Compilation: Commencement Speeches

Well, hello there 2013! This means graduation is right around the corner for any and every "Class of 2013"!

Little known fact: Last year, I submitted a speech for the chance be selected as the student speaker at my own graduation. Said speech was rejected by the committee, yet ever since then (sometime around February or March 2012), I have often found myself listening to commencement speeches of old. There are so many available on YouTube from actors, authors, CEOs and even students. There are many lists of what people consider to be The Most Inspirational Speeches and so on and so forth.

So, naturally, I wanted to share my own little list of favorite commencement speeches to date. They're awesome for when you need a pick-me-up during the post-grad years or even just little "life-reminders". Underneath each video, I've highlighted my personal favorite lines from the speeches.

Amy Poehler's Address to Harvard University's Class Day - 2011 

"All I can tell you today is what I've learned, what I have discovered as a person in this world, and that is this: you can't do it alone."

Steve Jobs' Commencement Address to Stanford - 2005

"Don't let the noise of other people's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."

Steve Carrell's Address to Princeton University Class Day - 2012  

"A text does nothing more than protect us. It protexts us, if you will, to keep us safe. It is like a warm blanket that insulates us from the truth."

David Foster Wallace's Commencement Address to Kenyon College - 2005
(audio only in two parts; also see text here)

"The point here is that I think this is one part of what teaching me how to think is really supposed to mean. To be just a little less arrogant. To have just a little critical awareness about myself and my certainties."

Mitch Thrower's Student Graduation Speech to St. Lawrence University - 1990

"We must seek laughter, friendship, enrichment, health and love because so many think life ends too soon while the real problem is that so many people wait so long to begin it."

And, there you have it! These are my absolute favorites for various reasons. There are plenty more to explore. A little bit of something for everybody!