MassBay Announces Massachusetts Secretary of Education, Patrick Tutwiler, as 63rd Commencement Speaker

MassBay Community College welcome Massachusetts Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler as the College’s 63rd Commencement speaker, Boston, MA, (Photo/ Massachusetts Executive Office of Education).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Liz Cooper
ecooper@massbay.edu

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. (May 16, 2025) — MassBay Community College is pleased to announce Patrick Tutwiler, Massachusetts Secretary of Education, will deliver the keynote address at the College’s 63rd Commencement on Thursday, May 29, 2025, on the College’s Wellesley Hills campus, 50 Oakland Street.

“We are delighted and honored to welcome Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler to MassBay to deliver what we know will be an insightful keynote address to our graduates,” said MassBay President David Podell. “Dr. Tutwiler has been a powerful voice and impactful advocate for  improving accessibility and advancing equity in our higher education institutions. He has shown his values and priorities closely match those that we espouse here at MassBay, and I am certain his remarks will resonate with our graduates and their families, our faculty and staff, and our guests that evening. We look forward to hearing his inspiring words.”

Secretary Tutwiler directs the Executive Office of Education, which oversees early education, K-12, and higher education. In addition, the Secretary sits on each of the boards governing the Commonwealth’s education agencies, as well as the University of Massachusetts system. He is Governor Maura Healey’s top advisor on education and helps shape the Commonwealth’s education agenda.

Prior to being sworn in as Secretary, Dr. Tutwiler served as the senior program officer at the Boston-based Barr Foundation, a grant making organization focused on arts, climate, and education. He was also superintendent of the Lynn Public Schools and headmaster in the Boston Public Schools. As superintendent of Lynn Public Schools, he spearheaded a collaborative, equity-centered effort that translated into higher graduation rates and a more racially diverse staff while also overseeing the creation of the Commonwealth’s second largest early college program.

MassBay will award more than 400 Associate Degrees and Certificates at the conclusion of the spring 2025 semester. For more information about the 2025 Commencement Exercises at MassBay, please visit www.massbay.edu/commencement.

MassBay Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston and is free to most Massachusetts residents without a bachelor’s degree. With more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs, along with comprehensive workforce and educational training, MassBay provides a wide range of courses with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes in Wellesley, Framingham, the Automotive Technology Center in Ashland, and online, in high-demand fields including health and life sciences, computer science, engineering, cybersecurity, business, and the humanities. MassBay students receive unparalleled value, with free one-on-one academic and social support services, compassionate and experienced faculty, and stackable credits that easily transfer to bachelor’s degree programs and that provide hands-on, workforce-ready skills. Health sciences, human services, early childhood education, and many general education programs are offered at the 65,000 square foot, state-of-the-art MassBay Framingham, which has served the community since January 2024. Founded in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by multiple governing bodies and remains dedicated to serving its diverse communities, fostering inclusiveness, and advancing equity for all.