Commencement/Baccalaureate/Convocation Address / page 12

Gretchen Whitmer
categories: Commencement/Baccalaureate/Convocation Address, Speeches
Michigan State University Commencement Address - May 3, 2019
May 3, 2019
All right. Well, thank you so much. I am incredibly honored to be with all of you today, and I want to start by thanking President Udpa, Provost Youatt, distinguished deans, faculty, staff, friends, family. Most importantly, the class of 2019. My years at Michigan State were some of the best of my life, so much freedom, and not so much responsibility. I loved living on campus at Wonders Hall. I made friends here at MSU that still keep me grounded today. I continue to debate which is superior, Crunchy's […]
Kamala Harris
categories: Commencement/Baccalaureate/Convocation Address, Speeches
San Francisco State University Commencement Address - May 26, 2007
May 26, 2007
President Corrigan, distinguished faculty, families and friends, and of course you, the members of the class of 2007, I'm so pleased to say 'you did it.' And I know it was a team effort, including your family and your friends and of course Facebook and Red Bull and PS3s. And I know today is the kind of day where I should talk about where you are going. But first, I'd like to spend a few moments talking about where you've been. This spring, one and a half million students will […]
Kamala Harris
categories: Commencement/Baccalaureate/Convocation Address, Speeches
UCLA Law School Commencement Address - May 13, 2009
May 13, 2009
Dean Schill, distinguished faculty and staff, Families and loved ones, And last but not least, to the UCLA Law School Class of 2009...I’m so pleased to say, you did it! There is no doubt it was a team effort, involving your family and your friends, Gilbert’s Outlines, and of course, mass quantities of Red Bull! Graduates, continue to keep all of them around you, especially the Gilbert’s and Red Bull. They’ll get you through the next phase – the Bar Exam! And I promise you will pass the Bar! So […]
Jane Addams
categories: Commencement/Baccalaureate/Convocation Address, Speeches
Bryn Mawr Commencement Address: The Civic Value of Higher Education for Women – June 6, 1912
June 12, 1912
A friend of mine once said that when an animal evinced unusual intelligence we straightway called it instinct, that when a woman displayed intelligence we pronounced it intuition, and that only when a man showed it did we call it by its real name, intelligence. My friend made the clarifying remark under the following circumstances: As a member of a public board she had during six months prepared a careful statement concerning the prevalence of epilepsy in a given area, had demonstrated the stupidity of caring for it in the […]
Nora Ephron
categories: Commencement/Baccalaureate/Convocation Address, Speeches
Wellesley College Commencement Address – June 3, 1996
June 3, 1996
President Walsh, trustees, faculty, friends, noble parents...and dear class of 1996, I am so proud of you. Thank you for asking me to speak to you today. As many of you know, I accused Diana of having asked Martha Stewart first. And I meant to call her to see what she might have said to you. She would probably be up here telling you how to turn your lovely black robes into tents. I will try to be at least as helpful, if not quite as specific as that. I'm […]
Michelle Obama
categories: Commencement/Baccalaureate/Convocation Address, Speeches
University of Northern Iowa Commencement Address – May 7, 2011
May 7, 2011
Thank you so much. I am thrilled and honored to be here to help celebrate the UNI class of 2011, so congratulations to all of you on making it to this day – we are so proud of you. Before I get started, I wanted to let you know that if my remarks run a little long, I promise to take a break and we’ll crank up the music for the Interlude Dance. I’ve been practicing to get the ninja robot move to get it just right. In all seriousness, […]
Shirley Chisholm
categories: Commencement/Baccalaureate/Convocation Address, Speeches
MIT Commencement Address - June 4, 1984
June 4, 1984
President Gray, distinguished members of academia, citizens of the community, parents, and most important of all, the graduates. Congratulations, graduates. And congratulations also to your three F's. I'm not referring to any failing grades. I am talking about the three F's – your family, your friends, and your faculty here at MIT, all of whom must share much of the credit for this great graduation day. I am honored to have been chosen to speak here today. I must admit, however, I was a little bit puzzled by the invitation, […]
Betty Friedan
categories: Commencement/Baccalaureate/Convocation Address, Speeches
Smith College Commencement Address – May 24, 1981
May 24, 1981
Women, persons, family of Smith. I'm glad to be able to speak to you today, that you've invited me to speak to you today. This is a very crucial time. I thought to myself, in middle of the night, thinking, "You know, you have to give a cheerful speech at commencement." How can I possibly give you a cheerful, hopeful, optimistic speech today? And you know, you're in a very curious place in a curious time. There are those who think you take it all for granted – all the […]
Ella T. Grasso
categories: Commencement/Baccalaureate/Convocation Address, Speeches
Commencement Address at Mount Holyoke College – June 1, 1975
June 1, 1975
My dear friends, This is a proud day – a day which to honor achievement and look ahead to new adventure. When Oliver Wendell Holmes was pondering what to say at his fiftieth reunion, he remarked to his wife: "Life is not adding up a sum, it is painting a picture, believing that the canvas will fill out." I am honored that you – the Class of '75 – are letting me share in your commencement exercises today. As you add more color to the first wash of your personal […]
Shirley Chisholm
categories: Commencement/Baccalaureate/Convocation Address, Speeches
Commencement Address at Mount Holyoke College - May 24, 1981
May 24, 1981
My letter to the graduates of Mount Holyoke College, May 1981. Dear graduates, as you prepared to leave here today, you are undoubtedly filled with emotion. It is a time of great happiness, for each of you has completed the task that you came here for. It is a day of anticipation as you embark upon a future guided by your own hopes and dreams, but marked with uncertainty. It is also a time of sadness because you are leaving the many friends you have made here and the institution […]