Mia Hamm (born 1994) gives a speech at the graduation ceremony in spring 2025

Mia Hamm ’94, the world-renowned soccer player and Carolina alumna, will deliver the valedictorian address at the 2025 spring graduation ceremony, Chancellor Lee H. Roberts announced Thursday at a Board of Trustees meeting. The ceremony will be held Saturday, May 10, at 7 p.m. in Kenan Stadium.

“We are thrilled that Mia Hamm – arguably the most famous female athlete in the world – will deliver the keynote address and share her unique perspective with our Class of 2025 graduates and their guests,” said Roberts. “Not only has she had one of the most impressive football careers in history, but she has used her platform to advance women’s sports programs, strengthen bone marrow research and help families of patients after organ transplants. She is a wonderful example of Carolina excellence and we eagerly await the insights and advice she has for our graduates.”

Mia Hamm won four NCAA championships while playing for Carolina and legendary coach Anson Dorrance. (Carolina Athletics)

During her time at Carolina, Hamm set the NCAA women’s soccer scoring record with 278 points and led the Tar Heels to NCAA championships in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1993. She was atwo-time national player of the year in 1992 and 1993,All-American and ACC Player of the Year in her final three years and ACC Female Athlete of the Year in 1993 and 1994. Throughout her time here, she played soccer under Hall of Fame head coach Anson Dorrance. As a forward for the United States women’s national soccer team, Hamm scored 158 international goals, setting a record for male and female players in the sport from 2004 to 2013. She retired in 2004 with two World Cups and two Olympic gold medals to her name. She was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007.

“I want the Class of 2025 to know that Carolina has prepared them to define their own legacy in this world,” Hamm said. “It’s a place where I was constantly challenged, loved and developed – not just into the player, but into the person I am today.”

In addition to soccer, Hamm founded the Mia Hamm Foundation in 1999 to honor the memory of her brother Garrett. The foundation is dedicated to bone marrow research and supports other sports programs for women. In 2001, she established a fund at our Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center to help families of organ transplant patients. She received a Distinguished Alumna Award in 2009 and a Distinguished Young Alumna Award in 1997 from Carolina Alumni, then the General Alumni Association.

Additional information regarding the Spring Graduation Ceremony will be announced at a later date and can be found on the Graduation Ceremony website.