Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to summit Mount Everest, to speak at U of A Commencement
Erik Weihenmayer is the only blind climber to ascend the Seven Summits – the highest peaks on each continent. He will deliver the University of Arizona's Commencement address on May 16.
Manrico Dell'Agnola
Erik Weihenmayer, a world-renowned adventurer best known for becoming the first blind person to summit Mount Everest, will deliver the University of Arizona's Commencement address on May 16.
Erik Weihenmayer
Jamie Bloomquist
Weihenmayer is the only blind climber to ascend the Seven Summits – the highest peaks on each continent. A Time magazine cover story on his 2001 Mount Everest climb brought him worldwide recognition.
Weihenmayer has also climbed frozen waterfalls in Nepal and Canada, volcanoes in Ecuador and Chile, and long, difficult rock routes in his home in Colorado's Rocky Mountains and the towering cliffs of the Italian Dolomites. And in 2014, he kayaked the entire 277 miles of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
"As a blind climber, I have lived a life that no venture capitalist would have put money on, but I have been so lucky to have been a part of great teams, innovating through barriers and shattering people's perceptions of what is possible," Weihenmayer said. "One of my greatest rewards is to be able to share a message of possibility, especially with young people as they shape the vision that will be the foundation for their lives."
Born with a rare eye disease, Weihenmayer began losing his vision to retinoschisis when he was 14 years old. However, he resisted the idea that blindness would sweep him to the sidelines of life. He established himself as a formidable wrestler in high school, representing his home state of Connecticut in the National Junior Freestyle Wrestling Championship in Iowa. As a teenager, he also discovered rock climbing and a natural dexterity for the tactile aspects of scanning the rock with his hands and feet for holds.
Weihenmayer graduated from Boston College with a double major and in English and communications and earned a master's degree in education from Lesley University in Massachusetts. He later worked as a middle school math and English teacher at the Phoenix Country Day School in Arizona, using innovative tools like Braille seating charts and high-tech scanners to aid his teaching.
By challenging preconceptions about what it means to be blind, Weihenmayer has inspired people around the world. He is the co-founder of the nonprofit organization No Barriers, which offers transformative programs to help people with disabilities live a "no barriers life." The organization serves 10,000 people annually, living by its motto: "What's within you is stronger than what's in your way."
"I'm very glad we will be welcoming Erik to our campus as this year's Commencement speaker," said University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella. "Erik is a world-renowned adventurer, educator and leader, who has dedicated his life to serving others. His achievements exemplify courage, resilience and the Bear Down spirit, and he is the perfect person to help inspire our graduates to continue to challenge themselves as they embark on the next chapters in their lives."
Weihenmayer has appeared in several feature-length documentary films. He participated in a volcano research expedition to Vanuatu in the South Pacific alongside Will Smith, a trip that was chronicled in Disney's "Welcome to Earth" series, and most recently, he is featured in the short film "Soundscape," which won a Creative Excellence Award at Banff Mountain Film Festival.
Weihenmayer is the author of the best-selling memoir "Touch the Top of the World," which was made into a feature film, and he also wrote "The Adversity Advantage" and "No Barriers: A Blind Man's Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon."
Honorary degree recipients
Weihenmayer will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the U of A College of Education. He is one of five honorary degree recipients.
Ginny L. Clements
Ginny L. Clements will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Science from the College of Medicine – Tucson Department of Pediatrics. Clements is a Tucson businesswoman whose philanthropy has benefited cancer research, athletic initiatives and art programs at the U of A. She has made gifts to the Ginny L. Clements Academic Center, the Ginny L. Clements Breast Cancer Research Institute, the Ginny Clements Breast Cancer Research Fund, the William M. "Bill" Clements Golf Center, the Lute Olson statue at McKale Center, the Dr. David Alberts Endowed Fellowship for Cancer Prevention and the Men's Basketball Excellence Operations. Clements, a breast cancer survivor, has served on more that 50 boards throughout Arizona and nationally, including the advisory board of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
William A. Franke
William A. Franke will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the W.A. Franke Honors College. Franke is managing partner of Indigo Partners LLC, a global private equity firm that specializes in the aviation industry. He oversees several airlines, including Frontier Airlines in the U.S., Wizz Air in Hungary, JetSMART in Chile and Argentina, and Volaris in Mexico. He also serves as chair of APiJET, an aviation software platform, and CleanJoule, a sustainable aviation fuel company. The university's W.A. Franke Honors College was named for Franke following a $25 million gift from him and his wife, Carolyn, to support student scholarships, stipends and study abroad opportunities.
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture. A native Tucsonan, Giffords began her political career in 2001 when she won a seat in Arizona State House of Representatives and later served in the Arizona Senate. In 2006, she was elected to represent Arizona's 8th Congressional District in Washington, D.C. On Jan. 8, 2011, Giffords' life changed forever when a gunman opened fire at a "Congress on Your Corner" event in Tucson, killing six people and critically wounding Giffords. She stepped down shortly thereafter to focus on her recovery, but she later returned to public life as an advocate for gun violence prevention. Giffords co-founded Americans for Responsible Solutions, an advocacy and research organization later renamed Giffords.
Mark Smith
Mark Smith will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Science from the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences. Smith is a U of A alumnus and president and CEO of Smith Farms Company of Yuma. Under his leadership, Smith Farms has become a leader in developing resource-conscious farming strategies that promote sustainable practices in arid environments. In 2013, Smith co-founded the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture, a public-private partnership with the U of A focused on research and best practices for desert crop production. Smith and his wife, Caroline, are supporters of the U of A College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences and were instrumental in renovations of the CALES Career Center.
Commencement will take place May 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Arizona Stadium.
