Former Boston Celtic And Recovering Drug Addict Commencement Speaker at Framingham State University

Framingham State University announced a former Boston Celtic and founder of The Herren Project with be the 2016 undergraduate Commencement speaker.

Commencement ceremonies, for both graduate and undergraduate students, are scheduled for Sunday, May 22 at Framingham Centre Common.

Herren was a high school basketball legend from Fall River, who was named to the 1994 McDonald's All-American team.

He realized his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA only to lose it all to the nightmare of drug addiction - first alcohol, then cocaine and oxycontin, finally heroin.

Alcohol and drug-free since August 1, 2008, he has refocused his life to put his sobriety and family above all else. He shares his harrowing story of abuse and recovery in his memoir, Basketball Junkie, as well as in numerous interviews throughout the Emmy nominated ESPN Films documentary Unguarded, of which he is the subject.

Off the court, Herren continues to share his story with audiences in the hopes of reaching just one person and making a difference in his or her life.

To support this vision, he founded The Herren Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing treatment navigation, educational and mentoring programs to those touched by addiction and to educate people of all ages on the dangers of substance abuse.

“We are honored to have Chris Herren give our undergraduate commencement address this spring,” said Framingham State President F. Javier Cevallos. “The story of his recovery from substance abuse and efforts to help those currently suffering from addiction is inspiring and particularly relevant, given the current opioid crisis in Massachusetts.”

Students and faculty on campus plan to raise money for the The Herren Project in advance of the ceremony, said a University press release.

Framingham State’s undergraduate commencement ceremony is a ticketed event.

The graduate ceremony is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on May 22.

Framingham State alum Michael Powers ’86, a senior vice president and general manager at CBS Interactive Games is the Commencement speaker.

He has managed the operation of business units at several startups and established companies with an emphasis on social platforms. He was one of the earliest managers at YouTube and is the founder of two internet companies.