6 Noteworthy Commencement Speakers of 2014

By Alexandra Brown on January 2, 2015

Every year, universities as well as colleges generally invite notable speakers to address their senior graduating class.

Speakers are usually very distinguished, successful people at the top of their fields. Their speeches aim to offer advice and wisdom from past experiences to a graduating class full of young students that are soon to embark on their own journeys into the real world.

Commencement speakers often range from political figures to well-known celebrities to famous athletes to presidents and CEO’s of major companies.

This year, a wide variety of well-known people will be making commencement speeches at higher educational institutions across the country.

Here is a list of the most noteworthy commencement speakers of 2014.

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1. President Barack Obama

This year, President Barack Obama made the commencement speech at the University of California, Irvine on June 14. For someone gifted at making speeches, it must’ve really been a spectacle.

Apparently, the President made the speech because the UC Irvine community sent 10,000 postcards to the White House asking for his appearance.

According to the full script of Obama’s speech, Obama said: “Some tried to guilt me into coming. I got one that said ‘I went to your first inauguration, can you please come to my graduation?’”

The remainder of his speech centered on optimism, and how young students are right to be optimistic about future endeavors, whether these are travel, graduate school, or employment.

He also spoke of the dangers of climate change, the necessity for the nation’s youth to act and produce change, and he closed with inspiring words on how the students possess the ability to make a difference.

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2. Bill and Melinda Gates

Philanthropists and co-chairs of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates addressed Stanford University’s class of 2014 at their commencement ceremony on June 15.

Bill Gates also spoke of optimism, how his story relied on being optimistic and believing in something.

According to the full text of the speech, Bill Gates said: “Optimism is often dismissed as false hope. But there is also false hopelessness. That’s the attitude that says we can’t defeat poverty and disease. We absolutely can.”

Melinda Gates offered the last few words of inspiration to the graduating class: “As you leave Stanford, take your genius and your optimism and your empathy and go change the world in ways that will make millions of others optimistic as well.”

http://www.princeton.edu

3. Al Gore

Former Vice President Al Gore addressed Princeton University’s class of 2014 on June 2.

His speech was similar to that of President Barack Obama’s because of his focus on the problem of climate change, and the encouragement of the graduating class to make an effort to combat it.

“The will to act is itself a renewable resource,” Gore said to the audience, according to the university’s website.

He added: “The ice is melting and the water is rising, and we’re still struggling to establish the reality of what is happening …We have to resist merchants of doubt who are hired to confuse people to the point where they don’t know what is the truth.”

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4. Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

Scientist, engineer, inventor, and author Bill Nye gave the commencement address to the University of Massachusetts Lowell on May 17, 2014.

Most well known for his role as “The Science Guy” on his award-winning TV show, Bill Nye, among other topics such as persevering at one’s craft, focused on the importance of leadership.

According to the university’s website, Nye said, “Be willing to challenge the odds to make a difference. Leaders are those who refuse to accept the status quo. They overcome their fears, step into the unknown and accept being the underdog.”

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5. John Legend

On May 19, musician John Legend made the commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania. Earlier that day, he had also received an honorary Doctorate of Music from the university.

A 1999 graduate of UPENN with a degree in English and a concentration in African-American studies, Legend gave the university its 258th commencement speech.

His main takeaway point was the power of love.

According to a celebrity blog, he stated, “The key to success, the key to happiness is to open your heart to love. Spending your time doing things you love with people you love.”

http://www.news.cornell.edu

6. Ed Helms

NBC’s “The Office” actor Ed Helms, known for playing the character of Andy Bernard, a pretentious and obnoxious graduate of Cornell University’s class of ’93, comically addressed the university’s class of 2014 on May 24.

During the series finale, Ed Helms, as Andy Bernard, delivered the commencement address at Cornell.

In the actual address, according to Mashable, Helms said: “I think the best commencement speeches provide a moment of inspiration and a moment of excitement for the future. Ultimately, the advice itself kind of dissipates into the ether.”

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