What’s your favourite celebrity commencement quote from 2019?
What's your favourite quote from 2019 commencement ceremonies? Source: Miguel Henriques/ Unsplash

A day of awaited achievement, contagious smiles and victorious celebrations.

Graduation is different for everyone, but a united experience of hope and joint praise.

To add that extra pizzazz, universities invite selected celebrities to the stage to offer an inspiring commencement speech.

Hoping to grant the listeners with a new perspective on their upcoming career journey and to offer a token of advice to take away with them, here are a few from 2019 that have captivated graduates with their worldly experience…

“Embrace the twists and the unexpected turns.”

Dr. Ken Jeong- UNC Greensboro

“You guys are all at the start of your story, of your film. And you guys are finishing up act one of your film and your story. Just asking you guys an open-ended question: what is your Act 2? Everyone here has a different timeline. Everyone here has a unique story. Figure out what your Act 2 is and embrace the change, embrace the twists and the unexpected turns.”

“When you listen as fiercely as you want to be heard.”

Kristen Bell- USC School of Dramatic Arts

“When you listen as fiercely as you want to be heard, when you respect the idea that you are sharing the Earth with other humans, and when you lead with your nice foot forward, you will win, every time. It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but it comes back to you when you need it. We live in an age of instant gratification, of immediate likes, and it is uncomfortable to have to wait to see the dividends of your kindness, but I promise you it will appear exactly when you need it.”

“Failure is what’s going to humble you.”

Oprah Winfrey- Colorado College

“My favourite question when in crisis is, ‘What is this here to teach or show me?’ Jeff Weiner, one of my friends and founder of LinkedIn, says that failure is what’s going to humble you. It helps you realise how fleeting success can be – at least traditional measures of success – because you realize that, to some extent, how it is just beyond your control and you invest less in it in terms of the way you define yourself.”

“Sooner or later we all have to deal with rejection.”

James Patterson-University of Florida

“When I was 25, I wrote my first novel, a mystery called The Thomas Berryman Number. It was turned down by 31 publishers. It then won an Edgar as the “best first mystery novel of the year. I keep a list of all the editors who turned down my first novel. Sometimes they send me books and ask for blurbs – for their author’s books. Lots of luck with that! Sooner or later we all have to deal with rejection… just keep moving forward.”

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