Bernie Sanders to Give Brooklyn College Commencement Speech

February 2, 2017 1:09 PM EST

Bernie Sanders will give the commencement address to Brooklyn College’s graduating class in May, the school announced on Thursday.

The return to Brooklyn is fitting, as the Vermont senator grew up there and attended Brooklyn College before transferring to University of Chicago. His education in socialism and outlook on life was shaped in Brooklyn, as he told TIME near the start of his campaign.

Sanders was known for drawing huge crowds while he was challenging Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Democratic primary

CNN announced this week it would host a Feb. 7 debate between Sanders and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz on the future of the Affordable Care Act, but this commencement speech will be an opportunity for Sanders to speak directly to young people as he often did during his presidential run.

Sanders is not the only 2016 presidential contender who will return to their roots this spring. Hillary Clinton is slated to give the commencement speech at Wellesley College, her alma mater, the school announced Wednesday.

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