White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre delivering the Commencement Speech at Rice University

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is set to deliver the spring 2023 commencement speech at Rice University. In a press release sent out Wednesday to announce Jean-Pierre as the speaker, the university touted what it called her "pioneering voice" as a daughter of Haitian immigrants and as the first Black, gay and immigrant woman to serve as White House press secretary.