best graduation speeches of 2023

The Most Notable Commencement Speeches of 2023

Each year, BestColleges features a roundup of the most noteworthy university commencement speeches. This year’s roster of speakers includes entertainers, politicians, business leaders, social activists, and other prominent A-listers.

Here’s a sampling of inspiring speakers and their words of wisdom for the class of 2023.

Note: This list will be updated throughout the commencement season.

Oprah Winfrey, Tennessee State University

The media giant and philanthropist returned to her alma mater to encourage graduates while reminding them that “there is more than enough wrong to keep you busy trying to make things right for the rest of your natural life.”

Favorite Quote : “When you tap into what it’s trying to tell you, when you can get yourself quiet enough to listen, I mean, really listen, you can begin to distill the still, small voice, which is always representing the truth of you from the noise of the world. And you can start to recognize when it comes your way. You can learn to make distinctions, to connect, to dig a little deeper. You’ll be able to find your own voice within the still, small voice.”

Tom Hanks, Harvard University

Presented with a Harvard-emblazoned volleyball, the Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker invoked superheroes, telling graduates to fight for justice in the face of “agents of intolerance and braying incompetence.”

Favorite Quote : “For every graduating class, there is a choice to be made. It’s the same option for all grown-ups who have to decide to be one of three types of Americans: those who embrace liberty and freedom for all, those who won’t, or those who are indifferent. Only the first do the work of creating a more perfect union. A nation indivisible. The others get in the way.”

President Joe Biden, Howard University

The president spoke at the famous HBCU, the alma mater of his vice president, Kamala Harris. He addressed the threats of white supremacy, political extremism, and the power of democracy. Some students used the occasion to make statements about the treatment of Black Americans.

Favorite Quote : “The soul of America is what makes us unique among all nations. We’re the only country founded on an idea — not geography, not religion, not ethnicity, but an idea. The sacred proposition, rooted in Scripture and enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, that we’re all created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. While we’ve never fully lived up to that promise, we never before fully walked away from it.”

Juan Manuel Santos, University of Notre Dame

The former Colombian president and Nobel Peace Prize winner spoke about the threat of nuclear war, artificial intelligence, environmental risks, and, of course, Fighting Irish football.

Favorite Quote : “When progress is based on exclusion, it is fragile and will ultimately disappear. However, when progress is based on inclusion, when we understand that everyone’s life is as valuable as our own, then that progress is lasting and real.”

Sterling K. Brown, Washington University in St. Louis

The actor and St. Louis native exhorted graduates to let their internal voices chart their paths and not follow the “external voices of expectancy.”

Favorite Quote : “For me, the goal of higher education is the same overriding goal I have for my life. And that is to become the next best version of myself. And you’re the only one who can know what that is — if you give yourself the time and the space to listen to what is already inside of you.”

Martin Sheen, Loyola Marymount University

The longtime actor, accustomed to delivering speeches as President Bartlet on “The West Wing,” told graduates to “go about the world bringing justice, healing, and mercy” and recounted his time as a 66-year-old student at the National University of Ireland.

Favorite Quote : “We are living at a time, in a culture, where truth is fair game, where arrogance is ignorance matured, where the aim of the big lie is not universal acceptance — the aim of the big lie is personal indifference. Yet despite the constant static of dishonest rhetoric and false claims that assault the senses and distort reality, we are drawn to the ‘angel of truth’ that soars above the fray with an unobstructed view so that when we speak truth to power, we can articulate the truth and identify the power.”

Patrick Gelsinger, Carnegie Mellon University

The CEO of Intel offered thoughts on how technology affects nearly all aspects of everyday life, how artificial intelligence is “profoundly shaping how we experience the world,” and how graduates can help ensure that technology ultimately benefits humanity.

Favorite Quote : “As we embark on the next phase of this wonderful journey of life, you are the superheroes who will embrace these superpowers as the basis for innovations we cannot even begin to imagine yet. Join me in shaping them as a force for good, improving the lives of every single human on the planet through the magic of silicon and digitization. When technology is a force for good, it truly is magic.”

Nicole Hockley, Trinity College

The co-founder and CEO of the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation told fellow Trinity graduates her story of how her son’s murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School caused her to jettison a corporate career and channel her “sadness, anger, and love into preventing others from sharing my experience.”

Favorite Quote : “Whether your life transitions from one positive experience to the next or has seemingly endless, unsurmountable challenges at every turn, you will find a way through. But please remember, you don’t have to take it all on yourself. Find those with similar purpose, those who share your passion, those who inspire you, who make you laugh out loud, who help you push past your fear and challenge you to think, to dream, and to be brave and bold.”

Patton Oswalt, William & Mary

Speaking at his alma mater, the actor and comedian warned graduates their generation must “fight for every scrap of your humanity and dignity” and advised them to “work hard so that you can buy yourself the time to wander easy.”

Favorite Quote : “You do not have a choice to be anything but extraordinary. […] It’s been truly amazing to see how your generation has rebelled against every bad habit of mine and every generation that came before me. […] You’ve rejected that whole 24/7 no days off grind, you have rejected apathy, you’ve rejected ignoring your mental health because you have to muscle through no matter what, you’ve rejected alienation and cruelty, you’ve rejected not trying to include everyone and you’ve rejected not looking out for each other. And those are hard things to reject, because accepting them sometimes makes life way easier […] but it’s also way less colorful, it’s way less complicated, way less nourishing and way less memorable.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Johns Hopkins University

The Ukrainian president surprised graduates with an unannounced address via live video stream, focusing his remarks on the value of time, the ideals of freedom, and his country’s war with Russia.

Favorite Quote : “I’m certain you, as your forefathers, will continue to lead the free world, and this century will be our century, a century where freedom, innovation, and democratic values reign, a century where tyrannies that repress their own and seek to enslave their neighbors will vanish from us once and for all.”

Mark Rober, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The former NASA engineer who founded CrunchLabs and produces YouTube videos exploring popular science told MIT students to embrace naive optimism, frame their failures to learn from them, and foster their relationships before he launched a drone affixed to a mortarboard high above the sea of graduates.

Favorite Quote : “Life is like trying to cross a big flowing river with lots of rocks and boulders strewn about. If you want to cross the river, you have to start on the bank and look at the first several rocks in front of you. You can wiggle them with your toe and scan a few boulders out. But at some point, you’ve just got to pick one and jump, because the river is dynamic and always changing.”

John McEnroe, Stanford University

The tennis legend told graduates at his alma mater to be their own best advocates, to not be disillusioned by failure or burdened by perfection, to embrace change, and to take their best shots.

Favorite Quote : “In sports, you often hear the phrase, ‘winning is everything,’ but in reality, it’s not. The questions you have to answer are, Am I getting better as a person? And is what I’m doing bringing me and the ones around me happiness?”

The Most Inspiring Graduation Day Speeches of 2023

Some of the happiest moments of spring each year are at graduation ceremonies. We really love hearing the moving speeches that come along with them.  We’ve compiled a list of the best and most inspiring graduation day speeches and commencement speaker quotes from celebrities, students and others in 2023. These are the words we’re taking to heart.

the most inspiring speeches from graduation day in 2023

We never stop needing good advice. In fact, though words of wisdom are often aimed at younger generations, we find ourselves more in need of them the older we get; the more trials and tribulations we endure in life, the more desperate we are for some expert guidance. And who better to look to for this guidance than some of the human beings we admire most?

That’s why we love commencement season. Though these inspirational speeches may be intended for an audience of young adults, bravely taking their first steps after university, we all have a thing or two we can learn from them.

The best and most inspiring graduation day speeches and commencement speaker quotes from celebrities, students and others in 2023.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of our favorite commencement speeches from 2023. Some of these speeches focus on the personal – on how to approach life’s hardest decisions – while others zoom out to look at the bigger picture. At how we can work together to make the world a better place.

We never stop needing good advice, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If you find yourself in need of guidance, here are ten 2023 commencement speeches to watch.

1. Tom Hanks at Harvard University

This year, the 2023 Harvard University graduates were lucky enough to share their special day with the one and only Tom Hanks. The Oscar winner’s speech was as delightful as one might expect – the perfect mix of comedy, and a more serious call to action. Using superheroes – and our culture’s obsession with them – as a motif, Hanks encouraged these new adults to become heroes themselves.

“If you don’t,” he said, when reminding the graduates to stand up for “the promises of our promised land,” such as “the practice of decency, the protection of freedom, and the promotion of liberty for all with no exceptions” – “who will”? In other words, we should all walk through the world with the feeling that change is up to us; that a better future depends on our very own actions. This is good advice for twenty-two-year-olds, and good advice for the rest of us, too.

2. Michelle Yeoh at Harvard Law School

Though we might usually refrain from including two speeches at one university, we had to make an exception for the woman of the year, Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh. Though Yeoh herself points out that she is not a lawyer (and hasn’t even played one in a movie) her brilliant words are the perfect match for this brilliant cohort.

“Limitations set by yourself give you boundaries to respect,” Yeoh said. “But limitations set by others give you boundaries to bust through.” This seems like a wise distinction for all of us to learn, and for law school graduates in particular.

Yeoh also encouraged the audience to stay open to the ways life might surprise them, and to surround themselves always with community.

3. Lena Waithe at Barnard College

We’ve been longtime fans of actress and Emmy Award-winning writer Lena Waithe, and so it was a pleasure getting to hear her address the 2023 graduates of Barnard College. Waithe focused her speech around a topic that was sure to be on the minds of many graduates: success. And its often-daunting counterpart, failure.

“Some people think if you find success, you find happiness,” Waithe said. “Those two things aren’t always mutually exclusive.” It’s not that success does not beget happiness, Waithe argues – because it often does – but rather that success is not a permanent state. Any rise is usually followed by a fall.

Waithe encouraged the graduates not to let a fear of failure stop them from striving for success – and to not worry so much about what other people think.   “People aren’t meant to live on pedestals,” she said. “I’d rather you be disliked by some, for being yourself, than be liked by everybody for being a person that doesn’t even exist.” This is something we all need to remember.

4. President Biden at Howard University

Of course, we are always going to be alert to the commencement address given by the President. After all, who is in a better position to provide expert advice?

The President delivered an impassioned speech to Howard graduates, reminding the crowd that in the fight against the domestic terrorism of white supremacy, “silence is complicity.” The graduates of 2023 already know that they have their work cut out for them, but the President offered them words of encouragement.

“Class of 2023, you’re the reason I’m so optimistic about the future,” he said. “You’re part of the most gifted, tolerant, talented, best-educated generation in American history.” Later, he went on to say, “You represent the best of us.”

And though these words may sound more like an affirmation than anything else, there is a call to action imbedded in the message. While they begin their journeys through adulthood, 2023 graduates cannot forget the bigger picture – cannot forget their duty to change the world. As the President said at the very end of his speech, “We need you.”

5. President Volodymyr Zelensky at Johns Hopkins University

The grads of Johns Hopkins University also got to spend their commencement ceremony with a President – the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. According to NPR , Zelensky’s livestreamed speech came as a surprise, and received a standing ovation.

The focus of his speech? Time. “Time is the most valuable resource on the planet,” Zelensky said. “Some people realize this sooner. Others realize it too late, when they lose someone or something. People cannot avoid it.”

It will not come as a surprise that the President of Ukraine had such sober words to share, but they are also valuable words for any person in their early twenties. At the moment of graduation, time may feel unlimited – even too much so – but it should never be taken for granted.

6. Oprah Winfrey at Tennessee State University

There are no public figures as iconic as Oprah, and therefore no one whose advice we’d rather hear. This year, Winfrey shared her some of her wisdom with her alma mater, Tennessee State University.

Like others, she acknowledged the difficulties that the class of 2023 will face – or is already facing.

“You are a generation that is forced to depend on body cams to obtain justice. You’ve witnessed the storming of the capitol and the death of civility,” she said. She listed other ways this generation has witnessing systemic oppression and violence, including the obliteration of reproductive rights and legislative attacks against the LGBTQ community.

But she also reminded the graduates that they can make a difference, and urged them to do so. “You start by being good to at least one other person every single day,” she said. “Just start there. That’s how you begin to change the world.” It may sound easy, but if we all can do it – maybe the world really will start to change.

7. Elizabeth Alexander at Yale University

Poet, professor, and playwright extraordinaire Elizabeth Alexander delivered a remarkable commencement speech at her alma mater, Yale University. Though we suggest watching the speech in its entirety, these are a few gems Alexander shared towards the end of her speech:

“Be an autodidact. Push past where your knowledge stops. Keep reading, keep asking questions, keep seeking out new ideas, new experiences, new perspectives – forever.”

Words that every person should hold close.

8. Ken Jeong at Cornell University

At Cornell University’s commencement, Ken Jeong dispensed some expert wisdom. “There are two types of decision making in life,” he said. “Fear-based decision making, and decisions made out of love.”

He told a story about his own journey, where fear-based decision-making led him to medical school, rather than his current career in the arts. Though everything obviously worked out okay in the end, this anecdote provides graduates with an important cautionary tale – whenever possible, don’t let fear lead you in the wrong direction.

9. Kevin Feige at University of Southern California

It’s hard to deny the fact that the Marvel Cinematic Universe dominates our zeitgeist for better or perhaps, at times, for worse. Nonetheless, we were interested to hear the commencement address from Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios.

“Remember what Tony Stark was able to do in a cave with a box of scraps,” he said. “Remember, a good story always moves forward, and that requires action. Success comes from doing. It comes from trying new things, by taking risks, by leading with yes instead of no. That’s one of the defining traits of the superheroes in our movies.”

However you may feel about Marvel and its heroes, this is solid advice. If you’re ever unsure of what to do next, saying yes is usually a good place start.

10. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson at American University and Boston University

Though it’s not a competition, if we had to pick our favorite commencement speeches of the year, we might very well choose the ones given by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Jackson addressed the law schools of both American University and Boston University and gave not one, but two epic and epically memorable speeches.

As well as offering some sparkling pearls of wisdom – such as “make the most of the resources you have” and learn to exist “both in community and in conflict” – Jackson shared two of the most enjoyable speeches of the month: one centered around the reality show Survivor , and the other centered around musical theater. Jackson explains she is a big fan of both. Both speeches are a joy, and their pop culture themes make it easy to absorb Jackson’s shrewd suggestions.

best graduation speeches of 2023

The best and most inspiring graduation day speeches and commencement speaker quotes from celebrities, students and others in 2023. Congratulations to all the high school and college graduates this year!

Abbie Martin Greenbaum

Abbie Martin Greenbaum is a writer, reader, and pop culture connoisseur, who loves storytelling, coffee, and dessert. Her work has also appeared in Playbill.

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The Top Graduation Speeches Of 2023

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Former IBM Corp. CEO Ginni Rometty

As the Class of 2023 crossed the finish line this year, a number of remarkable commencement speakers took to the stage to impart some words of wisdom.

MBA Chic recently highlighted a few of the best commencement speeches of 2023.

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY: GINNI ROMETTY, FORMER CHAIR / CEO OF IBM

Ginni Rometty is the ninth Chairman, President, and CEO of IBM, where she’s transformed the 100-year-old company by reinventing 50% of its portfolio, building a $25 billion hybrid cloud business, and establishing IBM’s leadership in AI and quantum computing.

In her speech to Loyola Marymount University’s MBA Class of 2023, Rometty spoke of the importance of “good power.”

“Even when you have little else, you always have the power to define who you are,” Rometty says. “Never let anyone else define who you are. It has served me well, and I hope it serves you well. No matter how much you go out and succeed, I guarantee you there will always be situations or people who try to derail you from who you want to be.”

EMORY UNIVERSITY: ANTHONY RAY HINTON, ACTIVIST, WRITER AND JUSTICE ADVOCATE

Anthony Ray Hinton is an activist, writer, and justice advocate. In 1986, Hinton was wrongfully convicted of the death sentence over crimes he didn’t commit. He spent 30 years in jail before the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a nonprofit organization, helped secure his freedom. Hinton’s 2018 bestselling book “The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row” illustrates a story of hope, forgiveness, and truth-seeking.

In his commencement speech to Emory grads, Hinton stressed the importance of compassion and forgiveness.

“I challenge you to be great human beings,” Hinton says. “I challenge you to bring what is already inside of you. What is in you is understanding; what is in you is compassion; what is in you is forgiveness; what is in you is love. When I was on death row, I realized all of those things [were] inside of me.”

WHARTON SCHOOL: LARA ABRASH, CHAIR OF THE BOARD, DELOITTE US

Lara Abrash is the Chair of the Board of Deloitte US, where she is responsible for leading the board of directors, governing all aspects of the organization.

Abrash, who received her own MBA 30 years ago, spoke about important role models in her life and how they’ve helped shape her journey.

“Today is special because it’s the day before Mother’s Day,” she tells Wharton’s Class of 2023. “My mom has played a very, very important role in my life. My mom graduated from high school in the 1940s. At that time, her parents told her she had two choices. She could either go get a vocational degree to be a nurse or a secretary or she could go find a husband who would take care of her. My mom went on to get married (she’s not married to him anymore), and had four children. Three boys, and myself, and during her life, that inability to have her choice was in her head every single day. She was a part of a movement in the 1960s, we’re feeling a similar movement now, where women were seeking new heights. We talk a lot about examples and you want to tell people what to do, how to live their lives, but the best examples come from how you show them what to do. I saw my mom work multiple jobs every day. I saw my mom participate in political movements, women’s marches, stuffing envelopes for Geraldine Ferraro when she was up to be the first female Vice President. But the most impressive thing my mom did, when along the way she kept telling me, ‘you can be anything you want baby,’ was about the same time I graduated from college, my mom put herself back to school and got her college degree and we did it together.”

To read about graduation speeches at Dartmouth Tuck, Columbia Business School, and Babson Olin, click here .

Sources: MBA Chic , Loyola Marymount University , Emory University , Wharton School

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John Harvard's Journal

The Talk, 2023

July-August 2023

President Lawrence S. Bacow Photograph by Jim Harrison

“Get Out of Your Own Way”

Imparting life lessons to the seniors in his final baccalaureate address, on May 23, President Lawrence S. Bacow drew upon his own experiences in academia.

I learned that a career is only knowable in retrospect.…I came here expecting to be a lawyer. I left here a committed academic. My time as a student helped me understand that there are many ways of knowing and understanding the world beyond the study of law. And my time as president has only reinforced this view. I have spent hundreds of hours talking to faculty and reading their work over the past five years. For me, this has actually been an intellectual feast, in many ways an extension of my time as a graduate student. I hope that Harvard has also stoked your own curiosity, and, like me, you have learned that learning is a lifetime endeavor.…

I learned that regardless of one’s title—even as the president of Harvard—there is no way, no way, that you can know everything. No matter what your position, whether you are in your first job or, like me, your last, it is OK to say, “I don’t know.” And to do so is not a sign that you are weak; it is a sign that you…have the confidence to seek out others who know more than you.…

[D]uring the pandemic, I learned that I needed the advice and counsel of those who knew far more about the complexities of decisions that…were completely foreign to me. I knew nothing about infectious diseases, other than having had a few of them myself. I knew nothing about epidemiology, virology, or public health. Had I made important decisions without the benefit of counsel from those who are experts in these fields, I would have been guilty of presidential malpractice.…

I have learned how important it is to get out of your own way. A little more than five years ago, I was, very happily, a semi-retired university president enjoying my freedom, my life, my privacy, the ability to do things spontaneously….Someone suggested that perhaps I should consider this job. And I literally looked in the mirror—and what did I see? I did not see the president of Harvard. I thought my hair wasn’t gray enough (it’s gotten grayer). I thought my voice was not deep enough. I thought that my presence was not serious enough….And, if I’m really being honest, I thought I just wasn’t tall enough. In short, in my mind, I was not the image of what a Harvard president ought to be.….

Enter Adele, my wife of almost 48 years.…She said, “Just be yourself; and if you do that, you’ll be fine.”…So, once she said that, I actually stopped looking in the mirror, I got out of my own way, and here I am, standing before you—giving you the last advice I will ever give to a Harvard College class again.

“A Notion Favored by Authoritarians”

Phi Beta Kappa Orator Adam Falk, Ph.D. ’91, detailed the context of academic freedom and the First Amendment protections accorded to free speech, and then outlined recent developments in Florida: an attempt to prohibit political science faculty members from testifying in a voting-rights suit; the Stop WOKE Act’s constraints on classroom discussion; and the replacement of several trustees of a public college and the subsequent dismissal of the president. He continued:

The extraordinary claim that lies at the heart of all three of these cases is that the loyalty of faculty must be to the state, and the state may decide what they are permitted to say in the classroom and the courtroom. There is perhaps no idea more antithetical to academic freedom, or to the academy itself. It is certainly a notion favored by history’s authoritarians.

Which brings me back to my father’s story. In January of 1933, Adolf Hitler’s National Socialists were elected as a minority government in Germany. At the time, my father was a young professor at the German School for Politics in Berlin, heading a subunit called the Trade Union School, a three-year course for young trade unionists to study economics, law, and politics. In March, over spring break, he traveled to Austria, and while he was gone, there came the Reichstag fire, the banning of other parties, and the establishment of the dictatorship. My father understood that the Nazis would not allow independent academic institutions to persist, that in fact the notion of an independent academic institution was anathema to their conception of the role of the state in society. He never returned to Germany. And by the end of 1933, Joseph Goebbels—Hitler’s newly appointed Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda—had purged and Nazified the German School for Politics. The only faculty who remained were those who were prepared to serve as voices of the Nazi state.

My father’s story is a chilling reminder of the importance of academic freedom and a reminder that the destruction of a society’s political freedoms often starts by targeting the universities. Academia, as an institution, is a bulwark against the idea that the state can decide what is acceptable to say, write, and even think.

“The Attack upon Educators”

Ruth Simmons, Ph.D. ’73, LL.D.’02—another educator—sought to support the teachers and superintendents of the future during her Graduate School of Education class day speech on May 24.

As those committed to leveling the playing field, we find ourselves under attack for the basic tenet that…everyone should have access to learning that enables them to live better and more fulfilling lives. More and more, public figures feel secure in advocating for an end to the ideal of equal access. The principle that providing for those least able to advocate for themselves makes us stronger as a nation has given way, it seems, to the thought that only certain elites should avail themselves of the best that we can provide. The contempt for and inhumane treatment of vulnerable populations has garnered a surprising degree of support, making it challenging to secure the funding needed to educate those populations.

The attack upon educators is a means to achieving fundamentally base aims.…The way to upend the influence of educators is to call into question their qualifications to play such an important role. Parents, religious groups, and public officials, they argue, should have the strongest voice in shaping the education of young people. While debate is healthy and the involvement of communities in the educational mix is welcome, undermining the most knowledgeable and expert educators in the task of building learning communities is misguided and unwise.

Recalling the teachers and educators who helped her overcome the “dystopian” experience of growing up in the Jim Crow South, she continued:

I am amazed even today to recall how hopeful they seemed in the face of overwhelming circumstances. As a lifelong educator, I can understand how their calling imbued in them a hopefulness that could not be stanched by signs of danger ahead. Those of us drawn to education invariably believe that by assuring people’s ability to evolve through learning, we will always have a way out of madness. We believe that by enlightening others, we have an opportunity to shape a common understanding of our humanity.

“Truth, Justice, and the American Way”

From the Commencement address by Tom Hanks, Ar. D. ’23 :

[W]e’d like to look up in the sky and see not a bird, not a plane, but, well, someone who’s young, strong, and super, who’ll fight the never-ending battle for Truth, for Justice, and for the American way—someone who will take on that work.…

That work is the keeping of the promises of our promised land, the practice of decency, the protection of freedom, and the promotion of liberty for all—with no exceptions.…The American Way can be exampled when you respect the law and the rights of all, because if you don’t, who will? When your food is brought to you and you thank the server, because if you don’t, who will? When you pick up the litter that missed the recycling bin, because if you don’t, who will? When you vote your conscience and make sure your neighbor has the opportunity to do the same with theirs, because if you don’t, who will? When you make good on your victories and learn from your losses, because if you don’t, who will?

…[But] Indifference will rust away the promise of our promised land. Propaganda and Bald-faced Lies will erode over time. Idolatry and Imagery lose luster and effect over time. Ignorance and Intolerance can be replaced by experience in the wink of an eye. But Indifference will narrow the vision of America’s people and make dim the light of Lady Liberty’s symbolic torch. Indifference makes citizens into indentured servants held in labor by the despots and tyrants…surging into the vacuum caused by the Indifference of a people who have been made weary by struggle, so weary that they lose hope and are left to yearn to be saved by the fiction of superheroes.

Every day, every year, and for every graduating class, there is a choice to be made, the same option for all grownups: to be one of three types of Americans—those who embrace liberty and freedom for all , those who won’t, or those who are indifferent. Only the first do the work of creating a more perfect union, a nation indivisible. The rest just get in the way. In the never-ending battle you have all officially joined as of today, 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. If we do the work 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 and hue of our flesh, or the continental birthplace of our ancestors. Why is that truth so hard for some to accept—much less respect? If you live in the United States of America, the responsibility is yours, ours. The effort is optional.…None of us are super…we are all but human.

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RoundUP: Best 2023 Commencement Speeches

We put together a list of the most inspiring commencement speeches to celebrate the graduating class of 2023.

Which one do you like the most? What other speeches should we add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.

Angela Bassett, Chapman University

Tom Hanks, Harvard University

Anthony Fauci, Washington University MD

Usher, Berklee College of Music

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Rutgers University

Oprah, Tennessee State University

Ketanji Brown Jackson, Boston University School of Law

Sanna Marin, Fmr Prime Minister of Finland, New York University

Bill Gates, Northern Arizona University

CJ McCollum, Lehigh University.

In addition to Dr. Fauci, WashU had award winning actor Sterling K. Brown.

Senator Chuck Schumer gave an amusing commencement speech at Binghamton University. His daughter is a Bing grad. 48:00 mark.

I was lucky enough to be in person for David Foster Wallace’s 2005 speech at Kenyon, which later became the book “This is Water.” An amazing speech…though sad in light of his story. I still reread the speech from time to time and always find it inspiring.

That is an amazing book!

Writer, actor and comedian Patton Oswalt (Spence from King of Queens) had three words for the 2023 grads at William & Mary. “You poor bastards.”

Here’s Mark Rober’s entertaining 2023 MIT Commencement address.

Google Jimmy Tingle Harvard Commencement. Oldie but goodie. So funny! I tried to link but had no luck.

Came across another great speech delivered by John McEnroe at Stanford:

This is THE best one I’ve heard…delivered by a student! Well worth the listen.

I’m not exactly impartial (my daughter is headed there this fall), but I watched Randall Park’s speech at UCLA on youtube and he was fantastic.

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7 life lessons from this year's most memorable graduation speeches

• It's graduation season, and many celebrities have given memorable commencement speeches. 
• Some notable speakers include Bill Gates, Michelle Yeoh, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• Here's a roundup of the best quotes from 2023 commencement speeches.

Billionaire Bill Gates said "you are not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack"

"My last piece of advice is the one I could have used the most. It took me a long time to learn. And it is this: You are not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack," said Bill Gates to the graduates of Northern Arizona University at their commencement ceremony on May 13.

In his commencement speech, Gates shared that he "didn't believe in vacations." Only as he got older, he realized that "there is more to life than work."

"Don't wait as long as I did to learn this lesson. Take time to nurture your relationships, to celebrate your successes, and to recover from your losses," he added.

American songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda told graduates to "keep choosing life and keep choosing connection"

"What do you have to do? What do you want to do? Tomorrow is not promised. Make plans anyway," said the famous playwright, actor, and Hunter College High School alumnus Lin-Manuel Miranda to Hunter College graduates in his commencement speech on May 30, per The New York Post .

"You are opening doors. Shout, 'Here we are!' You're filling up days on a diamond. Keep choosing life and keep choosing connection. It will feel like you're running out of time. But in all likelihood, you've got plenty of time," said Miranda.

Oprah Winfrey advised graduates to "not let the world make an impostor syndrome out of you"

"'I come as one, I stand as 10,000' has been my mantra for power. Because for so many of my earlier years, I was the only woman, I was the only person of color," said famous talk show host Oprah Winfrey to the graduates at of her alma mater Tennessee State University at their commencement ceremony on May 6, per Oprah Daily .

"And at no time did I ever feel out of place, or not enough, or inadequate — or an impostor. Do not let the world make an impostor syndrome out of you. Why? Because I knew who I was," Winfrey said.

Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh said "knowing your limits keeps you humble, motivated, and focused on a goal to point your finger toward"

"Internally, knowing your limits keeps you humble, motivated, and focused on a goal to point your finger toward," said the Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh to the graduates of Harvard Law School during the commencement ceremony on May 24, per The Harvard Crimson .

"Externally, knowing the limits that are set for you by others gives you a place to point a different finger — I am talking about the middle one," she continued. 

"For every winner, there doesn't have to be a loser. In fact, most success stories are less about competition and more about collaboration," said Yeoh. "The truth is, I could not have done any of this alone."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that "time is the most valuable resource on the planet"

"Time is the most valuable resource on the planet. Some people realize this sooner, and these are the lucky ones. Others realize it too late when they lose someone or something," said the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Johns Hopkins University's class of 2023 at their commencement ceremony on May 25, per CBS News .

"I'm certain you, as your forefathers did, will continue to lead the free world and this century will be our century," Zelenskyy said, "a century where freedom, innovation and democratic values reign. A century where tyrannies that repress their own and seek to enslave their neighbors will vanish from earth once and for all." 

Tom Hanks believes "we are all created equally yet differently, and of course we are all in this together"

"In the never-ending battle you have all officially joined as of today, the difference is in how truly you believe, in how vociferously you promote, in how tightly you hold onto 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," said Hollywood veteran actor Tom Hanks to Harvard's Class of 2023 at the school's 372nd Commencement ceremony on May 25, per The Harvard Gazette .

"We are all in a cage match, mixed martial arts battle royale with agents of intolerance and braying incompetence, the malevolent equals to Imperial stormtroopers, Lex Luther, and Loki. And we could use a superhero right now," said Hanks.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges graduates to "speak up and act, so that world leaders can muster the necessary political will"

"The fact of the matter is that today's world leaders have thus far failed miserably by putting selfish national interests ahead of urgent global needs," former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told graduates of Harvard Kennedy School on May 24, per Harvard Kennedy School .

"They have failed to see the big picture — that the world will sink or swim together — or they have decided to play a dangerous game of chicken — demanding that others do more to curb CO2 emissions," Ban said.

"I urge you to speak up and act, so that world leaders can muster the necessary political will," said Ban. "It is up to your generation to fix what my generation failed to fix," Ban added.

• Main content

Although I'm not a scientist, I draw on a basic grasp of sciences all the time.

Hats (and caps) off

The advice I shared with the class of 2023 is advice I could have used myself.

Throughout my career, I’ve been lucky to give two commencement speeches: one to Harvard—the alma mater I never graduated from—in 2007, and another to Stanford in 2014. Today, I delivered my third to the forestry and engineering graduates of Northern Arizona University. (You can read more about what drew me to NAU here .)

The class of 2023 is no ordinary group of graduates. Before most of them completed their first year of college, a once-in-a-generation pandemic came along and changed life—and learning—as we knew it. It took resilience, grit, and a whole lot of ingenuity for them to cross this finish line. So I was excited to congratulate them before they begin the next stages of their lives, and share some wisdom I’ve picked up in the decades since I left my own college campus.

This is what I told them:

Remarks as prepared May 13, 2023 Northern Arizona University Commencement Ceremony for the College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences and the College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences

Good afternoon! Thank you, President Cruz Rivera and the Arizona Board of Regents, for this tremendous honor. I am thrilled to be here with NAU’s esteemed faculty and staff.

Friends and family, the time has finally come to exhale. Today is your accomplishment, too—and I think that deserves a round of applause.

Graduates, you made it. You finished your capstones and your internships. You survived junior-level writing class and multiple Tequila Sunrises. You had your last Dimes Night at Museum Club, and you earned your rubber duck from Collins.

You might be happy to know that I have joined your ranks. I am now the proud recipient of an honorary doctorate and an honorary ducky.

I am honored to have the opportunity to address you today, because I believe more people should know about the tremendous value of an NAU education. You are graduating from an institution that creates opportunity, fosters innovation, and builds community, and it has prepared you to find solutions to some of the biggest problems facing us today. 

NAU is also giving you something I never received: A real college degree.

Some of you might know that I never made it to my own graduation. I left after three semesters to start Microsoft. So, what does a college dropout know about graduation? Not much personally, to be honest.

As I prepared for today, I thought about how you, as new graduates, can have the biggest impact on the world with the education you received here. That led me to thinking about the graduation I never had, the commencement speech I never heard, and the advice I wasn’t given on a day just like this one.

That is what I want to share with you this afternoon: The five things I wish I was told at the graduation I never attended.

The first thing is, your life isn’t a one-act play .

You probably feel a lot of pressure right now to make the right decisions about your career. It might feel like those decisions are permanent. They’re not. What you do tomorrow—or for the next ten years—does not have to be what you do forever.

When I left school, I thought I would work at Microsoft for the rest of my life.

Today, I still love my work on software, but philanthropy is my full-time job. I spend my days working to create innovations that fight climate change and reduce inequalities around the world—including in health and education.

I feel lucky that our foundation gets to support amazing institutions like NAU—even if it’s not what I imagined I’d be doing when I was 22. Not only is it okay to change your mind or have a second career… it can be a very good thing.

The second piece of advice I wish I heard at my graduation is that you are never too smart to be confused .

I thought I knew everything I needed to know when I left college. But the first step to learning something new is embracing what you don’t know, instead of focusing on what you do know.

At some point in your career, you will find yourself facing a problem you cannot solve on your own. When that happens, don’t panic. Take a breath. Force yourself to think things through. And then find smart people to learn from.

It could be a colleague with more experience. It could be one of your fellow graduates, who has a good perspective and will push you to think differently. It could be an expert in the field who is willing to reply to your questions over DM.

Just about everything I have accomplished came because I sought out others who knew more. People want to help you. The key is to not be afraid to ask.

You may be done with school. But you can—and should—see the rest of your life as an education.  

My third piece of advice is to gravitate toward work that solves an important problem .

The good news is, you are graduating at a time when there are many important problems to solve. New industries and companies are emerging every day that will allow you to make a living and make a difference, and advances in science and technology have made it easier than ever to make a big impact.

For example, many of you are becoming foresters. Your professors taught you about cutting-edge tools, like drones that use LIDAR to produce accurate maps of the forest floor. You could find new ways to use that technology to help fight climate change.

Some of you are heading off to start careers as programmers. You could use your talents to make sure all people can benefit from artificial intelligence—or to help eliminate biases in AI.

When you spend your days doing something that solves a big problem, it energizes you to do your best work. It forces you to be more creative, and it gives your life a strong sense of purpose.

My fourth piece of advice is simple: Don’t underestimate the power of friendship .

When I was in school, I became friends with another student who shared a lot of my interests, like science fiction novels and computer magazines.

Little did I know how important that friendship would be. My friend’s name was Paul Allen—and we started Microsoft together.

Remember that people you’ve sat next to in lectures, skied Snowbowl with, and competed against on Wingo night are not just your classmates. They are your network. Your future co-founders and colleagues. A great future source of support, information, and advice.  

The only thing more valuable than what you walk offstage with today is who you walk onstage with.

My last piece of advice is the one I could have used the most. It took me a long time to learn. And it is this: You are not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack .

When I was your age, I didn’t believe in vacations. I didn’t believe in weekends. I pushed everyone around me to work very long hours. In the early days of Microsoft, my office overlooked the parking lot—and I would keep track of who was leaving early and staying late.

But as I got older—and especially once I became a father—I realized there is more to life than work.

Don’t wait as long as I did to learn this lesson. Take time to nurture your relationships, to celebrate your successes, and to recover from your losses.

Take a break when you need to. Take it easy on the people around you when they need it, too.

And before you begin the next stage of your lives, take a moment and have some fun. Tonight, this weekend, this summer, whenever. You deserve it.

Class of 2023, the future belongs to you. I believe you will be the ones to solve the climate crisis and reduce the gap between the rich and poor.

You have already made history by attending college during some truly unprecedented times. I have no doubt that you will continue to make history throughout the rest of your lives. I cannot wait to see how you will drive progress around the world.

Congratulations on reaching this momentous milestone. Go Lumberjacks!

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Oprah Gave Five Pieces of Advice to the Graduates of Her Alma Mater

She returned to Tennessee State University for the first time since 1987 to deliver the commencement speech over the weekend.

Oprah has delivered plenty of commencement speeches over the years— see the full list here —but her most recent address had a special meaning. On May 6, Oprah returned to her alma mater, Tennessee State University, to deliver the commencement address to the class of 2023. This speech marked the first time Oprah returned to TSU since 1987.

As expected, Oprah’s advice to the graduates was poignant and wise. But because we could all use some of that—whether we’re 22 or 62—you can watch Oprah’s commencement speech speech below or read on for some highlights.

When opportunity comes your way, don’t ignore it

S ophomore year, I was majoring in speech, communication, and drama. I wanted to be an actress, but my father proclaimed that “no daughter of mine was going to be on somebody’s ‘casting couch,’ ” and so, I decided, “All right; I will teach.” But I was having some challenges, particularly with my scenic design class. It was taught by Mr. W Dury Cox, who declared in front of the entire backstage crew where we had class in the theater—and this is a quote—“Winfrey cannot draw a straight line with a ruler.”

So in his class, one day, I got a call. I got pulled out of Mr. Cox’s lecture to take a call from Chris Clark, who was the lead anchor at WLAC-TV. He was the news director and lead anchor at channel 5. And Chris had heard me on WVOL radio (don ’ t ask me why Chris was listening to a Black radio station—Jesus led him to it, I guess). Anyway, he called me here at TSU and wanted to know if I was interested in being in television. And I said, “No, sir, TV? No, not really, sir , because my father says I have to finish school, and s chool is just too important. And I doubt that my dad would even let me do something like that. ” So Chris told me to just give it some thought and get back to him. When I returned to Mr. Cox’s class, I repeated what Chris had said to me. And I said to Mr. Cox, “I don’t think my father would even consider it.”

Now, Mr. Cox had a face like the lion from Wizard of Oz and a demeanor that nobody would ever call warm or fuzzy or comforting. He looked at me as if I didn’t have the brains that God gave lettuce. And he said, “This is why you get an education, fool—so that CBS, channel 5, will call you! You and your father ought to know that!” He rolled his eyes, and as he was walking away, he said, “I’ll tell him myself.” And he did.

So, second semester sophomore year, here at TSU, I arranged for all my classes to be finished by 2 pm. And from 2:30 to 10:30, I worked at the television station.

Your future is in your hands—all you have to do is listen

The last thing I did before getting into my burgundy Oldsmobile Cutlass and leaving Nashville was to speak at the Faith United Baptist Church Women’s Day Celebration. My sermon revolved around a single thought, and it’s this: I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.

I ’ ve been guided by the light of God’s grace my entire life. People ask, what ’s the secret to my success? It ’s because I lean into his grace. Because life is always talking to us. This is what I do know. When you tap into what it’s trying to tell you, when you can get yourself quiet enough to listen—really listen—you can begin to distill the still, small voice, which is always representing the truth of you, from the noise of the world. You can start to recognize when it comes your way. You can learn to make distinctions, to connect, to dig a little deeper. You’ll be able to find your own voice within the still, small voice—you’ll begin to know your own heart and figure out what matters most when you can listen to the still, small voice. Every right move I’ve made has come from listening deeply and following that still, small voice, aligning myself with its power.

Know your own worth

“I come as one, I stand as 10,000” has been my mantra for power. Because for so many of my earlier years, I was the only woman, I was the only person of color. The one nobody expected to be in the room, at the table, on the anchor desk—co-anchoring the news here in Nashville in 1975—walking into boardrooms in the ’80s, negotiating deals to own my own show. Not just do the show, but to make as much money from it as they were gonna make off of me. And at no time did I ever feel out of place, or not enough, or inadequate—or an impostor. Do not let the world make an impostor syndrome out of you. Why? Because I knew who I was.

How we treat other people matters

This is what I know for sure. There will never be anything in your life as fulfilling as making a difference in somebody else’s. Everybody here wants to see you take your integrity, your curiosity, your creativity, your guts, and this newfound education of yours, and use it to make a difference. Everybody always thinks you got to go do something big and grand. I’ll tell you where you start. You start by being good to at least one other person every single day. Just start there. That’s how you begin to change the world. By just being good to one other person.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a member of your tribe or a stranger on the street. I’m here to tell you that a little act of compassion can be a lifesaver for somebody who receives it—but also for you, who offers it. Just extend yourself in love and kindness to somebody. As my dear Maya Angelou once said, “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, it leaps fences, it penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” When you step out in love, you become someone’s hope.

Hopes and dreams—big ones—will see us through

I know that becoming hope in the world won’t always be easy. There will be times when you get to your wit’s end. But there’s another old proverb that says, “When you get to your wit’s end, remember that’s where God lives.” I would add that when you get to your wit’s end, it’s also a good idea to remember that you’ve been there before. We are among the toughest, most resilient people the world has ever seen. And I’m not just talking about older generations; your generation has masked up and locked down for a pandemic that ravaged the world. You, my TSU friends, have trained for complicated times!

I don’t care how hard life after college gets—and it’s gonna get hard—we need you to dream big! We need audacious thinkers. Use my example; I was one good TSU teacher—Mr. Cox—and one timely phone call away from a career that would absolutely change my life. That story’s not just my own. What dream are you one or two steps away from?

We also need generosity of spirit; we need high standards and open minds and untamed imagination. That’s how you make a difference in the world. Using who you are and what you stand for to make changes big and small. And there will be times when making the next right decision will be scary. I’ll tell you a secret: That’s how I’ve gotten through every challenge without being overwhelmed. By asking what is the next right move. You don’t have to know all the right moves—you just need to know the next one.

It’s okay to be scared. In fact, if you weren’t scared, I’d be scared for you. But let me repeat something that the most extraordinary, certainly one of the most extraordinary, men I’ve ever known, said: “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” To me, that’s a nine-word prayer! And it came from a single individual who literally changed the world by putting his own fears aside for the people of his country. Thank you, Nelson Mandela.

My point is, anything is possible, the wheels are still in spin, saints walk among us, and, as Nelson Mandela so brilliantly demonstrated, it’s better to be hopeful than fearful—if for no other reason than the fact that hope brings us one step closer to joy.

Cassie Hurwitz (she/her) is an associate editor at Oprah Daily, where she covers everything from culture to entertainment to lifestyle. She can typically be found in the middle of multiple books and TV shows all at once. Previously, Cassie worked at Parents , Rachael Ray In Season , and Reveal. Her love language is pizza (New York slices, Chicago deep dish, and otherwise). 

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The following is the prepared text of the address by John McEnroe for delivery at the Stanford Commencement ceremony on June 18, 2023.

Thanks, MTL, for that nice introduction. And thank you to the Senior Class Presidents for inviting me to speak – you’re all officially badasses in my book. And most of all, to Stanford’s CLASS OF 2023 – congratulations! You did it! You’re officially overachievers.

It’s an absolute honor to be here, especially given that it’s Father’s Day. I never got to walk in cap and gown. So technically, this is my graduation too. I know that my father, if he were alive, would be one of the proudest people in the stadium. I can’t imagine a better Father’s Day gift than watching your kid graduate from this incredible school. To all you dads and moms out there who sacrificed so your child could attend Stanford, well done! To those parents who had to put just one kid through college, consider yourself lucky. I’m the father of six college graduates. You can appreciate my pain.

The McEnroe family has a long history with this fine institution. I attended for one year. My two younger brothers graduated from here. We bleed Cardinal red through and through.

But I do have a bone to pick with Stanford. In March, I get the invite to be your commencement speaker. While I’m busy figuring out my flights to San Jose, my youngest daughter tells me she was REJECTED by Stanford Law School! She says, “Dad, you’re not going to do that speech, are you? They rejected me, they rejected my cousin – your nephew – and every other person you’ve ever written a recommendation letter for – Dad, YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!” Clearly, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Just when I was about to boycott, I found out I would be the first professional athlete EVER to speak at a Stanford Commencement. And I thought this IS a big deal. Not just for me, but for the school and for sports. Some phenomenal athletes have graced this institution. Here’s a fun fact: Stanford has won more NCAA team championships than any other school. So it’s about damn time they invited the Bad Boy of Tennis to this stage.

Oh, and don’t worry – my daughter got into NYU. She gets to live in the greatest city in the world, instead of slumming it here in Palo Alto.

The funny thing is I almost never came to Stanford. The summer before my freshman year my life completely changed. I was in the semi-finals of Wimbledon. That was unheard of at the time. Everyone was telling me to turn pro – and not to bother with college. But I felt like I wasn’t mature enough. Not ready. I wanted the college experience and to just be a kid for one more year. Plus, I wanted to be a part of a team. That’s one of the reasons I love playing doubles. By the way, my kids absolutely cringe every time I make tennis analogies, but fair warning, you’re going to hear a lot of them in this speech. It could be worse; you could be listening to some lame politician telling you how great they are.

Back to the analogies: For most of your life as a tennis player, you’re out there alone. For better or worse, it’s just you. And that can be terrifying. So when you get those opportunities to be a part of something bigger than yourself, take them. Trust me. Succeeding as a team can be as fun as doing it alone.

At Stanford, I was lucky enough to do both. I won the singles title and was part of the 1978 NCAA championship team under the leadership of the legendary coach Dick Gould, who is here with us today. That man won 17 NCAA team titles. The respect of your peers is the ultimate achievement. And Dick has it. He gave me great advice, but none of it was about tennis. When someone is at the top of their game, it’s best to stay out of their way. That’s one of the gifts of a great coach.

I thought I’d be a hotshot when I arrived at Stanford. I thought that all the girls would love me, and all the guys would want to be me. But as it turned out, no one gave a shit. Everyone was busy trying to change the world in their own way. They were off building computers in garages and developing tech that would later transform every aspect of our lives. I was just a tennis player. But the atmosphere here made me hungrier for success.

I was humbled a lot in my first quarter. My academic advisor had the bright idea that I take advanced calculus, economics, astronomy, and a ridiculously tough English course. I spent all my time studying and wasn’t having nearly enough fun. But I loved living at Rinconada, hanging out at Stern, and spent a lot of my time at the DU house, where I took part in certain activities that would “open my mind” a lot more than my classes. I met some guys who advised me to take easy courses so I wouldn’t stress out so much. Thank you, Kenny Margerum and the rest of the 1978 football team! I took courses like Parapsychology and Psychic Phenomena. The high point of that class was how our professor showed us how you could bend a spoon with your mind. And I believed it!

On this campus, I began to step outside myself and see that there was life beyond tennis and academics. Later on, passions like art and music enriched my life in ways I never imagined. Know this: Absolutely AMAZING things are going to happen to you that you can’t possibly fathom right now – because just like I was at your age, you’re probably hyperfocused on your career. If someone told me all those years ago when I was leaving Stanford that I would one day get guitar lessons from the late great Eddie Van Halen or that most of you would know me NOT from tennis, but from a sitcom about an Indian American girl on Netflix, I would have said, “You’re crazy and what’s Netflix?” By the way, the final season of Never Have I Ever came out last week – if you’re bored by my speech, you can start streaming it on your phone.

Everyone wants a great career, but don’t miss your life on the way to work. Work/life balance may seem impossible, but it’s worth pursuing. It took me a long time to learn that lesson.

Like many of you enterprising go-getters, I, too, am a perfectionist. It’s not all our fault. Growing up, almost everything I did just didn’t quite seem to be enough. I was 12 years old when I first felt undue pressure from my Dad, regarding my potential future with tennis. I finally asked my parents, “What would make you happy?” My father said, “A college scholarship and playing for your country.” I told him, “Well, Dad, I’m 12. Could you back off for a few years?” In that moment, I learned no matter who it is, you have to be able to stand up for yourself. Whether it’s your father or your boss, be your own best advocate.

[Looking up to heaven] Hey, Dad, have I made it yet? What’s that?

[McEnroe cups his ear] He just told me he liked Steve Jobs’ speech better.

In sports, you often hear the phrase, “Winning is everything.” But in reality, it’s not. The questions you have to answer are: “Am I getting better as a person?” And, “Is what I’m doing bringing me and the ones around me happiness?” The answers will tell you whether or not you’re REALLY winning.

After you succeed at something, you expect the skies to open and happiness to rain down on you. But that rarely happens. The truth is victory can be isolating. A lot of it comes down to how you handle pressure.

A week or so ago, I was in Paris covering the French Open watching two guys trying to make sports history. There was Carlos Alcaraz, a kid younger than most of you, ranked number one in the world, on the verge of taking over the tennis world when he completely froze. He cramped up physically and mentally. The pressure became too much. I thought this could be life-altering for him – he’s got to figure out a way to conquer pressure. And I think he will. And I would know. I’ve been there. Guess what? In your own life, you’re all going to be there too.

And as the high achievers that you are, the worst pressure is the kind you feel internally. Many questions will keep you up at night: “Am I good enough?” “Am I where I should be?” “I went to Stanford, why did I not make partner yet?” Well, maybe you should’ve gone to NYU.

My dear friend the great Billie Jean King will tell you, “Pressure is a privilege.” The first time I heard that I thought she was nuts. Pressure is not a privilege, it’s awful. But upon further reflection, I realized she has a point. We’re lucky to experience pressure at the highest levels. Don’t forget a lot of people would KILL to be in your seats right now.

To get here, you had to handle serious pressure. You are the generation that had your college experience interrupted by a COVID lockdown. The disappointment, the isolation, stress, and alienation – must have been devastating. As students, you pivoted to virtual options, maybe you took a gap year, found other ways to connect with your peers and your teachers – but the point is, you kept MOVING FORWARD – coming out a little stronger on the other side. I imagine quarantine forced your brilliant minds to do some pretty deep thinking, and this experience will probably inspire and shape your generation in ways we haven’t yet realized. There will be innovations, treatments, cures, knowledge, and relationships that will evolve from this experience. Suffice it to say, you adapted to hard times, and you are here NOW – as graduates. And that’s big. Don’t forget the lesson here: Life doesn’t always go as planned. And sometimes you need to pivot. And the path you end up on can be better than anything you ever imagined.

If you know anything about my tennis career, you probably know that I didn’t exactly handle pressure in the way people expect. Google “John McEnroe Meltdown” and you will see many YouTube clips of me smashing rackets and shouting choice words at umpires. I’m not proud of it. OK, I’m a little proud of it. What can I say, it kind of worked: The press ate it up, and still to this day, random people come up to me on the street and ask me to yell at them. But I wasn’t intentionally trying to be a jerk. I was competing at the highest levels, and I was releasing pressure the only way I knew how. Like a valve releasing steam. But there’s a better way. Trust me.

For the longest time, I was not very empathetic to others and that probably was my biggest flaw. I was wired to win and never let up, not even for a second. It felt like I couldn’t enjoy the moment, and worse yet, I was often insensitive to the people around me. I had that edge about me. Again, not a great way to live.

But I was lucky that new doors opened in my life, which allowed me to find happiness in unexpected ways. I got really into art, made some incredible friendships, built a family, and met the love of my life, my beautiful wife, Patty. If I allowed myself to be defined by tennis, I wouldn’t be half as interesting. I probably wouldn’t be here right now. And I would likely be very unhappy. You are the sum of your WHOLE life, not your professional accomplishments. So start enjoying your life now. Don’t wait till your career takes off.

As a society, in large part because of your generation, we have come to understand and respect the importance of mental health. It needs to be nurtured in the way we take care of every other aspect of our body. In my lifetime, I’ve seen about 37 therapists. And not all of them were court appointed. Let’s just say I had a few issues to work out. I’m not alone. Across politics, sports, and entertainment, public figures have been more open about the benefits of therapy, stepping away and taking a break. I think that’s healthy and important. I’ve benefited from it. Good mental health is connected to physical activity: Move a muscle, change a thought.

For all the positive steps we’ve seen in caring for our mental health, we’re also seeing the flipside where people are attempting to eliminate stress or pain altogether. Which is impossible. It’s the “everyone gets a trophy” kind of mentality. It’s ridiculous and, honestly, a little dangerous. Not everyone is meant to be good at everything. And it’s very important for people who are high-flying mental giants, like all of you, to realize taking risks, failing, and learning from your failures is essential to your development. And sometimes a loss is the best thing that can happen to you.

In 1980, Björn Borg and I played in what is considered one of the greatest Wimbledon finals of all time. After three hours and 53 minutes of some seriously intense tennis, I lost in five sets. Of course, I wanted to win. I gave it everything I had – but I wouldn’t trade that moment for anything.

The truth is most people don’t remember who won that match. And don’t care. I once had the privilege of meeting the great Nelson Mandela. He told me he listened to that match on a tiny radio from his prison cell on Robben Island. And that the whole prison hung on every point of that match. That we gave Mandela a brief respite from the excruciating hell of 27 years of political imprisonment meant more to me than any award I’ve ever won. The lesson here is you don’t have to win to be part of something that is truly magical.

A few years after that Wimbledon final, Björn quit tennis at age 26. It was devastating to me and the rest of the sport. In the mid-80s, if you were in my path, I would destroy you. Top of my game. But I wasn’t truly happy. Why? Because being the best in the world wasn’t as good as playing with someone who pushed you to greatness. Which is why I BEGGED my biggest rival to come back to the sport.

At the time he said to me, “If you’re not #1, it doesn’t matter if you’re #2 or #100.” Even though I understood where he was coming from, I disagreed with him then and still do. Number 2 is pretty damn good. Sometimes, you have to appreciate where you’re at in life. If your mentality is “If it’s not success, then it’s failure,” your life will be really, really hard. Success gives us another chance to keep plugging away at what we love to do. That’s all it really is.

For a while, I feared I might be the guy who peaked in life at age 26 or 27. When you look at the last few years of my tennis career or my failed talk show, or the end of my first marriage, or all the various projects that came and went – I stayed in it. And kept trying new things, opening new doors. I learned not to be disillusioned by failure, not to be burdened by perfection and not to be intimidated by greatness.

My final tennis analogy is this: When a ball is coming at you, you have a split second to decide how to return it. You have a handful of options and make the best decision in the moment. Sometimes you win the point and sometimes it’s an endless rally that you lose. But you take your best shot and keep finding the courage to step on the court.

Graduates, this is the time to take your shots. Your life will go by fast. Give it your all. Stand up for yourself. Stay curious. Be a good citizen of the world. Don’t get crushed under the weight of your expectations. Know that the real victory in life is the long game – measure your success by how much you evolve, not necessarily how much you win. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. And for chrissakes, have the balls to say what you feel.

There’s a quote emblazoned on a wall at Wimbledon, right before you enter center court. It’s from Kipling’s poem If— . It reads: “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster / And treat those two impostors just the same.”

Kipling’s point is that one person’s victory is another one’s defeat. Win or lose, what matters is giving everything you’ve got. In a truly full life, you’ll be lucky to have your share of both victories and defeats. In either case, keep finding the courage within you to move forward!

Congratulations, Class of 2023! I wish you the greatest life imaginable.