Southeastern Alumna, Astronaut to speak at Commencement Ceremonies

Southeastern Louisiana University will present alumna and astronaut Hayley Arceneaux to address graduating students at two commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 16. Southeastern will confer approximately 1,200 degrees between the two ceremonies at 10 a.m. (College of Business; College of Nursing and Health Sciences) and 3 p.m. (Colleges of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Education; and Science and Technology).

“We strive to expose our new graduates to exemplary role models through our commencement speakers,” said Southeastern President William S. Wainwright. “Hayley’s inspirational words of wisdom will be invaluable to the class of 2026.”

A pediatric cancer diagnosis at age 10 did not put dreams on hold for Arceneaux. Her experience not only cured her but also reshaped her career aspirations. Now a physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, she is giving back to the place that saved her life as a child. 

In a journey that has come full circle, she served as an ambassador for the hospital on Inspiration4, the first all-civilian mission to orbit Earth. In addition to serving as the medical officer on Inspiration4, Arceneaux made history in other ways, such as becoming the first person with a prosthesis, the first pediatric cancer survivor, and the youngest American orbital astronaut.

Arceneaux was 10 years old and preparing to earn her black belt in taekwondo when one of her knees began to ache. A lump above her knee was diagnosed as osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Her curative treatment included a year of chemotherapy and limb-sparing surgery, which saved her leg. Arceneaux now works at St. Jude caring for pediatric leukemia and lymphoma patients, fulfilling her long-held dream of returning to the hospital as a healthcare provider.

When approached about the opportunity to go to space, Arceneaux reacted first with disbelief, then with enthusiasm. Family members, including a brother and sister-in-law who are both aerospace engineers, strongly supported her decision.

Training for space consisted of six months of intensive preparation, including academic coursework, long hours in the spacecraft simulator, centrifuge training, hypoxia exposure, zero-gravity flights, and water survival training. The crew also climbed Mount Rainier together.

On September 15, 2021, Arceneaux and her fellow Inspiration4 crew members launched aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. They orbited Earth for three days before safely returning, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. While in orbit, the crew participated in multiple biomedical research studies.

One of the highlights of Arceneaux’s time in space was a video call with former and current patients at St. Jude. 

“I made sure this call would happen so I could show patients what their future could look like—whether they want to be astronauts or pursue whatever big dream they imagine,” she said.

The mission raised more than $250 million for St. Jude. Inspiration4 continues to make an impact for the hospital and beyond, and the crew’s journey is featured in the Netflix docuseries Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space.

Post-space, Arceneaux continues her work as a physician assistant and embraces the new perspective that spaceflight has given her. She has a passion for exploring Earth and has now visited all seven continents. Inspired to share her journey, she published her memoir Wild Ride: A Memoir of IV Drips and Rocket Ships, as well as the young readers’ edition, Wild Ride: My Journey from Cancer Kid to Astronaut. Most recently, she published the children’s picture book Astronaut Hayley’s Brave Adventure. One of her greatest joys is sharing her story of hope and resilience through speaking.

“It’s incredible to be giving the commencement address at the place that started it all. Southeastern put me on an incredible path that led me to the stars,” Arceneaux said. “I’m excited to share my journey with the graduates and encourage them to follow their dreams and also embrace the unexpected opportunities that come their way.”

To read more about Hayley’s trip around the earth and what led to it: https://www.southeastern.edu/2026/05/becoming-an-inspiration/.

For more information on Southeastern’s commencement ceremonies, visit southeastern.edu/commencement.