Graduating from college is one of life’s greatest achievements. Education changes lives, expands minds, and opens doors. I don’t recall who my commencement speaker was when I graduated from Ball State University. I was floating on champagne, which I hid under my black gown on that sweltering springtime day so long ago.
My inability to recall my own commencement speech has made me cherish the better ones. Since it's graduation season, I’d like to share some of my favorites with you.
Although she never delivered it to a graduating class, Mary Schmich’s 1997 column, Advice, Like Youth, Is Probably Wasted on the Young, went viral via email. She penned it during those glorious, pre-social media days. In urging graduates to enjoy their youth and beauty, which she noted they wouldn’t have the wisdom to appreciate until it faded, she gave this solid bit of advice: “Wear sunscreen.”
Do it! I’m telling you, it’s nature’s pause button.
When Supreme Court Justice and theater aficionado Ketanji Brown Jackson delivered the commencement address to Boston University’s School of Law School in 2023, she used musical theater—including the time she was cast as Ronette in Little Shop of Horrors during her Harvard days—as the vehicle for her speech.
She hit notes of broad appeal, stating: “Be intentional about the words you choose and if you figure out a way to make your point in different ways, do so. It will increase your chance of persuading the person you want to persuade and ultimately, the more you can persuade people, the more of a meaningful difference you can make.”
Similarly, actor Tom Hanks used Superheroes as a metaphor for his 2023 commencement address to Harvard graduates. He urged them to fight for Truth, Justice, and the American way for all.
Hanks told graduates that there are three types of Americans—those who embrace liberty and freedom for all, those who won’t, and those who are indifferent. My favorite quote reads: “In this never-ending battle, the difference is in how truly you believe, in how vociferously you promote, in how tightly you hold to the Truth that is self-evident—that of course we are all created equally yet differently, and of course we are all in this together. Justice and the American way are within our grasp no matter our gender, our faith, our station, our heritage, our genetic makeup, the shade of our flesh, or the continental birthplace of our ancestors.”
In 2022, Elizabeth Bonker delivered the valedictory address to her fellow Rollins College graduates. Titled Be the Light, she relied entirely on technology to relay her speech, since she manages nonverbal autism. She communicated to her fellow graduates the power of perseverance, no matter your circumstances, stating: “The freedom to choose our own way is our fundamental human right, and it is a right worth defending, not just for us, but for every human being.”
The next address, one that I was fortunate enough to hear in-person, still resonates more than a decade later. Saint Mary’s College alumna and author Therese Johnson Borchard’s 2011 commencement address to her fellow Belles was brave, unflinching, and authentic. She used the lyrics from Leonard Cohen’s Anthem to elucidate that cracked bells still ring.
“Ring the bells that still can ringForget your perfect offeringThere is a crack in everythingThat's how the light gets in.”
She implored graduates to, and I quote: “Ring the cracked bells, even when you’re scared and unsure and convinced that nothing you say or do will ever be significant or noble. Be you even when being you feels uncomfortable. Risk rejection in order to share your talents with the world. And always, always let the light in so it might illuminate the darkness for others.”
At a time when speaking of mental illness and addiction, especially your own, was verboten, Borchard dared to do it. The truth is, we’re all wounded in some ways; it’s what makes us human. Her bravery and authenticity filled me with courage. The courage to share my own struggles with depression, anxiety, and grief opened the door for others to share their struggles with me. When we carry the load together, it’s lighter.
Now, I’ll share with you a bit of wisdom I’ve learned in the decades since my commencement. Life is rarely black and white, so get comfortable with not knowing. Mystery is where the sacred and the magical happen. Also, beware of snakes in the garden. They will bite, and the betrayal will hurt. You will survive, and you will grow from it. And trust me on this one: Always wear sunscreen!
Music: "Oh Very Young'" by Yusuf/Cat Stevens
