Sara Bareilles is heading back to her alma mater to deliver this year’s commencement address. UCLA announced on Tuesday (April 22) that the Grammy-winning “Brave” singer will deliver the keynote address at the 2025 UCLA college commencement ceremonies on June 13 in Pauley Pavilion.
“My time at UCLA held some of the most treasured years of my life. In many ways it still shapes the person I have become and am still becoming,” said Bareilles in a statement. “I feel so honored to get to share in this deeply meaningful time of transition for all the graduates, and to celebrate all the hard work, creativity, dedication, and resilience that helped them arrive at this very special day.”
Northern California native Bareilles earned her bachelor’s degree in communication in 2003 from the school where, as an undergraduate, she performed with the campus’ Awaken A Cappella group and competed as a solo act in the university’s annual Spring Sing showcase, according to a press release; she won the competition in both 2000 and 2003.
Bareilles will be one of the speakers at the three ceremonies scheduled to take place at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. that day, alongside Chancellor Julio Frenk and students from the class of 2025.
“Sara Bareilles is an extraordinary artist and storyteller, and we are thrilled to welcome her back to UCLA for this year’s commencement,” said Miguel García-Garibay, senior dean of the UCLA College and dean of physical sciences in a statement. “Her journey highlights the importance of creativity and perseverance — messages that are sure to resonate with graduates as they step into the next chapter of their lives.”
In addition to composing the music and lyrics, and taking the lead role, in the Broadway hit Waitress, Bareilles starred in the 2022 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods and contributed to the original score of 2016’s SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical. After wrapped up her three-season run as Dawn Solano in the music sitcom Girls5Eva, Bareilles is currently working on a musical adaptation of author Meg Wolitzer’s 2013 coming-of-age novel The Interestings, composing the music and lyrics along with playwright Sara Ruhl.
