commencement speakers
Graduation keynote deliverers
Commencement speakers are the people invited to deliver addresses at graduation ceremonies.
Schools typically select accomplished figures—politicians, executives, celebrities, alumni—whose remarks are meant to inspire graduates entering a new phase of life.
The speeches often traffic in platitudes about following dreams and embracing failure: The commencement speaker told us to be the change we wanted to see.
- memorable quotesSayings that endure
- real worldTangible everyday existence
- graduation ceremonyFormal academic completion event
- celebrityWidely recognized public figure
- inspirationSource of creative impulse
words of wisdom · follow your dreams · academic · perseverance · emotional resonance · standing ovation · hope · leadership · activist · philanthropist · scientist · reflection · alumnus · artist · politician · success · gratitude · media coverage
- Graduatesgraduate, graduates, alumni, alumna, alumnus
- leadersleader, boss, leaders, bosses, chiefs
- Harvard PeopleHarvard alumni, visiting scholars
- University Historynotable alumni, academic traditions, endowments, library collections, honorary degrees
commencement speakersgraduates
Degree recipients
graduating class · honorees · valedictorian · students · listeners
commencement speakersfreshmen
Newly enrolled students
entry-level workers · job seekers · first-year students · matriculants · novices
commencement, commence, commencing, commenced, recommence, recommenced, recommencing, speaker, speakers