By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, May 18, 2026
Photo credit: Jon Rou/LMU
Venus Williams shared family wisdom as a graduation gift.
The former world No. 1 served as keynote speaker at Loyola Marymount University’s 2026 undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16th.
Four-time Olympic gold-medal champion Venus spoke about a vital gift her parents, Richard and Oracene, gave her and the wisdom gained from her distinguished career on the pro circuit where she rose to world No. 1 in singles and doubles.
“One of the greatest gifts my parents gave me was my self-belief,” Venus said in her speech.
An assertive baseliner in tennis, Venus urged graduates to “Go for the Win” and proactively pursue goals and dreams with enthusiasm of an athlete facing a challenge.
“No one is going to say you’ve deserved it because you were a nice person, or ‘isn’t it time for your lucky break?’” Venus told graduates, families, and LMU community members gathered in Sunken Garden for undergraduate commencement. “The wins go to those who go for it.”
Photo credit: Jon Rou/LMU
In a speech that LMU students said “blended humor, vulnerability, and hard-earned lessons, Venus encouraged graduates to embrace lifelong growth, confront fear and self-doubt, and pursue their goals with intention and resilience – describing the mindset as a blueprint for “winning big.”
The seven-time Grand Slam champion said major losses of taught her more than glorious victories.
“In failure you learn so much more about yourself than you ever would winning,” Venus said. “If you haven’t failed, you haven’t tried, and if you haven’t pushed hard enough, you took the safe route.
“It’s unrealistic to think you won’t be afraid or you will never fail or make mistakes. But it is possible to frame fear and put it in its place.”
The five-time Wimbledon champion is a college graduate, who often took time off from the WTA Tour in the fall to take college courts. Venus earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Indiana University East in August of 2015. Venus repeatedly encouraged graduates to set goals and celebrate their graduation day with a deep sense of pride and gratitude for those who helped them along the journey.
Photo credit: Jon Rou/LMU
“It would be a disservice to you and your hard work if we did not celebrate you today, and the sacrifices you and your loved ones have made, if we don’t finish on anything but pure joy,” Venus said. “And I hope you found joy in the journey that brought you to this moment. That’s why we embrace the process and the sense of pride that comes with accomplishment.”
Watch Venus’ keynote speech to LMU graduates here:
Nearly 3,000 undergraduate, graduate, and law students will participate in commencement weekend at LMU. Media executive Ben Sherwood, CEO and publisher of The Daily Beast, spoke at the graduate commencement the morning of Sunday, May 17, and Judge Anthony Devos Johnstone, who serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, spoke at the LMU Loyola Law School Commencement on Sunday afternoon.