Commencements
Inspiration




View the list of stellar commencement speeches as featured in the USA TODAY's article by Mary Beth Marklein. Read them, get inspired and send us your favorites. Go to the top 10 commencement speeches list »

Have a healthy dose of great inspirational quotes from commencement addresses:

"The person who you’re with most in life is yourself and if you don’t like yourself you’re always with somebody you don’t like."

  Marc S. Lewis




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Daniel H. Pink at Ringling School of Art and Design
May 2004

"I was nervous when I started that job—just as many of you are nervous about the careers you're about to begin. Then I read something that Peggy Noonan once said. Peggy Noonan, who wrote speeches for President Reagan, said she had a three-stage reaction to working in the White House.
Stage One: I hope nobody figures out how stupid I am.
Stage Two, after few months in the White House: Hey, I'm as smart as everyone else.
Then a few months later came Stage Three: Oh my God, we're in charge?
That three-stage reaction has been the same no matter where I've worked. It may be the defining recurrence of my adult life. And trust me: I guarantee you'll have a similar reaction no matter where you choose to ply your trade.
And so, Ringling class of 2004, on this happy day, I've got some news for you: Oh my God, you're in charge."

All the way from Hollywood, Bradley Whitford returned to Madison, WI in 2006 and delivered a great speech, with really sensible advice.

» Read more from this graduation speech

 

John Stewart, comedian
Paul Hawken, entrepreneur
Larry Bock, businessman
Jessica Lange, actress
Larry Lucchino, businessman
J.K. Rowling, writer
John Mackey, businessman
Katie Couric, TV journalist
Bradley Whitford, actor
Brian Kenny, sportscaster
Ray Sidney, businessman
Bill Watterson, cartoonist
Oprah Winfrey, talk show host
Paul Glaser, actor and director
Woody Hayes, college football coach

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Ellen DeGeneres, comedian
Carl Sagan, astronomer
Randy Pausch, professor and author
Marissa Mayers, VP at Google Inc.