5 college graduation speeches that shocked students and parents alike
Categories: US Education News
A college career isn't complete without a notable commencement speaker to cap the entire experience on graduation day as family, friends and other guests watch in person or tune in from a distance (as they did during COVID).In some cases, a college career isn't complete without a few surprises, either.Not to be outdone, Robert de Niro and Jim Carrey have contributed their share of choice pointers, too.With college graduation season upon us already, here are five memorable pieces of advice delivered from the stage. "Saturday Night Live" comedian and "Elf" star Will Ferrell spoke at the University of Southern California’s 2017 commencement ceremony, mixing in witty quips for laughs.Ferrell, a USC alumnus himself (class of 1990), joked about how the honorary doctorate he earned in 2017 was the result of various achievements on his part, including "running around in my underwear" as Ricky Bobby in comedy "Talladega Nights." But even the comedic legend turned serious in his address, mentioning that building a family (he has three children) and starting his charity Cancer for College with his fraternity brother Craig Pollard are among his proudest. Ferrell assured graduates who may not have it all figured out that it’s OK to be unsure, since he was in the exact same seat three decades earlier. Apple founder Steve Jobs was Stanford University’s commencement speaker in 2005. The advice he shared that year has been widely quoted since. As a college dropout from Reed College, Jobs credited his decision to withdraw as a full-time student — in order to take singular classes of interest instead, such as calligraphy — for his ultimate success in designing tech interfaces."You can’t connect the dots looking forward," Jobs said. "You can only connect them looking backward."Jobs encouraged graduates to find what they truly love in life, since "the only way to do great work is to love what you do."