Tracy Walder, a 2007 graduate of Chapman University’s Attallah College of Educational Studies and a member of the college’s Advisory Board, will return to campus to deliver the keynote address at the 2025 Attallah College Degree Ceremony.

Walder joined the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center just weeks after earning a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Southern California, serving before, during, and after the Sept. 11 attacks in conflict zones across the Middle East, Africa, and Afghanistan. She later became a special agent in the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, making her one of the few women to serve in both agencies.

After earning a Master of Arts in teaching at Chapman, Walder taught high school history in California and Texas and designed a course that encourages young women to pursue careers in national security and global policy. She now teaches criminal justice at Texas Christian University, serves as a national security contributor for NewsNation, and appears on the History Channel and Discovery Channel. She also stars in a new Netflix No. 1 trending series and is the best-selling author of the memoir “The Unexpected Spy.”

“Tracy’s extraordinary journey shows our graduates that service, adaptability, and compassion can bridge every divide,” Dean Roxanne Greitz Miller said. “Her experience embodies the values we strive to instill in every Attallah College student.”

Walder’s Attallah College Degree Ceremony address will emphasize the “soft skills” that connect intelligence work and teaching, urging graduates to lead with empathy, critical thinking, and collaboration.

The Attallah College Degree Ceremony is part of Chapman University’s Commencement Weekend and will take place May 23‑25, 2025, on the Orange, California, campus.