Khalid Hosseini to speak at 2011 commencement

By Staff reports

Dr. Khaled Hosseini, the author perhaps best known for his novel "The Kite Runner" and an alumnus of Santa Clara, will be the commencement speaker for the undergraduate class of 2011.

The university announced last week that Hosseini would be delivering the speech on June 11 at Buck Shaw Stadium. The university also announced that he will be receiving an honorary degree of Doctorate of Humane Letters for carrying for the Jesuit mission of humane justice.

"We're eager to hear from Dr. Khaled Hosseini, who is a humanitarian and spokesperson for millions of refugees around the world," said Fr. Michael Engh, S.J. "His deep and personal understanding of the challenges of the people of Afghanistan, Darfur, and Chad and his work with the United Nations will inspire the class of 2011."

In a statement alongside the announcement, Hosseini said, "I look forward to speaking to the graduates as they stand on the verge of bringing their ambitions and ideas to a greater world outside of Santa Clara University. It will be my privilege to provoke them to thought one more time before they leave the home of their formal education."

Hosseini graduated from Santa Clara in 1988 with a degree in biology. He published his first novel, "The Kite Runner," in 2003. The novel was a critical and commercial success around the world.