New London — Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz will deliver the keynote address at Mitchell College’s 78th Commencement Exercises, the college has announced.

The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 14, on the Mitchell College Green.

Bysiewicz, who was sworn in on Jan. 9, 2019, is serving her first term as Connecticut’s 109th lieutenant governor, having formerly served as secretary of the state from 1999 to 2011. As a state representative, she represented the towns of Middletown, Middlefield and Durham from 1993 to 1999. A graduate of Middletown High School, Yale University and Duke Law School, she is the author of "Ella: A Biography of Ella Grasso," Connecticut’s 83rd governor.

Bysiewicz and her husband, David Donaldson, reside in Middletown.

“We are honored that Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz will deliver the keynote address to our graduating class,” Tracy Y. Espy, Mitchell College president, said in a statement. “Her values of hard work, education and persistence, her wisdom gleaned from years of tireless work on behalf of Connecticut residents, her recognition of the value of programs that help neurodivergent communities thrive, and her commitment to growing jobs and investing in the future will inspire our graduates.”