Overview
Commencement speeches are admittedly a very American tradition. Sure, we have them in Australia, but they're usually given by some fusty old professor who you've never actually seen before. It takes a truly inspirational guy like Tim Minchin to break through the literal and figurative mould of the Australian graduation address, while Americans are spoiled for choice. Fittingly, NPR has recently compiled all the nation's best offerings into a commencement speech database — a sprawling intellectual oasis which is guaranteed to make your day.
Describing the medium as "a hilarious, inspiring form of popular art", NPR has catalogued over 300 graduation speeches given by luminaries in the fields of science, politics, art and comedy. Speakers vary from Barack Obama at the University of Michigan, to Yoko Ono at Maine College of Art, to Andy Samberg at Harvard University (for some unknown and hilarious reason).
Most speeches come in the form of transcripts, although many have accompanying Youtube clips. Jon Lovett's recent address to Pitzer College even comes with this adorable and uplifting animation.
As outlined in the NPR blog, the main points of these speeches are usually a variation on a theme. Quite rightly, speakers often urge students to work hard, be kind, and embrace failure. The commencement speech is more than a guide to graduation after all; it's an uplifting look at adulthood. It examines the nature of success, but it also takes a larger look at humanity.
You might have finished university, you might have a full-time job and a partner and a family, you might even have It All Figured Out. But from time to time, don't we all need a little inspiration?
See the full database here.