--- description: From Barack Obama to Lin-Manuel Miranda title: Watch The Best Clips From This Year's Graduation Speeches image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd7bf5759f9644952/698893bb3c1639b05a45d4ff/barack-obama-rutgers.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [motto](/tag/motto/) ## motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Watch The Best Clips From This Year's Graduation Speeches by [The Editors of Motto](/author/the-editors-of-motto/) ## The Editors of Motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 27, 2016 8:37 PM CUT  President Barack Obama speaks after receiving an honorary doctorate of laws during the 250th anniversary commencement ceremony at Rutgers University on May 15, 2016 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. President Barack Obama speaks after receiving an honorary doctorate of laws during the 250th anniversary commencement ceremony at Rutgers University on May 15, 2016 in New Brunswick, New Jersey.Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images by [The Editors of Motto](/author/the-editors-of-motto/) ## The Editors of Motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 27, 2016 8:37 PM CUT The 2016 commencement season has featured big names in politics, activism and show business. This year, graduates have found meaning in [Lin-Manuel Miranda’s assertion](http://motto.time.com/4337719/lin-manuel-miranda-grad-speech/ "undefined") that everyone’s stories are essential and have been inspired to act on [Jane Goodall’s advice](http://motto.time.com/4307361/jane-goodall-university-of-redlands-commencement-speech/ "undefined") to live to their full human potential. The Class of 2016 has seen Arianna Huffington advocate for sleep and Barack Obama critique the idea of building walls. [_Follow Motto on Facebook._](https://www.facebook.com/mottoworkplaylive/ "undefined") Above, watch some of the highlights from this year’s speakers. You can also read their full speeches at the links below: [Anne-Marie Slaughter: ‘Care Is as Important as Career’](http://motto.time.com/4321549/anne-marie-slaughter-university-of-utah-commencement-speech/ "undefined") [Barack Obama: ‘Passion Is Vital, But You’ve Got to Have a Strategy’](http://motto.time.com/4322786/barack-obama-howard-university-commencement-speech/ "undefined") [Condoleezza Rice to Grads: ‘Don’t Let Anyone Else Define Your Passion’](http://motto.time.com/4323641/condoleezza-rice-high-point-university-commencement-speech/ "undefined") [Darren Walker to Grads: ‘Stand For Something’](http://motto.time.com/4341702/darren-walker-nyu-commencement-speech/ "undefined") [Earl Lewis: ‘Never Confuse The Attainement of an Education with What It Means to Be Educated’](http://motto.time.com/4338548/earl-lewis-carnegie-mellon-commencement-speech/ "undefined") [Eboo Patel to Wake Forest Grads: ‘The Only Shame Is in Stagnation’](http://motto.time.com/4340068/eboo-patel-commencement-wake-forest/ "undefined") [Hoda Kotb: ‘You’re the Sum Total of the Five People You Spend the Most Time With’](http://motto.time.com/4338660/hoda-kotb-tulane-university-commencement-speech/ "undefined") [J.K. Simmons to Grads: ‘Live in the Moment’](https://time.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=4339313&action=edit "undefined") [Jane Goodall to Grads: ‘Remember to Live to Your True Human Potential’](http://motto.time.com/4307361/jane-goodall-university-of-redlands-commencement-speech/ "undefined") [Jill Bolte Taylor: ‘We Have the Power to Choose Who We Want to Be’](http://motto.time.com/4323071/jill-bolte-taylor-butler-university-commencement-speech/ "undefined") [Lin-Manuel Miranda to Grads: ‘Your Stories Are Essential’](http://motto.time.com/4337719/lin-manuel-miranda-grad-speech/ "undefined") [Madeleine Albright: ‘Everyone Must Participate in Solving Shared Problems’](http://motto.time.com/4337554/madeleine-albright-scripps-college-commencement-speech/ "undefined") [Michael Bloomberg: ‘An Open Mind Is the Most Valuable Asset You Can Possess’](http://motto.time.com/4315386/michael-bloomberg-university-of-michigan-commencement-speech/ "undefined") [Michelle Obama to Grads: ‘Excellence Is the Most Powerful Answer You Can Give’](http://motto.time.com/4307020/michelle-obama-commencement-speech-jackson-state/ "undefined") [Obama to Grads: Building Walls Is ‘A Betrayal of Who We Are’](http://motto.time.com/4337470/obama-rutgers-trump-comments/ "undefined") [Russell Wilson: ‘Go Make It Happen’](http://motto.time.com/4337324/russell-wilson-university-wisconsin-commencement-speech/ "undefined") [Sheryl Sandberg: ‘Finding Gratitude and Appreciation Is Key to Resilience’](http://motto.time.com/4336546/sheryl-sandberg-university-of-california-berekley-commencement-speech/ "undefined") [Vivek Murthy: ‘Live a Connected Life’](http://motto.time.com/4337454/vivek-murthy-commencement-speech-arizona/ "undefined") [William Foege to Grads: ‘Every Day We Edit Our Obituaries’](http://motto.time.com/4327610/william-foege-emory-university-commencement-speech/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4351163/graduation-speakers-watch/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4351163/graduation-speakers-watch/"},"headline":"Watch The Best Clips From This Year's Graduation Speeches","datePublished":"2016-05-27T20:37:28.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:02:36.616Z","description":"From Barack Obama's to Lin-Manuel Miranda's","url":"https://time.com/4351163/graduation-speakers-watch/","keywords":["motto"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd7bf5759f9644952/698893bb3c1639b05a45d4ff/barack-obama-rutgers.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"The Editors of Motto","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/the-editors-of-motto/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd7bf5759f9644952/698893bb3c1639b05a45d4ff/barack-obama-rutgers.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Obama Delivers Commencement Address At Rutgers University","caption":"Obama Delivers Commencement Address At Rutgers University","creditText":"Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4351163/graduation-speakers-watch/","name":"Watch The Best Clips From This Year's Graduation Speeches"}}]}] ```