From Maya Rudolph making graduates laugh hysterically, to President Obama offering his most heartfelt words, this year’s graduates have gotten some pretty stellar advice. For all these students who worked their tails off to get to this special day, these graduation speeches definitely did not disappoint. If you’ve got a few minutes to hear some inspiring words, here’s a roundup of the best celebrity graduation speeches of 2015.
The Best Celebrity Graduation Speeches of 2015
Natalie Portman, Harvard University
“Your inexperience is an asset and will allow you to think in original, unconventional ways. Accept your lack of knowledge and use it as your asset.
Full speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDaZu_KEMCY
Matthew McConaughey, University of Houston
“Too many options makes tyrants of us all. So get rid of the excess, the wasted time, decrease your options… and you will have accidentally, almost innocently, put in front of you, what is important to you by process of elimination.”
Full speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSxg353ZP4Q
Maya Rudolph, Tulane
“Say yes, and create your own destiny.”
Full speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPzL42x0LAg
Joyce Carol Oates at Niagara County Community College
“Energy — industry — refusal to be discouraged — a prevailing sense of humor: these are essential in our lives… The writing students of mine who have gone on to be truly successful, in several cases quite impressive careers, were individuals who worked — worked — worked — and did not allow rejections to dissuade them of their inner worth.”
Full speech: http://time.com/3893106/joyce-carol-oates-to-grads-be-stubborn-and-optimistic/
Bill Nye at Rutgers University
“I want you to solve our legal problems as well as our technical challenges and, dare I say it — Change the World.”
Full speech: http://time.com/3882613/bill-nye-graduation-speech-rutgers-university/
Robert De Niro at NYU Tisch School of the Arts
“When it comes to the arts, passion should always trump common sense.”
Full speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN4v_JK_qbY
President Barack Obama, U.S. Coast Guard Academy
“We cannot know, each of us, how many days we will walk this Earth. We can’t guarantee we’re all going to live to 100. But what we can do is live each day to its fullest.”
Which speech was most inspiring to you?
