UCLA Luskin’s Class of 2024 will hear from two trailblazing California political leaders at Commencement ceremonies on Friday, June 14.

Lindsey P. Horvath, the youngest woman ever to be elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, will address the School’s graduating master’s and doctoral students at 9 a.m. at UCLA’s Royce Hall. 

Laphonza Butler, the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent California in the U.S. Senate, will speak to students earning UCLA Luskin’s bachelor of public affairs at 3 p.m. on the patio of Kerckhoff Hall. 

“Sen. Butler and Supervisor Horvath are distinguished leaders who have broken down great barriers to serve the public good,” said Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, interim dean of the Luskin School. “Their commitment to serving the diverse communities of California with passion and integrity will be an inspiration to our graduates, particularly those who aspire to hold public office.” 

Butler, 44, was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October 2023 to complete the term of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. She has used the office to champion housing equity, gun reforms, reproductive freedom, environmental protection and the rights of working families.

Prior to her appointment, Butler was president of EMILYs List, which is dedicated to electing Democratic women who support abortion rights, and served as a labor organizer and leader, including her election as president of California’s largest home care and nursing home workers union at age 30. 

Raised in the town of Magnolia, Mississippi, to working-class parents, Butler graduated from Jackson State University, part of the United States’ network of historically Black colleges and universities. Her public service roles include a term serving on the UC Board of Regents.

Supervisor Horvath, 41, has represented the more than 2 million people of Los Angeles County’s 3rd District, stretching from the Ventura County line to West Hollywood to San Fernando, since December 2022. 

Her priorities include transportation and mobility issues, the rights of women and the LGBTQ+ community, and meeting the needs of older Americans. She is the only renter serving on the board, broadening the perspective of L.A. County leadership.

Prior to her election as supervisor, Horvath was a city councilmember and the longest consecutively serving mayor of West Hollywood.  

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Horvath also earned a certificate in nonprofit management and fundraising from UCLA Extension.

Learn more about the 2024 commencements at UCLA Luskin.