Governor Ron DeSantis to Deliver the 2026 Commencement Address

Ave Maria University is pleased to announce that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will deliver the Commencement address at its graduation ceremony, held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 9, on Ave Maria University's campus. Governor DeSantis will also receive an honorary degree.

Governor DeSantis is a native Floridian with deep roots in the state he now leads. He grew up in Dunedin, earned his undergraduate degree at Yale University—where he captained the varsity baseball team—and went on to graduate with honors from Harvard Law School. He was commissioned as a JAG officer in the U.S. Navy and deployed to Iraq in support of SEAL operations in Fallujah, Ramadi, and throughout Al Anbar province. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service and the Iraq Campaign Medal.

Elected as Florida's 46th Governor in 2018, Governor DeSantis has been a steadfast leader for our state—guiding Florida through the COVID pandemic, expanding school choice, achieving a record 50-year crime low, and making historic investments in environmental conservation and stewardship.

Of particular resonance for our community, Florida recently ranked first in the nation for religious liberty—something Governor DeSantis has spoken about with great pride. He has also been an outspoken champion for the sanctity of life, values he has articulated in venues ranging from EWTN interviews to the March for Life in Washington, D.C.

As President Mark Middendorf shared: "Ave Maria University is honored to welcome Governor Ron DeSantis as our 2026 Commencement speaker. His dedication to living out his Catholic faith in the public sphere with courage and excellence makes him an inspirational figure for our graduating class."