Fox News' Dana Perino to deliver CSU Pueblo commencement address, receive honorary degree

A former White House Press Secretary and Colorado State University Pueblo alumna will return to campus on May 13 to address spring 2023 graduates and receive an honorary doctorate degree.

Dana Perino graduated from CSU Pueblo — then known as the University of Southern Colorado — in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. She served more than seven years in the administration of President George W. Bush and was appointed to serve as the 26th White House Press Secretary in 2007. Three years later, she was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

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Perino will deliver her commencement address at the ThunderBowl in a ceremony scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Her appearance marks the second time she been the commencement speaker at CSU Pueblo: She detailed her journey from CSU Pueblo to the White House at the 2008 commencement ceremony.

“My experience at CSU Pueblo helped shape me into who I am today, both professionally and personally," Perino said in a news release. "I am looking forward to speaking with the class of 2023 to remind them that with integrity, dignity and discipline, anyone can reach their goals and everything will be okay."

During this year's commencement ceremony, Perino will be presented with a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, an honorary degree recognizing humanitarianism, philanthropy and scholarship, according to CSU Pueblo's honorary degree policy.

"She certainly has elevated herself and the status of the university by her success, and so it's a great opportunity for us to honor that and her hard work," said Andrea Aragon, a former roommate of Perino. "I'm not surprised at all. She was always extremely smart and was a sponge — she could look at something one time and remember it."

Perino will be the second individual and first alumna to receive an honorary doctorate from CSU Pueblo. Pueblo's Art Gonzales received a posthumous Doctor of Humane Letters in 2021.

"(Perino) served the president during the 9/11 disaster," said Timothy Mottet, president of CSU Pueblo. "For her to be on campus and for her to be an alum, I am very proud."

Shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, Perino served as a press officer for the U.S. Department of Justice. She later became associate director of communications at the White House Council on Environmental Quality and deputy White House press secretary before becoming the second woman in history to serve as White House press secretary.

Following her time as White House Press Secretary, she co-founded Minute Mentoring — a fast-paced mentoring program that introduces young women to female role models in the workforce. She also serves on the board for Companions for Heroes, an organization that pairs shelter animals with military veterans and retired first responders.

Perino's 2015 book "And the Good New Is: Lessons and Advice from the Bright Side" became a No. 1 New York Times Bestseller. She also is the author of "Let Me Tell You about Jasper: How My Best Friend Became America’s Dog" and "Everything Will Be Okay: Life Lessons for Young Women (from a Former Young Woman)."

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She is the co-anchor of "America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer & Dana Perino" and co-host of "The Five" on Fox News. She previously hosted "The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino." In 2019, she invited Mottet, his spouse, Rick Gonzalez, and four CSU Pueblo mass communication students to the New York City set of "The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino."

"For an alum to make herself available to us in this kind of personal manner was very important to our students, and gave them the opportunity to engage her in a set of questions at a very personal level," Mottet said.

Tickets for the commencement ceremony on May 13 are limited to graduates and their family members. A link to a livestream will be accessible on the CSU Pueblo website. Additional information may be found at www.csupueblo.edu/commencement.

Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached by email at JBartolo@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: CSU Pueblo commencement to host Fox News anchor Dana Perino.