Graduates at universities and colleges around the United States are wrapping up the academic year, preparing to face a new era of life. As part of that tradition, celebrities, politicians, athletes, CEOs and artists are offering a range of life advice in commencement addresses.
Here are some of the best moments and words of wisdom from commencement speeches in 2019.
Robert F. Smith: ‘We’re going to put a little fuel in your bus’
Among the most notable commencement speeches of the graduation season so far was one by Robert F. Smith at Morehouse College. The billionaire investor promised the graduates that he’d pay off the entire class of 2019’s student loans — a pledge that drew looks of shock and several cheers from the crowd.
On behalf of the eight generations of my family who have been in this country, we’re going to put a little fuel in your bus … This is my class, 2019. And my family is making a grant to eliminate their student loans.
Smith’s announcement was met with surprised glee as students, faculty and other spectators cheered.
Oprah Winfrey: ‘Life is about decisions’
Oprah Winfrey at Colorado College on May 19
The most important thing is how you’re touching other people’s lives … The truth is, you cannot fix everything. But what you can do, here and now, is make a decision, because life is about decisions. And the decision is that you will use your life in service; you will be in service to life. You will speak up. You will show up. You will stand up. You will sit in. You will volunteer. You will vote. You will shout out. You will help. You will lend a hand.
Kristen Bell: ‘Listen as fiercely as you want to be heard’
Kristen Bell at the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts on May 3
When you respect the idea that you are sharing the earth with other humans, and when you lead with your nice foot forward, you’ll win, every time. It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but it comes back to you when you need it,” she said. “We live in an age of instant gratification, of immediate likes. and it is uncomfortable to have to wait to see the dividends of your kindness. But I promise you, it will appear exactly when you need it.
Ken Jeong: ‘Figure out what your act II is’
Ken Jeong at the University of North Carolina Greensboro on May 10
What is your act II? Everyone here has a different timeline. Everyone here has a unique story. Figure out what your act II is, and embrace the change, embrace the twists and the unexpected turns. They’ll be good and they’ll be bad, but embrace that. There’s always downsides to every journey, but because of my education, I have this core stability that makes me unshakeable no matter what happens. I’m also able to take the good with the bad … They say everything happens for a reason. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know everything happens, and it’s up to you to maximize the reality of your situation.
Stacey Abrams: ‘You need to know what you believe’
Stacey Abrams at American University School of Public Affairs on May 11
Our ambitions, our decisions, our responses, are shaped by what we hold to be true. Beyond the easy labels of party and ideology are the deeply held convictions that shape those labels. But too often, adherence to conservative or progressive, to liberal or moderate, to Democrat or Republican or Independent, to being pro-this or anti-that becomes an excuse for lazy thinking. It becomes an excuse for hostile action. And for today, at least, I urge you to set aside your labels and explore what your principles say about the world you wish to serve. Because beliefs are our anchors. If they aren’t, we run the risk of opportunism, making choices because others do so, not because we should. But those anchors should never weigh us down. They should weigh down our capacity for thoughtful engagement and reasonable compromise.
Glenn Close: ‘No one looks out onto the world through your eyes’
Glenn Close at The College of William & Mary on May 11
Your perspective is unique. It’s important and it counts. Try not to compare it to anyone else. Accept it. Believe in it. Nurture it. Stay fiercely, joyously connected to the friends you have made here, to those you love and trust. You will have each other’s backs for the rest of your lives.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor: Education ‘is deeply important to our growth as people and as a community’
Sonia Sotomayor at Manhattan College on May 17
Education has a more important value than money. It is deeply important to our growth as people and as a community. I am often asked if I ever imagined as a child being on the Supreme Court, the highest court in the United States. ‘No,’ I say, ‘When I was a child, my family was poor. No lawyer or judges lived in my neighborhood. I knew nothing about the Supreme Court … You cannot dream of becoming something you do not know about. You have to learn to dream big. Education exposes you to what the world has to offer, to the possibilities open to you.
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