Worcester State University will confer baccalaureate degrees on more than 900 undergraduates at its 149th Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 17, at the DCU Center.
Dr. Debra Maddox, founder of the Multicultural Wellness Center, will be the 2025 Commencement speaker. A Worcester native with deep ties within the community, Dr. Maddox is a Worcester State alumna.
A licensed mental health counselor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Dr. Maddox holds numerous professional licenses and certifications in Massachusetts and Nevada. In 2005, she founded the Multicultural Wellness Center in Worcester, a non-profit behavioral health clinic that specializes in the treatment of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds who have been historically underserved and underrepresented in the mental health field. In 2017, Dr. Maddox expanded services to Las Vegas, Nevada, by opening Multicultural Wellness West.
Dr. Maddox’s clinical interests are in race, culture, and the impact of culture on adjustment and acculturation. Dr. Maddox has clinical experience in the treatment of adults and adolescents as well as in family therapy. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Worcester State University, a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Assumption University, and a psychology doctorate from Antioch New England Graduate School.
Dr. Maddox’s accomplishments have been widely recognized nationally and locally. She was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award under President Barack Obama. In 2024, she was selected as one of the Worcester Business Journal’s Power 100, and in 2023, she was awarded the Worcester YWCA Katherine Erskine Award.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the first woman from Massachusetts elected to the United States Senate, will also deliver remarks at Worcester State’s 2025 Commencement. Now serving her third term, Sen. Warren serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. As a law professor for more than 30 years, Warren taught courses on commercial law, contracts, and bankruptcy and has written more than a hundred articles and eleven books, including four national bestsellers: This Fight Is Our Fight, A Fighting Chance, The Two-Income Trap, and All Your Worth.
The Class of 2025 Senior Class Address will be delivered by Daniel Hsu.
The Class of 2025 Senior Class Address will be delivered by Daniel Hsu, a business administration major with a minor in economics and a concentration in finance. During his time at Worcester State, Hsu has completed four internships in his field and served as a career coach in the university’s Career Development Center.
“Commencement is the most important day of the year for Worcester State University when we celebrate the hard work, dedication, and excellence of our graduating seniors,” said President Barry Maloney. “We are pleased to welcome Dr. Debra Maddox, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Daniel Hsu as speakers as we honor the Class of 2025.”
The Commencement ceremony begins at 9:45 a.m. For more information about attending Worcester State University’s 2025 Commencement, please visit the Commencement website. The event will be livestreamed and can be viewed here.
Editor’s Note; This story was updated on May 8 to reflect the number of degrees (more than 900) that will be conferred.
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