBA champion, Olympic gold medalist and one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history who led Marquette to the Final Four in 2003, will serve as Marquette University’s undergraduate Commencement speaker on Sunday, May 22, at 9 a.m.
Thelma A. Sias, former vice president for local affairs at We Energies, will speak at the Graduate School and Graduate School of Management ceremony at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 22. Sias is currently the founder and CEO of The Sias Group, which provides political and leadership consulting expertise. A retired corporate executive, community advocate and activist, and professional speaker, Sias is devoted to mentoring and inspiring young leaders, building opportunities for executive women’s leadership, driving political engagement, and advancing diversity in the community.
As part of the university’s Commencement ceremonies, Wade and Sias will both receive honorary doctor of humane letters degrees.
“Through his voice and his actions, Dwyane Wade has done what Marquette University asks of all of its students and alumni: to Be The Difference,” Marquette President Michael R. Lovell said in a statement. “He is a credit to the transformational experience our university offers its students and, in turn, has been a great source of excitement and pride to the Marquette community. We are delighted to once again welcome Dwyane back to Milwaukee to deliver an inspiring address and offer an appropriately thrilling send-off to our graduates.”
Wade attended Marquette from 2000-03 and was selected No. 5 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft months after leading the Marquette Men’s Basketball Team to the NCAA Tournament Final Four, according to a press release from Marquette University, and he played the bulk of his career with the Miami Heat, winning league championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013. He was named NBA Finals MVP in 2006, MVP of the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, and was chosen as one of the league’s 75 Greatest Players in NBA history in conjunction with the league’s 75th-anniversary celebration in 2021. He also represented the United States twice at the Olympic Games, winning a gold medal in Beijing in 2008.
Wade is also a businessman with partnerships including Li-Ning, MISSION, Budweiser’s Bud Zero, Stance, BallerTV, Wade Cellars, Mars Reel, 800° Woodfired Kitchen, and D. Wade Burgers. He recently joined the Utah Jazz and Real Salt Lake ownership groups. Through his partnership with WarnerMedia, he serves as a regular analyst for TNT’s Tuesday night NBA studio coverage and is a creative director for Bleacher Report.
