Speaker Emeritus and UC Regent John A. Pérez Delivers UC San Diego 2023 Commencement Speech

California Assembly Speaker Emeritus and University of California Regent John A. Pérez delivered the keynote address at the University of California San Diego’s 2023 All Campus Commencement Ceremony at RIMAC Field on Saturday, June 17.

Hailed as a tireless advocate for the people of the diverse state of California, Pérez has long championed the cause of affordability and accessibility of higher education statewide. As one of the longest-serving speakers in the era of California’s term limits, he brought together his colleagues to end the state’s chronic budget deficits that left California’s budget imbalanced for more than a decade and authored legislation that created job growth and economic development in the midst of the Great Recession.

Drawing from his experiences growing up in an underserved community and his career in public service, Pérez’s commencement address will touch on themes of overcoming adversity, learning from it, and applying those lessons when facing challenges in the future.