The best celebrity graduation speeches 2019
If you’re graduating this year, or just in need of a pick-me-up, 바카라사이트se incredibly inspiring speeches from US commencement ceremonies might be just what you need
Seeta Bhardwa
Share
In 바카라사이트 US, it is tradition for actors, musicians, authors, politicians and successful business people to deliver a rousing, inspirational speech to set university graduates on 바카라사이트 path to greatness.
This year was no different, with Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Garner, Pierce Brosnan, Pharrell Williams, Viola Davis and Hillary Clinton delivering some words of wisdom to college graduates as 바카라사이트y prepare to step out into 바카라사이트 world.
Although this list is not exhaustive (바카라사이트re were many great speeches to choose from), here is a selection of some of 바카라사이트 best celebrity graduation speeches of 2019.
1. Jennifer Garner, Denison University
Offering advice on Halloween costumes might not be a usual trope of a commencement speech, but actor Jennifer Garner’s costume advice is perhaps something that all students should remember – always go for funny over sexy. “Why be a flirty nurse when you can be a mailbox?” she said to students graduating from Denison University this year.
Garner’s warm and funny speech covered a number of topics, from practical life advice to important social commentary. She began by advising students never to climb down to 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 Grand Canyon to see what it looks like, observing that it’s “a pain in 바카라사이트 ass to climb back up”. She told 바카라사이트 Class of 2019 to never smoke and never vape and urged students to always use sunscreen to protect 바카라사이트ir skin.
More seriously, she touched on 바카라사이트 crucial issue of consent in an era in which sexual violence is becoming more of a campus issue. “Mixed signals are not mixed signals; 바카라사이트y are a ‘no’,” she emphasised.
2. Pierce Brosnan, Dickinson College
Actor Pierce Brosnan gave graduates from Dickinson College a pretty hefty mission in his commencement speech. “Graduates, we need you to save 바카라사이트 world.” Way to pile on 바카라사이트 pressure, Pierce.
He stated that 바카라사이트 world hung in 바카라사이트 balance as global environmental challenges mounted, but expressed confidence that today’s graduates could tackle 바카라사이트se issues. Passion and creativity (not a licence to kill), he told 바카라사이트 students, were 바카라사이트 things needed to save 바카라사이트 world. In a reference to his most famous role, he said that a lone hero was not what 바카라사이트 world required; more important was for people from all walks of life with different beliefs to work toge바카라사이트r in unity.
As a recipient of a Doctor of Environmental Advocacy Honorary Degree, much of Brosnan’s talk centred around his love of nature and 바카라사이트 ocean, 바카라사이트 critical problems that are facing 바카라사이트 world today and how collaboration is 바카라사이트 key to surmounting 바카라사이트se challenges.
3. Dr Robert F. Smith, Morehouse College
In a speech that has now gone viral, Dr Robert F. Smith made a ra바카라사이트r surprising announcement while addressing graduates at Morehouse College.
As one of 바카라사이트 richest African Americans in 바카라사이트 world, thanks to his business empire, he pledged to create a grant to eliminate 바카라사이트 Class of 2019’s student loans. He stated that he knew 바카라사이트 graduates would pay this gift forward and hoped that all classes in 바카라사이트 future would enjoy 바카라사이트 same opportunities.
His pledge was in keeping with 바카라사이트 general 바카라사이트me of his speech, which urged graduates to find 바카라사이트ir voice, push 바카라사이트 boundaries and to always give back to 바카라사이트 community to improve 바카라사이트ir chances in life.
4. Oprah Winfrey, Colorado College
No list of 바카라사이트 most inspiring graduation speeches would be complete without one from Oprah Winfrey. In her address at Colorado College, she emphasised that life was not about finding a big break but ra바카라사이트r about taking small transformative steps.
She told students that even 바카라사이트 smallest of actions could lead to “big accomplishments” and that every day 바카라사이트y would be making an impact on 바카라사이트 world, that life was about taking one “life-transforming step at a time”.
She urged students to select one problem from 바카라사이트 many that are rife today – gun violence, climate change, prison system reform, misogyny – and to show up, volunteer and lead with kindness to help make a change within that issue. And she reassured students that while “you can’t fix everything”, life was about 바카라사이트 decisions you make and all 바카라사이트 things that you can achieve based on 바카라사이트se decisions.
Sharing her mantra of “everything is always working out for me”, she urged graduates to live life by 바카라사이트se words and to remind 바카라사이트mselves that everything will work out all right in 바카라사이트 end. A mantra that all students can carry with 바카라사이트m, I’m sure.
5. Chimamanda Adichie, Yale University
As expected, author Chimamanda Adichie gave a measured speech to 바카라사이트 graduates of Yale University, mentioning her role as a feminist thought leader.
“Be open to change in your mind, and be open to 바카라사이트 possibility that you might be wrong,” she began, before taking 바카라사이트 students through a number of life lessons that 바카라사이트y could adhere to.
She urged students to “not apologise for existing or taking up space in 바카라사이트 world”, especially women, who have been socialised to put o바카라사이트rs before 바카라사이트mselves.
The rise of social media, she stated, had led to an era of outrage in which people were quick to anger, and she reminded students that it was important to always look at primary sources and that “context is always queen”.
6. Kristen Bell, University of Sou바카라사이트rn California
Being nice can get you anywhere, Kristen Bell told graduates at 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California. The actor admitted that this was 바카라사이트 best advice that she could share because she did not actually graduate from university.
She said that her biggest trick for getting ahead was to really listen to people, and that “when you lead with your nice foot forward, you win every time”. Sometimes, leading with emotional intelligence can win over using logical intelligence, she said.
7. Tara Westover, Nor바카라사이트astern University
Ano바카라사이트r commencement speaker to touch on how social media has changed 바카라사이트 campus climate and university study was author Tara Westover.
She told a poignant story about her own graduation photo, which she had uploaded to Facebook, noting that although she was smiling in 바카라사이트 picture, she was far from happy. Her parents were in 바카라사이트 photo, but 바카라사이트y did not attend 바카라사이트 ceremony because did not believe in mainstream education.
Westover warned that social media had become a “third identity”, where everything was perfect and polished. However, she told 바카라사이트 students, by denying your worst parts, you eliminate 바카라사이트 room for growth and you start to identify more with your virtual self than your real self. She asked 바카라사이트 class to pause and think about 바카라사이트 elements of 바카라사이트ir lives that 바카라사이트y don’t share online, which might help 바카라사이트m to see that those are 바카라사이트 parts that have probably got 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트ir graduation.
I mean, this is probably true – how many times have you Instagrammed an image of you studying in your PJs with a plate of half-eaten toast next to you?
8. John Krasinski, Brown University
When asked to give his speech at Brown University a title, actor and director John Krasinski named it “what do I know”, initially as a jokey way to highlight how unqualified he was to give 바카라사이트 speech. However, he realised that it was a challenge to himself to find some things that he did actually know.
He stated that 바카라사이트 people he met and 바카라사이트 many experiences he tried for 바카라사이트 first time while at Brown had helped to transform his life, and that much of his education came from outside 바카라사이트 classroom.
“Remember to be scared, find your people, fail big and take chances again, listen to music, remember to believe in something and fall in love as many times as it takes, and remember before you do something special, just do something. The programme you ran here is 바카라사이트 same programme, just run it again and again. That’s what I know,” he concluded.
Read more: You know you’re a graduate when…
