Congressman Carter to Deliver Commencement Address at Xavier University

On Saturday, May 27, Xavier University of Louisiana will host its 96^th commencement ceremony for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University’s Convocation Center at 12 p.m. for undergraduates of the College of Arts and Sciences. U.S. Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (‘86), will serve as commencement speaker.

Shalanda Young, director of the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB), will honor the university and its assembled graduates and bring remarks on behalf of the White House.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Xavier in 1986 and a master’s of science degree in management from University of Holy Cross, and studied at Harvard’s JFK School of Government and Carnegie Mellon’s School of Urban and Public Affairs. A New Orleans Native, in 1991, Rep. Carter became the first African American elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives from the 102^nd District in Algiers and the youngest-ever floor leader representing New Orleans.

He currently serves as 2^nd vice president of the Congressional Black Caucus, with strong advocacy for African Americans and other marginalized communities.

“I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be invited by my alma mater, Xavier University of Louisiana, as [one of] this year’s Commencement Speaker[s]. I would not be who I am today without my outstanding education at XULA,” said Carter.

As director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, Shalanda Young is responsible for the implementation of the President of the United States’ agenda and budget across the federal government.   President Joe Biden nominated Young to serve as the Director of OMB in November 2021, and she was confirmed on March 15, 2022. She is the first Black woman to hold this position. A native of southern Louisiana, she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Loyola University New Orleans and her master’s degree in health administration from Tulane University.

A Baccalaureate Mass will be held at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 26, 2023; the University Honors and Awards Ceremony follows the Baccalaureate Mass. To get more information about the scheduling of these events, visit www.xula.edu/commencement. Xavier’s Spring 2023 commencement ceremonies are ticketed events and are not open to the public. The event will be livestreamed on Xavier’s commencement homepage and the university’s YouTube channel.