A news anchor and reporter covering southwest Florida is returning to her alma mater to speak at The University of Toledo spring commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 6, in Savage Arena.

Elyse Chengery, a journalist at WFTX-TV Fox 4 who graduated from UToledo in 2009 with a bachelor of arts degree in communication, will address 1,749 candidates for undergraduate degrees — 1,672 bachelor’s and 77 associate’s candidates. The undergraduates will be split into two ceremonies at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The University’s graduate commencement ceremony and doctoral hooding are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, May 5, in Savage Arena, and will commemorate 791 candidates for doctoral, education specialist and master’s degrees as well as graduate certificates.

Tickets are required for admission.

“The Class of 2023 is graduating from UToledo at an important time in our history as we complete the celebrations of our sesquicentennial,” said UToledo President Gregory Postel. “In our 150th year, Rocket Nation is excited to honor our newest alumni and their successful academic journey and welcome their families to campus for a graduation day full of inspiration and joy.”

Chengery plans to talk to UToledo graduates and their families about leading with credibility, integrity, determination and heart.

Her career has taken her into the path of hurricanes reaching Category 5 strength — most recently Hurricane Ian — updating hundreds of thousands of people on the conditions and evacuations.

The most meaningful stories that stand out for Chengery have been about how you can help others, such as a group remodeling a military veteran’s home for accessibility after he suffered a stroke or a dying woman’s journey to receiving a life-saving kidney transplant.

At the age of eight, Chengery knew that anchoring news was her calling. On the day of her graduation from UToledo she told her family that she would return someday as the commencement speaker.

Chengery, who grew up in Cleveland, later returned to the city to work at WNWO-TV, the NBC-affiliate in Toledo. Prior to her current position in Florida, she also has worked as an anchor at TV6 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and a news reporter at NBC 4 in Columbus, Ohio.

UToledo’s spring commencement ceremonies will recognize graduates from the colleges of Arts and Letters; John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation; Judith Herb College of Education; Engineering; Graduate Studies; Health and Human Services; Natural Sciences and Mathematics; Nursing; and University College.

The College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences will host its commencement ceremony 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, in Savage Arena.

The College of Law will host its commencement ceremony 1 p.m. Sunday, May 7, in Nitschke Auditorium.

The College of Medicine and Life Sciences will hold its commencement ceremony 2 p.m. Friday, May 19, in Savage Arena.