Kim Anthony Selected as Mississippi College’s Commencement Speaker

Motivational speaker Kim Anthony is a member of the UCLA Hall of Fame.

As a motivational speaker, author, and leadership coach, Kim Hamilton Anthony lives out her faith daily. Mississippi College’s Class of 2021 will learn about her compelling story as a strong and courageous woman with a servant’s heart when Kim addresses the university’s commencement on May 6.

A stellar gymnast in the UCLA Hall of Fame, Anthony will tell the grads about her life’s challenging journey and encourage people to succeed. After working with Athletes in Action for 20 years, Kim began serving as the executive director of MomsHope, Inc. It is a non-profit empowering single moms to achieve self-sufficiency through faith-based one-on-one mentoring.

With Athletes in Action’s Pro Ministries staff, Kim worked with the wives of NFL head coaches and executives for 18 years at the group’s international headquarters. She served as the chaplain for the Miami Dolphins' wives for a decade and conducted Bible studies.

Anthony made history as the first African-American woman to be recruited and awarded a gymnastics scholarship to UCLA. She’s making headlines today as a fantastic speaker. Her messages focus on subjects like “Unlock Your Purpose” and “In the Father’s Arms,” in which she details her close relationship with God.

Anthony has spoken to groups within many organizations, including Focus on the Family, Saddlebrook Church in California, the NFL, the Christian Broadcasting Network, and the UCLA Bruins. She brings immense communication gifts to the table. She’s worked as an ESPN sports reporter and hosted three television shows in Miami, Florida.

Kim’s got an inspirational story to tell. She has written an inspiring story detailing her journey from pain to purpose in her memoir, “Unfavorable Odds.” She shares how she overcame growing up in an environment surrounded by drugs, violence, and financial hardships.

“Before I came to know Christ, I was really searching for value and worth,” the four-time National Champion and 6-time All-American said in a CBN broadcast. “What I’ve discovered in my latter years I was searching for the love of a father.”

Kim’s mission includes helping others embrace their unique value and identity, expand their vision, and navigate the roadblocks that prevent them from experiencing the fullness of life. Seeing others succeed is what fulfills Kim the most.

Along the way, Kim met Corwin Anthony, a UCLA football player who later turned pro and became the love of her life. Corwin “shared with me that God loved me and had a plan for my life,” Kim said.

She and her husband, Corwin, have been married for 29 years. They have two adult children. The couple lives in Southwest Ohio.

Her Tweets can be found at @RealKimAnthony.

Mississippi College is hosting in-person graduation ceremonies spread over two days (May 7-8) to minimize crowd sizes. Centers for Disease Control protocols will be followed at the ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The degree ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. that Friday for the MC School of Science and Mathematics in the A.E. Wood Coliseum. The School of Business ceremony starts at 2 p.m., followed by the School of Education at 6 p.m.

On Saturday, graduation ceremonies at the coliseum begin at 10 a.m. for the School of Nursing. That’s followed by the School of Christian Studies and the Arts commencement at 2 p.m. The final ceremony on May 8 begins at 6 p.m. It is booked for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Graduating seniors will receive four electronic tickets to distribute to family and friends to attend the degree ceremonies in A.E. Wood Coliseum.

There will be a new 4 p.m. celebration on the Quad on Thursday, May 6 (weather permitting) for faculty, staff, and graduating seniors. The activity is called “MC Celebrates Its Family.” The ceremony includes live music, alumni pinning, and MC’s commencement speaker, Kim Anthony. The event will be live-streamed for graduates’ families and friends.