Donahue and Crossley chosen to send off Class of 2025

WGBH radio host Callie Crossley is the graduate Class of 2025 commencement speaker. Photo courtesy of Callie Crossley

On May 10, the undergraduate Class of 2025 will celebrate its graduation with a special send-off from Lasell alum Nancy Castle Donahue, who has been chosen as this year’s undergraduate commencement speaker.

Donahue grew up in Lowell, Mass, and her career path has been anything but ordinary. She earned an associate’s degree in fashion marketing from Lasell and went on to graduate at the top of her class from Newbury College in Brookline, where she studied culinary arts.

While she was still in school, Donahue was discovered and quickly rose to fame, becoming one of the most recognizable models of the 1980s.

She didn’t stop there. After her modeling days, Donahue explored several different fields, working as a pastry chef, a certified personal trainer, a fitness director at an upscale country club, and even running her own businesses. Donahue has always found a way to push boundaries and take on new challenges.

Today, Donahue is a real estate agent in New York City, helping people buy and sell homes in one of the toughest markets out there. Her strong network and real-world experience have helped her succeed, but it’s her honesty, hard work, and ability to build real relationships that have earned her a great reputation with her clients—qualities she’ll bring to the graduation stage.

Donahue has lived all over New York City since the late ’70s and now calls the Upper West Side home. Outside of her busy career, she’s big on staying active, practicing yoga every day and taking on open-water swims around the world. She’s completed the swim from Alcatraz twice, crossed from the Statue of Liberty to New Jersey’s Clock Tower, and swum around spots like Madeira Island in Portugal, La Maddalena in Italy, and most recently, Horta in the Azores.

The graduate Class of 2025 will be celebrating its graduation on May 11 with a send-off from Callie Crossley, who has been announced as this year’s commencement speaker. Crossley is a well-respected journalist and media commentator whose work has touched almost every area of the media.

“I first learned about Lasell some years ago when I was invited on campus as a Donahue Distinguished Speaker,” Crossley said. “I am humbled to be asked to share my thoughts at this pivotal moment for the graduating students and look forward to the commencement ceremony.”

Based in Boston, she currently hosts “Under the Radar with Callie Crossley” on GBH 89.7, a show that covers stories and perspectives that don’t always make the media head- lines. She also delivers weekly commentaries on GBH’s “Morning Edition” every Monday, in which she covers a wide range of issues, everything from politics and pop culture to public health and everyday racism.

Over the years, Crossley has built an impressive career, becoming a familiar voice and face on both local and national platforms. She’s appeared on CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” PBS “NewsHour,” PRI’s “The Takeaway,” and is a regular on WGBH-TV’s “Beat the Press,” where she breaks down how media covers current events. She has also contributed to “Basic Black,” a long-running program focused on issues facing communities of color, and has guest-hosted on Fox 25’s “Boston’s Morning Show.”

Before becoming a leading voice in media commentary, Crossley worked behind the scenes as a producer for ABC News’ “20/20” for over a decade. There, she produced stories on health topics that weren’t always in the spotlight, including male menopause, breast cancer in younger women, and the risks linked to recycled air in airplanes. Her commitment to telling important stories only grew stronger when she helped produce the landmark PBS series “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years.” That project earned her major honors, including an Oscar nomination, a National Emmy, and the prestigious duPont-Columbia Gold Baton.

However, Crossley didn’t stop there. She also worked on “This Far By Faith: African-American Spiritual Journeys,” a PBS series that explored the deep connections between faith and Black history in America.

She co-produced and co-hosted the radio documentary “Witness to History: WGBH’s 1963 Coverage of the March on Washington,” which won awards from the Associated Press, Edward R. Murrow, and Clarion for its outstanding journalism.

A proud Wellesley College alum, Crossley has also spent time at Harvard, earning two fellowships: one from the Nieman Foundation for Journalism and another from the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School.

She continues to share her insights beyond the soundwaves, visiting colleges and universities nationwide as a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow. In her talks, she covers media literacy, the role of race and gender in journalism, and how media shapes the way we see the world.

Through all of the different forms of media that Crossley has explored, she has stayed dedicated to lifting up the stories that matter and making sure that all voices are heard in every corner of the nation.