'Wicked' Actor, former U.S. Secretary of Education, SCSU Grad Speakers

NEW HAVEN, CT —Wicked actress and disability rights advocate Marissa Bode, and former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, will serve as speakers for the Class of 2025 Southern Connecticut State University commencement ceremonies Thursday.

Bode will address the undergraduate ceremony at 10:15 a.m., and Cardona will speak at the
graduate ceremony at 4:30 p.m., both taking place at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport.

About Marissa Bode

Bode made her feature film debut as Nessarose in Universal’s Wicked duology, directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, Jeff Goldblum, and Michelle Yeoh. Bode is the first wheelchair user to portray Nessarose and considers the role a milestone in her mission to champion disability representation in Hollywood.

A lifelong performer, Bode has been acting since age eight and trained at the American Musical
and Dramatic Academy. She is also an ambassador for Saving Our Daughters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young women from diverse backgrounds.

Throughout his 27-year career in education, Secretary Cardona has focused on improving
educational access and equity, from his classroom of students as a fourth-grade teacher to the
nation’s 65 million students.

Prior to his appointment as U. S. Secretary of Education by former President Joe Biden, Cardona
served as the commissioner of education in Connecticut, district leader in Connecticut, a
university instructor, national award-winning school principal, and classroom teacher.

Cardona led the successful reopening of America’s schools after a pandemic, oversaw the
efficient distribution of $190 billion to accelerate academic recovery and mental health support,
and led unprecedented federal efforts to transform the country's student loan system.