Former First Lady and SMU alumna Laura Bush will speak during the 94th Commencement ceremony in May.

Bush graduated from SMU in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She is currently a member of the SMU Board of Trustees.

“With her life-long dedication to education and the global insights she has gained from her years as First Lady, Mrs. Bush will offer a unique perspective to our graduates. At the same time, she brings a shared memory of her own graduation from the University,” SMU President R. Gerald Turner said in a press release. “We are pleased to welcome her back to campus for this important academic tradition.”

Bush grew up in Midland, Texas. After SMU, she taught in public schools in Dallas, Houston and Austin. She also worked as a public school librarian. Bush married former President George W. Bush in 1977 and has two daughters.

Bush established the Texas Book Festival in 1995 while serving as the First Lady of Texas. In September of 2001, she worked with the Library of Congress to create the National Book Festival. Bush hosted the White House Conference on Advancing Global Literacy in 2006. Through this effort, she was named the Honorary Ambassador for the United Nations Literacy Decade.

The former first lady was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999.

“As a graduating senior, I cannot think of anyone I would rather have speak at my commencement ceremony,” Lamar Dowling, student member of the SMU Board of Trustees, said in a press release. “Over the past eight years of serving our country, Mrs. Bush has gained experiences around the nation and globe that have provided her much wisdom to share. As an SMU alumna, she has a variety of accomplishments to show the infinite possibilities that an SMU education can provide.”