VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will be the keynote speaker at Regent University’s spring commencement.
The university that was founded by Pat Robertson in Virginia Beach made the announcement on Monday. The graduation is set for May 7 before what’s expected to be more than 2,300 graduates. Robertson started the Christian Broadcasting Network and stepped down last year as host of the “700 Club” talk show.
William Hathaway, the school’s executive vice president for academic affairs, said in a statement that the governor is a “tremendous example of a Christian leader who is changing the world.”
In November, Youngkin became the first Republican to win statewide office in a dozen years. He defeated Terry McAuliffe, a former Virginia governor and former Democratic National Committee chairman.
Youngkin is the former co-CEO at the Carlyle Group and a newcomer to politics. He ran confidently on a conservative platform and objected to abortion in most circumstances.
Youngkin spent part of his childhood in Virginia Beach. Regent was founded there in 1978. The Christian university has 11,000 students studying on its campus and online.