Elizabethtown College Names 2022 Commencement Speaker Jennifer Breen Feist, J.D. '94

Elizabethtown College announced alumna Jennifer Breen Feist, J.D. '94 will serve as this year's Commencement Speaker for the 119^th exercises on Saturday, May 14 at 11 a.m. in the Dell on the College's campus.

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa., April 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "I am thrilled and honored to join the Class of 2022 as this year's commencement speaker," Jennifer Breen Feist '94 said. "I look forward to being back on campus and to sharing my experience of life after college with this years' graduates."

An advocate for the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare workers, Feist worked to get a federal bill passed in her sister's memory this year to boost mental health resources for healthcare employees. Feist is the Co-Founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation and sister of Dr. Lorna Breen—who tragically died by suicide after working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (H.R. 1667), AHA-supported legislation was signed to authorize grants for programs that offer behavioral health services for front-line health care workers.

"Jennifer's exemplary efforts with her non-profit serve as an example of taking our College's Educate for Service motto and putting it into action to make profound impacts on society," Elizabethtown College President Betty Rider said. "We are pleased to have Jennifer return to Elizabethtown College and share her story and message of resilience with our soon-to-be graduates."

"We started our work in honor of my sister Dr. Lorna Breen, and we continue this work in honor of the thousands of health care providers who risk their own personal safety and wellbeing every day in care of others," Feist said. "We know that Lorna cared about her colleagues as much as she cared about her patients, and we believe this work is an extension of her passion and professional calling."

Feist is a Political Science graduate of the College. She also holds a Juris Doctorate from Penn State Dickinson School of Law. Currently, she is a lawyer in Charlottesville, Virginia specializing in finance, real estate and wealth management. In addition to her foundation, Feist also serves as Treasurer of the Central Virginia Chapter of Girls on the Run and is also a co-founder of Women United, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting causes that benefit women and children.

Elizabethtown College will host one ceremony inclusive of all seven Schools. The ceremony will also be live streamed at etown.edu.

About Elizabethtown College 
Elizabethtown College, located in southcentral Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a private coed institution offering more than 50 health, science, engineering, political science business, communications, fine art and music, humanities, and education degrees. Discover more: etown.edu.