Hoda Kotb, a well renowned journalist and television personality, will honor the Fordham University Class of 2026 with her words of wisdom during the university’s 181st Commencement. In recognition of her decades-long career in public service journalism, Fordham will honor Kotb with an honorary doctorate of humane letters at this year’s commencement ceremony.
Fordham President Tania Tetlow gave her remarks on the decision in an article on Fordham Now regarding the announcement of Fordham’s 2026 commencement speaker.
“We all know her from the ‘Today’ show, where Hoda’s warmth and intelligence lit up our mornings for so many years,” Tetlow said. “Hoda Kotb’s courage, creativity, and resilience will inspire our graduates. She has led a truly kaleidoscopic media career, boldly reporting on world events and sharing others’ stories — as well as her own — with utmost integrity. We at Fordham are blessed to have her as our commencement speaker.”
The students in Fordham’s current graduating class are not the only graduates Kotb has addressed. She spoke at her own baccalaureate service when she graduated from Fort Hunt High School in 1982. Afterward, she attended Virginia Tech and majored in broadcast journalism. Kotb’s ties to her alma mater brought her back in 2008 when she served as the keynote speaker at Virginia Tech’s graduation.
At that point, Kotb was well into her occupation as co-host on “Today”’s fourth-hour weekday morning broadcast alongside Kathie Lee Gifford. She originally joined the NBC network in 1998 as a correspondent for “Dateline” on both its domestic and international stories. This position came after years of working in broadcast journalism, starting from her first job as a CBS news assistant in Cairo, Egypt, and moving through various reporter positions for local news across the country.
Kotb’s skills in conducting personal and engaging interviews with her charismatic personality eventually led her to become the main co-anchor of “Today” with Savannah Guthrie in 2018. Kotb retired from the show in 2025, but not before collecting numerous Daytime Emmy nominations during her time at NBC. Her four wins include one for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host and the others for Outstanding Morning Program.
Kotb’s touch on humanity is not limited to the confines of a television. Winning homecoming queen in high school marked the beginning of people’s recognition of her positive light and human connection. After leaving the “Today” show, Kotb launched her wellness app “Joy 101,” a platform that offers personalized daily wellness practices and courses with interactive “Happiness Hours” in real time.
Through her “Making Space with Hoda Kotb” podcast, Kotb created yet another space where listeners can find anecdotes on personal growth and a sense of inspiration. Her storytelling and interviews with influential people continue on even after her departure from her full-time roles at NBC.
The journalist’s own life trajectory also led her to write several books throughout the years that have earned her a spot on the New York Times bestsellers list, including her memoir “Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee.” Kotb showed the world that her writing contains creativity as well through her children’s picture books.
The Fordham graduates will have the special opportunity to be privy to Kotb’s special message for them, one that will most likely “spread some joy,” as Kotb claims is her mission in life on her Instagram biography. Kotb’s way with words on paper and on air excites many of these students to hear what she will say.
Alaina Stanisci, GSB ’26, has particularly fond memories of watching Kotb on the “Today” show with her mom in the mornings and is looking forward to hearing her speak at graduation.
“I have vivid memories of us laughing out loud at jokes told, getting excited over some of the special guests and listening to some of the iconic performers the show hosted,” Stanisci said. “Needless to say, I was beyond excited when I heard that Hoda Kotb was the commencement speaker for the class of 2026.”
Kotb will address Stanisci and her fellow Fordham graduates on Eddie’s Parade on May 16.
