Commencement - guest speaker

Featured
Ken Burns: 'Listen, listen,' Brandeis University commencement - 2024
Ken Burns: 'Listen, listen,' Brandeis University commencement - 2024
Declan Fay: 'But now you all have a blank page', Eltham High Valedictory - 2023
Declan Fay: 'But now you all have a blank page', Eltham High Valedictory - 2023
J.B. Pritzker: 'Don't trust idiots', Northwestern University - 2023
J.B. Pritzker: 'Don't trust idiots', Northwestern University - 2023
Joe Biden: 'Hope can defeat fear', Howard University - 2023
Joe Biden: 'Hope can defeat fear', Howard University - 2023
Christopher Eisgruber: 'Heed their rising voices!', Princeton University - 2023
Christopher Eisgruber: 'Heed their rising voices!', Princeton University - 2023
Jake Baum: 'On the importance of failure', Occasioonal Address, UNSW, Faculty of Medicine - 2023
Jake Baum: 'On the importance of failure', Occasioonal Address, UNSW, Faculty of Medicine - 2023
John Lewis: 'You must find a way to get into trouble, good trouble', Emory University - 2014
John Lewis: 'You must find a way to get into trouble, good trouble', Emory University - 2014
P.J. O'Rourke: 'We were the moron generation', Unlikely commencement advice, Change Magazine - 2008
P.J. O'Rourke: 'We were the moron generation', Unlikely commencement advice, Change Magazine - 2008
Dan Carlin: 'You cannot predict how you will use your education", University of Colorado - 2020
Dan Carlin: 'You cannot predict how you will use your education", University of Colorado - 2020
Chadwick Boseman: 'The light of new realizations shines on you today', Harvard University, 2018
Chadwick Boseman: 'The light of new realizations shines on you today', Harvard University, 2018
Natalie Portman: 'Achievement is wonderful when you know why you’re doing it', Harvard University - 2015
Natalie Portman: 'Achievement is wonderful when you know why you’re doing it', Harvard University - 2015
Michelle Obama: 'Over these last couple of months our foundations has been shaken', virtual commencement speech - 2020
Michelle Obama: 'Over these last couple of months our foundations has been shaken', virtual commencement speech - 2020
DeShauna Barber: 'Do not fear failure, but please be terrified of regret', Virginia State University - 2018
DeShauna Barber: 'Do not fear failure, but please be terrified of regret', Virginia State University - 2018
Barack Obama: “This is your generation’s world to shape”, Virtual Commencement speech - 2020
Barack Obama: “This is your generation’s world to shape”, Virtual Commencement speech - 2020
Kate Mulvany: ''Go out there and be human beings doing', Curtin University - 2017
Kate Mulvany: ''Go out there and be human beings doing', Curtin University - 2017
Ted Baillieu: 'Imagine a blood red thread drawn from the poppies outside', Pharmacy College Commemoration - 2019
Ted Baillieu: 'Imagine a blood red thread drawn from the poppies outside', Pharmacy College Commemoration - 2019
Randy Pausch: 'We don’t beat the reaper by living longer. We beat the reaper by living more fully', Carnegie Mellon - 2008
Randy Pausch: 'We don’t beat the reaper by living longer. We beat the reaper by living more fully', Carnegie Mellon - 2008
Angela Merkel: 'Letting go of the old is part of a new beginning', Harvard University - 2019
Angela Merkel: 'Letting go of the old is part of a new beginning', Harvard University - 2019
John Krasinski: 'Lean all the way in', Brown University - 2019
John Krasinski: 'Lean all the way in', Brown University - 2019
Bill Nye: 'Turn your fear into excitement', Goucher College - 2019
Bill Nye: 'Turn your fear into excitement', Goucher College - 2019
Mindy Kaling: 'I just whispered, 'why not me?', Dartmouth - 2018
Mindy Kaling: 'I just whispered, 'why not me?', Dartmouth - 2018
Barack Obama: 'The ultimate irony of faith is that it necessarily admits doubt,', Notre Dame University - 2009
Barack Obama: 'The ultimate irony of faith is that it necessarily admits doubt,', Notre Dame University - 2009
James Carville: 'Failure is to success as oxygen is to life', Tulane University - 2008
James Carville: 'Failure is to success as oxygen is to life', Tulane University - 2008
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Arno Rafael Minkkinen: 'Stay on the bus. Stay on the f*cking bus', Finding Your Own Vision, New England School of Photography - 2004
Atul Gawande: 'Curiosity and What Equality Really Means', UCLA Medical School - 2018
Atul Gawande: 'Curiosity and What Equality Really Means', UCLA Medical School - 2018
Tim Cook: - 'If you hope to change the world, you must find your fearlessness', Duke University - 2018
Tim Cook: - 'If you hope to change the world, you must find your fearlessness', Duke University - 2018
Rex Tillerson: 'Freedom to seek the truth is the very essence of freedom itself', Virginia Military Institute - 2018
Rex Tillerson: 'Freedom to seek the truth is the very essence of freedom itself', Virginia Military Institute - 2018
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: 'Above all else, do not lie', Harvard University Class Day - 2018
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: 'Above all else, do not lie', Harvard University Class Day - 2018
Michael Blomberg: 'To be honourabe, you must be honest', Rice University - 2018
Michael Blomberg: 'To be honourabe, you must be honest', Rice University - 2018
Oprah Winfrey: 'In life you're either principled, or you're not', USC Annenberg - 2018
Oprah Winfrey: 'In life you're either principled, or you're not', USC Annenberg - 2018
Featured
Anna Skarbek: 'This planet we all share, and which holds your future in its hands, needs urgent care', Monash Business School
Anna Skarbek: 'This planet we all share, and which holds your future in its hands, needs urgent care', Monash Business School
David Foster Wallace: "The only choice we get is what to worship", This is Water, Kenyon College - 2005
David Foster Wallace: "The only choice we get is what to worship", This is Water, Kenyon College - 2005
Barack Obama: 'Each of us believes that we will always be the winner in life's lottery, that we will be Donald Trump', Knox College - 2005
Barack Obama: 'Each of us believes that we will always be the winner in life's lottery, that we will be Donald Trump', Knox College - 2005
Tim Minchin: 'You've always wanted to be an actor', Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts - 2015
Tim Minchin: 'You've always wanted to be an actor', Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts - 2015
Kurt Vonnegut: 'I would like to see America try socialism', Bennington College -1970
Kurt Vonnegut: 'I would like to see America try socialism', Bennington College -1970
Arianna Huffington: 'What I urge you to do is to lead the third women’s revolution', Smith College - 2013
Arianna Huffington: 'What I urge you to do is to lead the third women’s revolution', Smith College - 2013
Jodie Foster: 'The journey of your life has a way of sneaking off the starting line', University of Pennsylvania - 2006
Jodie Foster: 'The journey of your life has a way of sneaking off the starting line', University of Pennsylvania - 2006
Conan O'Brien: 'Today, you have achieved something special, something only 92 percent of Americans your age will ever know', Dartmouth College - 2011
Conan O'Brien: 'Today, you have achieved something special, something only 92 percent of Americans your age will ever know', Dartmouth College - 2011
Stephen Colbert: 'Like improv, you cannot win your life', Northwestern University - 2011
Stephen Colbert: 'Like improv, you cannot win your life', Northwestern University - 2011
Robert De Niro: 'You made it! And you’re f*cked!’, TISCH School of the Arts - 2015
Robert De Niro: 'You made it! And you’re f*cked!’, TISCH School of the Arts - 2015
Will Ferrell: 'Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind', Harvard, 2003
Will Ferrell: 'Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind', Harvard, 2003
Seth Macfarlane: 'I created a TV show where a vaudeville-era barbershop quartet sings a song about AIDS' Harvard, 2006
Seth Macfarlane: 'I created a TV show where a vaudeville-era barbershop quartet sings a song about AIDS' Harvard, 2006
Amy Poehler: 'I don't have many answers, just questions. Specifically, when I use Facetime ...' Harvard, 2011
Amy Poehler: 'I don't have many answers, just questions. Specifically, when I use Facetime ...' Harvard, 2011
Jim Carrey: 'Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you', Maharishi University of Management, 2014
Jim Carrey: 'Life doesn’t happen to you, it happens for you', Maharishi University of Management, 2014
Oprah Winfrey: 'Life as a Classroom' - Stanford, 2008
Oprah Winfrey: 'Life as a Classroom' - Stanford, 2008
Hasan Minhaj: 'Fight Through the Pick', Davis Senior High - 2015
Hasan Minhaj: 'Fight Through the Pick', Davis Senior High - 2015
Jimmy Kimmel: 'I worked harder on this speech than on all the homework that I had at UNLV' - UNLV, 2013
Jimmy Kimmel: 'I worked harder on this speech than on all the homework that I had at UNLV' - UNLV, 2013
Zadie Smith: 'Don't let your fellow humans be alien to you', Many Hands, The New School - 2014
Zadie Smith: 'Don't let your fellow humans be alien to you', Many Hands, The New School - 2014
Alan Alda: 'Life is Absurd and Meaningless', Connecticut College - 1980
Alan Alda: 'Life is Absurd and Meaningless', Connecticut College - 1980
Aaron Sorkin: 'Welcome to the NFL', Syracuse - 2012
Aaron Sorkin: 'Welcome to the NFL', Syracuse - 2012
Michelle Obama: 'You've Got It', Tuskegee University - 2015
Michelle Obama: 'You've Got It', Tuskegee University - 2015
Tim Minchin: 'It’s an incredibly exciting thing, this one, meaningless life of yours', UWA - 2013
Tim Minchin: 'It’s an incredibly exciting thing, this one, meaningless life of yours', UWA - 2013
Neil Gaiman: 'Make Good Art', University of the Arts - 2012
Neil Gaiman: 'Make Good Art', University of the Arts - 2012
Toni Morrison: 'Be Your Own Story', Wellesley College - 2004
Toni Morrison: 'Be Your Own Story', Wellesley College - 2004
Bono: 'That's Not a Cause. That's an Emergency', UPenn - 2004
Bono: 'That's Not a Cause. That's an Emergency', UPenn - 2004
Barbara Kingsolver: 'Your Money or Your Life', Duke University - 2008
Barbara Kingsolver: 'Your Money or Your Life', Duke University - 2008
Nora Ephron: 'Be The Heroine of Your Life', Wellesley College - 1996
Nora Ephron: 'Be The Heroine of Your Life', Wellesley College - 1996
Jon Stewart: 'You fix this thing, you’re the next greatest generation, people', College of William and Mary - 2004
Jon Stewart: 'You fix this thing, you’re the next greatest generation, people', College of William and Mary - 2004
J K Rowling: 'So today, I wish you nothing better than similar friendships', The Fringe Benefits of Failure - Harvard 2008
J K Rowling: 'So today, I wish you nothing better than similar friendships', The Fringe Benefits of Failure - Harvard 2008
Conan O'Brien: 'Success is like a bright white tuxedo', Harvard - 2000
Conan O'Brien: 'Success is like a bright white tuxedo', Harvard - 2000
Featured
Oprah Winfrey: 'We are more alike than we are different', Smith University - 2017
Oprah Winfrey: 'We are more alike than we are different', Smith University - 2017
Jim Yong Kim: 'We lived, as you can tell, the classic All-American, Korean family grows up in a small town in Iowa story', NU 2013
Jim Yong Kim: 'We lived, as you can tell, the classic All-American, Korean family grows up in a small town in Iowa story', NU 2013
John G Roberts Jnr: 'Once a week you should write a note to someone, not an email, a note', Cardigan Mountain School - 2017
John G Roberts Jnr: 'Once a week you should write a note to someone, not an email, a note', Cardigan Mountain School - 2017
Mark Twain: 'You want to be very careful about lying; otherwise you are nearly sure to get caught', Advice to Youth - 1882
Mark Twain: 'You want to be very careful about lying; otherwise you are nearly sure to get caught', Advice to Youth - 1882
Jill Abramson: 'Get on with your knitting', Wake Forest - 2014
Jill Abramson: 'Get on with your knitting', Wake Forest - 2014
Leymah Gboweee: 'Step out of the shadows', Barnard College - 2013
Leymah Gboweee: 'Step out of the shadows', Barnard College - 2013
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: 'If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough', Harvard - 2011
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: 'If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough', Harvard - 2011
Maria Shriver: 'The Power of the Pause', USC Annenberg School - 2012
Maria Shriver: 'The Power of the Pause', USC Annenberg School - 2012
Ursula Le Guin: 'We are volcanoes', Bryn Mawr - 1986
Ursula Le Guin: 'We are volcanoes', Bryn Mawr - 1986
Viola Davis: 'Go on and live!', Providence College - 2012
Viola Davis: 'Go on and live!', Providence College - 2012
Carol Bartz: 'Embrace failure', UW-Madison - 2012
Carol Bartz: 'Embrace failure', UW-Madison - 2012
Anna Quindlen: 'I’m afraid of living a life that seems more like a resume than an adventure story', Washington University - 2017
Anna Quindlen: 'I’m afraid of living a life that seems more like a resume than an adventure story', Washington University - 2017
Ralph Waldo Emerson: 'The one thing in the world, of value, is the active soul', 'The American Scholar', Phi Beta Kappa Society, Cambridge - 1837
Ralph Waldo Emerson: 'The one thing in the world, of value, is the active soul', 'The American Scholar', Phi Beta Kappa Society, Cambridge - 1837
Virginia Rometty: 'It will not be a world of man versus machine, it will be a world of man plus machine', Northwestern - 2017
Virginia Rometty: 'It will not be a world of man versus machine, it will be a world of man plus machine', Northwestern - 2017
Maria Bamford: 'Was my alma mater lowballing me?', University of Minnesota - 2017
Maria Bamford: 'Was my alma mater lowballing me?', University of Minnesota - 2017
Pharrell Williams: 'This generation is the first that understands that we need to lift up our women', NYU - 2017
Pharrell Williams: 'This generation is the first that understands that we need to lift up our women', NYU - 2017
Hillary Clinton: 'Don't be afraid of your ambition, of your dreams, or even your anger', Wellesley College - 2017
Hillary Clinton: 'Don't be afraid of your ambition, of your dreams, or even your anger', Wellesley College - 2017
Mark Zuckerberg: 'Finding your purpose isn't enough', Harvard University - 2017
Mark Zuckerberg: 'Finding your purpose isn't enough', Harvard University - 2017
Colson Whitehead: 'Welcome to the complications'. Connecticut College - 2017
Colson Whitehead: 'Welcome to the complications'. Connecticut College - 2017
Helen Mirren: 'No good can ever come from tweeting at 3 a.m.!', Tulane University - 2017
Helen Mirren: 'No good can ever come from tweeting at 3 a.m.!', Tulane University - 2017
Howard Schultz: 'Summon your compassion', Arizona State University - 2017
Howard Schultz: 'Summon your compassion', Arizona State University - 2017
Jose B Gonzalez: 'There is always something left to love', Three Rivers College - 2017
Jose B Gonzalez: 'There is always something left to love', Three Rivers College - 2017
Theo Epstein: 'We all have our rain delay moments', Yale Class Speech - 2017
Theo Epstein: 'We all have our rain delay moments', Yale Class Speech - 2017
Steven van Zandt: - 'The way to succeed universally is to be as local and as authentic as possible', Rutgers University - 2017
Steven van Zandt: - 'The way to succeed universally is to be as local and as authentic as possible', Rutgers University - 2017
Arnold Schwarzenegger - 'None of us can make it alone', University of Houston - 2017
Arnold Schwarzenegger - 'None of us can make it alone', University of Houston - 2017
Sheryl Sandberg: 'We are not born with a certain amount of resilience', Virginia Tech - 2017
Sheryl Sandberg: 'We are not born with a certain amount of resilience', Virginia Tech - 2017
Natasha Trethewey: - 'In the words of Atlanta rapper T.I "Unhappy with the riches because you're piss poor morally"', Emory University - 2017
Natasha Trethewey: - 'In the words of Atlanta rapper T.I "Unhappy with the riches because you're piss poor morally"', Emory University - 2017
Peter Dinklage: 'I am happy to talk about the parallel lineages of the Targaryens and Lannisters later at the bar', Bennington College - 2012
Peter Dinklage: 'I am happy to talk about the parallel lineages of the Targaryens and Lannisters later at the bar', Bennington College - 2012
Will Ferrell: 'Trust your gut', USC - 2017
Will Ferrell: 'Trust your gut', USC - 2017
Ursula Le Guin: 'Success is somebody else’s failure', Mills College - 1983
Ursula Le Guin: 'Success is somebody else’s failure', Mills College - 1983
Featured
Abby Wambach: 'We are the wolves', Barnard College - 2018
Abby Wambach: 'We are the wolves', Barnard College - 2018
Jimmy Fallon: 'Thank you for showing me and the whole world that there is hope', Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School - 2018
Jimmy Fallon: 'Thank you for showing me and the whole world that there is hope', Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School - 2018
Lin-Manuel Miranda: 'Every story you choose to tell, omits others from the larger narrative', University of Pennsylvania - 2016
Lin-Manuel Miranda: 'Every story you choose to tell, omits others from the larger narrative', University of Pennsylvania - 2016
Sheryl Sandberg: 'It turns out that counting your blessings can actually increase your blessings', Berkeley, 2016
Sheryl Sandberg: 'It turns out that counting your blessings can actually increase your blessings', Berkeley, 2016
Steven Spielberg: 'Listen to that voice that tells you what you could do', Harvard University - 2016
Steven Spielberg: 'Listen to that voice that tells you what you could do', Harvard University - 2016
Elizabeth Warren: 'The most exciting parts of your life aren’t even on your radar screen', Suffolk University - 2016
Elizabeth Warren: 'The most exciting parts of your life aren’t even on your radar screen', Suffolk University - 2016
Hank Azaria: 'All you can really count on at the end of the day are your own instincts', Tufts University - 2016
Hank Azaria: 'All you can really count on at the end of the day are your own instincts', Tufts University - 2016
Maria Popova: 'Strive to be uncynical, to be a hope-giving force', Annenberg School, UPenn, 2016
Maria Popova: 'Strive to be uncynical, to be a hope-giving force', Annenberg School, UPenn, 2016
Wolf Blitzer: 'That’s very, very important, graduates – to show up', High Point University - 2017
Wolf Blitzer: 'That’s very, very important, graduates – to show up', High Point University - 2017
Victor Wooten: 'We have to remember that the world is a beautiful place and we are beautiful people', University of Vermont, Rubenstein School - 2016
Victor Wooten: 'We have to remember that the world is a beautiful place and we are beautiful people', University of Vermont, Rubenstein School - 2016
Teresita Fernández: 'On Amnesia, Broken Pottery, and the Inside of a Form', VCU School of the Arts - 2013
Teresita Fernández: 'On Amnesia, Broken Pottery, and the Inside of a Form', VCU School of the Arts - 2013
Subroto Bagchi: 'Go kiss the world', Indian Institute of Management - 2006
Subroto Bagchi: 'Go kiss the world', Indian Institute of Management - 2006
Shah Rukh Khan: 'Feel free, because that’s what essentially my talk is about; feeling free', Dhirubhai Ambani Internatioanl School (DAIS) - 2016
Shah Rukh Khan: 'Feel free, because that’s what essentially my talk is about; feeling free', Dhirubhai Ambani Internatioanl School (DAIS) - 2016
Stephen Colbert: 'The most impressive ranking of all is Playboy once again naming you the number one party school in America', UVA - 2013
Stephen Colbert: 'The most impressive ranking of all is Playboy once again naming you the number one party school in America', UVA - 2013
Elias A. Zerhouni: 'Ninety percent of what there is to discover is still ahead of us', MIT - 2004
Elias A. Zerhouni: 'Ninety percent of what there is to discover is still ahead of us', MIT - 2004
Andy Samberg: 'Anyhow all those majors are now useless unless you can somehow turn them into an iPhone app', Harvard Class Day - 2012
Andy Samberg: 'Anyhow all those majors are now useless unless you can somehow turn them into an iPhone app', Harvard Class Day - 2012
Ken Burns: "You must do everything you can to defeat the retrograde forces that have invaded our democratic process", Stanford University - 2016
Ken Burns: "You must do everything you can to defeat the retrograde forces that have invaded our democratic process", Stanford University - 2016
Patti Smith: 'We are all Pinocchio', Pratt University - 2010
Patti Smith: 'We are all Pinocchio', Pratt University - 2010
John Green: 'To be an adult meant engaging in totally unironic conversations about the weather', Kenyon College - 2016
John Green: 'To be an adult meant engaging in totally unironic conversations about the weather', Kenyon College - 2016
Oliver Stone: 'Please don’t ever forget that Edward Snowden was 29 years old when he challenged this system on behalf of us all', UConn - 2016
Oliver Stone: 'Please don’t ever forget that Edward Snowden was 29 years old when he challenged this system on behalf of us all', UConn - 2016
Bill Clinton; 'Set the world on fire with your imagination', Layola Marymount University - 2016
Bill Clinton; 'Set the world on fire with your imagination', Layola Marymount University - 2016
Robert Reich: 'I'm a class worrier, not a class warrier', Berkeley - 2015
Robert Reich: 'I'm a class worrier, not a class warrier', Berkeley - 2015
Art Buchwald: 'When I attended USC, there was nothing but buffalo as far as the eye could see,' University of Southern California - 1993
Art Buchwald: 'When I attended USC, there was nothing but buffalo as far as the eye could see,' University of Southern California - 1993
Barack Obama: 'Don't lose hope in the face of naysayers', Rutgers University - 2016
Barack Obama: 'Don't lose hope in the face of naysayers', Rutgers University - 2016
Russell Baker: 'Whatever you do, do not go forth!', Connecticut College - 1995
Russell Baker: 'Whatever you do, do not go forth!', Connecticut College - 1995
Wisnton Churchill: "Never give in - never, never, never, never', Harrow School - 1941
Wisnton Churchill: "Never give in - never, never, never, never', Harrow School - 1941
George Marshall: 'The difficulties I have outlined can and will be overcome', Harvard University - 1947
George Marshall: 'The difficulties I have outlined can and will be overcome', Harvard University - 1947
Stephen Colbert: 'So, say yes. In fact, say yes as often as you can', Knox College - 2006
Stephen Colbert: 'So, say yes. In fact, say yes as often as you can', Knox College - 2006
Bradley Whitford: 'The most difficult chains to break are inside us,' UW Madison - 2004
Bradley Whitford: 'The most difficult chains to break are inside us,' UW Madison - 2004
Barack Obama: 'Be confident in your blackness', Howard University - 2016
Barack Obama: 'Be confident in your blackness', Howard University - 2016
Featured
Jami Miscik: 'Public Service in Divisive Times', Pepperdine University - 2019
Jami Miscik: 'Public Service in Divisive Times', Pepperdine University - 2019
K. Sparks: 'A setback is just a set up for a comeback', Failure, faith, fruition', 45 PS, Clarence Witherspoon - 2019
K. Sparks: 'A setback is just a set up for a comeback', Failure, faith, fruition', 45 PS, Clarence Witherspoon - 2019
Sonia Sotomayor: 'Education has a more important value than money', Manhattan College - 2019
Sonia Sotomayor: 'Education has a more important value than money', Manhattan College - 2019
Glenn Close: 'Your perspective is unique', College of William & Mary - 2019
Glenn Close: 'Your perspective is unique', College of William & Mary - 2019
Stacey Abrams: 'You need to know what you believe', American University School of Public Affairs - 2019
Stacey Abrams: 'You need to know what you believe', American University School of Public Affairs - 2019
Kristen Bell: 'When you lead with your nice foot forward, you'll win', USC School of Dramatic Arts - 2019
Kristen Bell: 'When you lead with your nice foot forward, you'll win', USC School of Dramatic Arts - 2019
Ken Jeong: 'Find your passion,' University of North Carolina Greensboro - 2019
Ken Jeong: 'Find your passion,' University of North Carolina Greensboro - 2019
Oprah Winfrey: 'Success is a process', Colorado College - 2019
Oprah Winfrey: 'Success is a process', Colorado College - 2019
Robert F. Smith: 'We're going to put a little fuel in their bus', Morehouse College - 2019
Robert F. Smith: 'We're going to put a little fuel in their bus', Morehouse College - 2019
Tim Cook: ' If you’ve built a chaos factory, you can’t dodge responsibility for the chaos', Stanford University - 2019
Tim Cook: ' If you’ve built a chaos factory, you can’t dodge responsibility for the chaos', Stanford University - 2019
Viola Davis: 'Living life for something bigger than yourself is a hero’s journey', Barnard College - 2019
Viola Davis: 'Living life for something bigger than yourself is a hero’s journey', Barnard College - 2019
Hazel Edwards: 'Have patience, in time even an egg will walk', Monash University - 1998
Hazel Edwards: 'Have patience, in time even an egg will walk', Monash University - 1998
Tara Westover: 'Your avatar isn't real, it isn't terribly far from a lie', The Un-Instagrammable Self, Northeastern University - 2019
Tara Westover: 'Your avatar isn't real, it isn't terribly far from a lie', The Un-Instagrammable Self, Northeastern University - 2019
Hillary Clinton: 'It's not easy to wade back into the fitght every day', Yale University - 2018
Hillary Clinton: 'It's not easy to wade back into the fitght every day', Yale University - 2018
Tim Minchin: 'Being an artist requires massive reserves of self-belief', WAAPA - 2019
Tim Minchin: 'Being an artist requires massive reserves of self-belief', WAAPA - 2019
Gregory Boyle: 'You stand with the poor and the powerless and the voiceless', Seaver College Pepperdine - 2018
Gregory Boyle: 'You stand with the poor and the powerless and the voiceless', Seaver College Pepperdine - 2018
Rick Rigsby: 'That third grade drop out was my father', Cal Maritime - 2017
Rick Rigsby: 'That third grade drop out was my father', Cal Maritime - 2017
Jon Fisher: 'How do we sacrifice a lot to save the planet if we can’t even sacrifice a little?', University of San Francisco - 2018
Jon Fisher: 'How do we sacrifice a lot to save the planet if we can’t even sacrifice a little?', University of San Francisco - 2018
Barbara Walters: 'Your bliss will find you', Yale Class Day - 2012
Barbara Walters: 'Your bliss will find you', Yale Class Day - 2012
Bill Gates: 'How can we do the most good for the greatest number with the resources we have', Harvard University -2007
Bill Gates: 'How can we do the most good for the greatest number with the resources we have', Harvard University -2007
Charlie Munger: 'You want to deliver to the world what you would buy if you were on the other end', USC Law School - 2007
Charlie Munger: 'You want to deliver to the world what you would buy if you were on the other end', USC Law School - 2007
William Deresiewicz: 'What can solitude have to do with leadership?', Plebe Class, West Point - 2009
William Deresiewicz: 'What can solitude have to do with leadership?', Plebe Class, West Point - 2009
Jeff Bezos: 'Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice', Princeton - 2010
Jeff Bezos: 'Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice', Princeton - 2010
Justin Trudeau: 'Do you want to win an argument or do you want to change the world?', New York University - 2018
Justin Trudeau: 'Do you want to win an argument or do you want to change the world?', New York University - 2018
Jeff Flake: 'You can go elsewhere for a job, but you cannot go elsewhere for a soul', Harvard Law School - 2018
Jeff Flake: 'You can go elsewhere for a job, but you cannot go elsewhere for a soul', Harvard Law School - 2018
Amal Clooney: 'Challenge orthodoxy. Stand up for what you believe in', Vanderbilt - 2018
Amal Clooney: 'Challenge orthodoxy. Stand up for what you believe in', Vanderbilt - 2018
Barack Obama: 'This was a school where only about half the kids made it to graduation', Booker T Washington High School - 2011
Barack Obama: 'This was a school where only about half the kids made it to graduation', Booker T Washington High School - 2011
Eric Idle: 'America is 300 million people all walking in the same direction, singing 'I Did It My Way'', Whitman College - 2013
Eric Idle: 'America is 300 million people all walking in the same direction, singing 'I Did It My Way'', Whitman College - 2013
Featured
Anna Quindlen: 'Look at the view, young lady. Look at the view', Villanova University - 2000
Anna Quindlen: 'Look at the view, young lady. Look at the view', Villanova University - 2000
Kurt Vonnegut: 'Cigars are made of trail mix!', Agnes Scott College - 1999
Kurt Vonnegut: 'Cigars are made of trail mix!', Agnes Scott College - 1999
Michael Bloomberg: 'Those who promise you a free lunch will invariably eat you for breakfast' University of Michigan - 2016
Michael Bloomberg: 'Those who promise you a free lunch will invariably eat you for breakfast' University of Michigan - 2016
Eric Carle: 'A good editor, a hole puncher in good working order, and a bit of luck', Bates College 2007
Eric Carle: 'A good editor, a hole puncher in good working order, and a bit of luck', Bates College 2007
Ken Henry: 'The memory of that afternoon has troubled me for all of the last 30 years', Master of Economics 30 year reunion, ANU - 2001
Ken Henry: 'The memory of that afternoon has troubled me for all of the last 30 years', Master of Economics 30 year reunion, ANU - 2001
Jack Black: 'Never listen to dudes like me, ever!', Montverde Academy - 2015
Jack Black: 'Never listen to dudes like me, ever!', Montverde Academy - 2015
Charlie Day: 'You cannot succeed without the risk of failure', Merrimack College - 2014
Charlie Day: 'You cannot succeed without the risk of failure', Merrimack College - 2014
Denzel Washington: 'And when you fall throughout life—and maybe even tonight after a few too many glasses of champagne—fall forward', UPenn - 2011
Denzel Washington: 'And when you fall throughout life—and maybe even tonight after a few too many glasses of champagne—fall forward', UPenn - 2011
Sheryl Sandberg: 'Get on a rocket ship', Harvard Business School - 2012
Sheryl Sandberg: 'Get on a rocket ship', Harvard Business School - 2012
Ellen de Generes: 'You’ve already survived a hurricane. What else can happen to you?', Tulane University - 2009
Ellen de Generes: 'You’ve already survived a hurricane. What else can happen to you?', Tulane University - 2009
Margaret Edson: 'There’s not a bar graph for classroom teaching', Smith College - 2008
Margaret Edson: 'There’s not a bar graph for classroom teaching', Smith College - 2008
John F Kennedy: 'Not merely peace in our time but peace for all time', American University Speech - 1963
John F Kennedy: 'Not merely peace in our time but peace for all time', American University Speech - 1963
Bill Watterson: 'Some thoughts on the real world by one who glimpsed it and fled', Kenyon College - 1990
Bill Watterson: 'Some thoughts on the real world by one who glimpsed it and fled', Kenyon College - 1990
Robert Rabbin: 'I try to practice these six principles every day', Marin School - 1998
Robert Rabbin: 'I try to practice these six principles every day', Marin School - 1998
Michelle Obama: ' You have to push yourselves. That's the only thing', Elizabeth Garrett Language College - 2011
Michelle Obama: ' You have to push yourselves. That's the only thing', Elizabeth Garrett Language College - 2011
David Bowie: "If it itches, play it", Berklee College of Music - 1999
David Bowie: "If it itches, play it", Berklee College of Music - 1999
Joseph Brodsky: 'I wish you luck, because what lies ahead is no picnic for the prepared and the unprepared alike, and you'll need luck' University of Michigan - 1988
Joseph Brodsky: 'I wish you luck, because what lies ahead is no picnic for the prepared and the unprepared alike, and you'll need luck' University of Michigan - 1988
William H McRaven: 'What starts here changes the world', University of Texas - 2015
William H McRaven: 'What starts here changes the world', University of Texas - 2015
Meryl Streep: 'There’s only change, and resistance to it and then more change', Barnard College - 2010
Meryl Streep: 'There’s only change, and resistance to it and then more change', Barnard College - 2010
Not Kurt Vonnegut (Mary Schmish): 'Wear sunscreen' - 1997
Not Kurt Vonnegut (Mary Schmish): 'Wear sunscreen' - 1997
Arianna Huffington: 'Don't be so connected to everybody that you're not truly connected to anybody', Vassar College - 2015
Arianna Huffington: 'Don't be so connected to everybody that you're not truly connected to anybody', Vassar College - 2015
Greil Marcus: 'I’ve always believed that the divisions between high art and low art are false', School of Visual Arts - 2013
Greil Marcus: 'I’ve always believed that the divisions between high art and low art are false', School of Visual Arts - 2013
Judith Butler: 'What value do the humanities have?' McGill University - 2013
Judith Butler: 'What value do the humanities have?' McGill University - 2013
Mindy Kaling: 'I do know a ton about the law because I sue everyone', Harvard Law School, 2014
Mindy Kaling: 'I do know a ton about the law because I sue everyone', Harvard Law School, 2014
Marcus Westbury: 'How to fail and why it's important' - 2013
Marcus Westbury: 'How to fail and why it's important' - 2013
Alexander Solzhenitsyn: 'A World Split Apart', Harvard - 1978
Alexander Solzhenitsyn: 'A World Split Apart', Harvard - 1978
Al Gore: 'The Hard Right and the Easy Wrong', UT - 2010
Al Gore: 'The Hard Right and the Easy Wrong', UT - 2010
Tony Wilson: "You don’t owe it to anybody to be miserable", University of Melbourne Law School - 1998
Tony Wilson: "You don’t owe it to anybody to be miserable", University of Melbourne Law School - 1998
Matthew McConaughey: 'One thing you can depend on people being … is people,' University of Houston -2015
Matthew McConaughey: 'One thing you can depend on people being … is people,' University of Houston -2015
Kanye West: 'I am a pop artist', Art Institute of Chicago - 2015
Kanye West: 'I am a pop artist', Art Institute of Chicago - 2015

University: Valedictory

High School: Graduation

Featured
Micah Davis (written by Elias Peters): Charles D. Owen High School - 2017
Ryan Burton: 'Street poet and philosopher Drake once said', La Plata High School - 2015
Ryan Burton: 'Street poet and philosopher Drake once said', La Plata High School - 2015
Finn Stannard: 'Announcing yourself to the world is pretty terrifying because what if the world doesn’t like you?', St Ignatius College, Riverside - 2018
Finn Stannard: 'Announcing yourself to the world is pretty terrifying because what if the world doesn’t like you?', St Ignatius College, Riverside - 2018
Rashema Melson: 'Beat the odds and let the sun shine', Anacostia High School - 2014
Rashema Melson: 'Beat the odds and let the sun shine', Anacostia High School - 2014
Shaan Patel: Valedictorian dumps girlfriend on stage, Ed W. Clark High School - 2015
Shaan Patel: Valedictorian dumps girlfriend on stage, Ed W. Clark High School - 2015
Jeremy Ludowyke: 'I think we need to talk about men', MHS Speech night, Principal address - 2017
Jeremy Ludowyke: 'I think we need to talk about men', MHS Speech night, Principal address - 2017
Mark Merry: 'How do we become wise?', Yarra Valley GS Valedictory Address - 2017
Mark Merry: 'How do we become wise?', Yarra Valley GS Valedictory Address - 2017
Peter Butera: 'The title of Class President could more accurately be Class Party Planner', Class President speech - 2017
Peter Butera: 'The title of Class President could more accurately be Class Party Planner', Class President speech - 2017
Larissa Martinez: 'America can be great again without the construction of a wall built on hatred and prejudice', McKinney Boyd High School - 2016
Larissa Martinez: 'America can be great again without the construction of a wall built on hatred and prejudice', McKinney Boyd High School - 2016
Jack Aiello: 'What we need is a cinnamon roll revolution!', Thomas Middle School - 2016
Jack Aiello: 'What we need is a cinnamon roll revolution!', Thomas Middle School - 2016
David McCullough: 'You are not special. Because everyone is', Wellesley High School -2012
David McCullough: 'You are not special. Because everyone is', Wellesley High School -2012
Sarah Haynes, 'Now I’m very sorry to all the parents here today, but Ravenswood isn’t perfect – and I’m sure you already know that' Ravenswood - 2015
Sarah Haynes, 'Now I’m very sorry to all the parents here today, but Ravenswood isn’t perfect – and I’m sure you already know that' Ravenswood - 2015
Jake Bailey: 'None of us get out of life alive so be gallant, be great, be gracious,' Christchurch Boys High School, Senior Prizegiving - 2015
Jake Bailey: 'None of us get out of life alive so be gallant, be great, be gracious,' Christchurch Boys High School, Senior Prizegiving - 2015
Clare Wright: 'Be ambitious, be creative, take risks', Northcote High School - 2014
Clare Wright: 'Be ambitious, be creative, take risks', Northcote High School - 2014
Tony Wilson: 'That was my advice on happiness, so here’s my advice on misery', Penleigh & Essendon Grammar School - 2000
Tony Wilson: 'That was my advice on happiness, so here’s my advice on misery', Penleigh & Essendon Grammar School - 2000
Clare Wright: 'In Search of the Divine Mother of the Macrob Sisterhood', The Mac. Robertson Girls High School - 2007
Clare Wright: 'In Search of the Divine Mother of the Macrob Sisterhood', The Mac. Robertson Girls High School - 2007
Trevor Henley: 'Live and love life to the full, you don’t know how long or how short it might be', Year 12 Valedictory Dinner, Camberwell Grammar - 2015
Trevor Henley: 'Live and love life to the full, you don’t know how long or how short it might be', Year 12 Valedictory Dinner, Camberwell Grammar - 2015
Lance Jabr & Jeffrey Herman: 'Suck it Yale: A Musical Journey Through the High School - Experience' - 2008
Lance Jabr & Jeffrey Herman: 'Suck it Yale: A Musical Journey Through the High School - Experience' - 2008
Evan Bilberdorf: 'I put the fun in fundamentally incapable', Rundle College - 2013
Evan Bilberdorf: 'I put the fun in fundamentally incapable', Rundle College - 2013
Unknown: 'Sorry I forgot to tell you. Sometimes I dream in musicals', East Jessamine High School - 2008
Unknown: 'Sorry I forgot to tell you. Sometimes I dream in musicals', East Jessamine High School - 2008
Arjun: 'Babies, it’s your world', Pine View High School - 2013
Arjun: 'Babies, it’s your world', Pine View High School - 2013
Issac Hunt: [singing] 'Looks like we made it’, High School Graduation - 2011
Issac Hunt: [singing] 'Looks like we made it’, High School Graduation - 2011