--- description: From Stacey Abrams to Kristen Bell, here are some of the most inspiring grad speeches this year. title: Here Are the Best Commencement Speeches of 2019 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e7ca98ed2536da2/69894a3522fb8527fee284ad/oprah-winfrey-colorado-college-commencement.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Here Are the Best Commencement Speeches of 2019 by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Jan 24, 2024 11:20 AM CUTPublished: May 21, 2019 7:53 PM CUT  Colorado College graduate Alexander Jobin-Leeds reacts together with commencement speaker Oprah Winfrey to someone in the audience at Colorado College graduation in Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunday, May 19, 2019. Colorado College graduate Alexander Jobin-Leeds reacts together with commencement speaker Oprah Winfrey to someone in the audience at Colorado College graduation in Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunday, May 19, 2019.Jerilee Bennett—AP by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Jan 24, 2024 11:20 AM CUTPublished: May 21, 2019 7:53 PM CUT Graduates at universities and colleges around the United States are wrapping up the academic year, preparing to face a new era of life. As part of that tradition, celebrities, politicians, athletes, CEOs and artists are offering a range of life advice in commencement addresses. Here are some of the best moments and words of wisdom from commencement speeches in 2019. ## Robert F. Smith: ‘We’re going to put a little fuel in your bus’ Among the most notable commencement speeches of the graduation season so far was one by [Robert F. Smith at Morehouse College](http://time.com/5591614/billionaire-paying-off-student-loan-debt/ "undefined"). The billionaire investor promised the graduates that [he’d pay off the entire class of 2019’s student loans](http://time.com/5591629/robert-smith-billionaire-student-debt-gift/ "undefined") — a pledge that drew looks of shock and several cheers from the crowd. --- > “” --- Smith’s announcement was met with surprised glee as students, faculty and other spectators cheered. ## Oprah Winfrey: ‘Life is about decisions’ Oprah Winfrey at [Colorado College](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ5-tmzhfFU "undefined") on May 19 --- > “” --- ## Kristen Bell: ‘Listen as fiercely as you want to be heard’ Kristen Bell at the [University of Southern California](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX55V1w2htc "undefined") School of Dramatic Arts on May 3 --- > “” --- ## Ken Jeong: ‘Figure out what your act II is’ Ken Jeong at the [University of North Carolina Greensboro](https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=jFqbXD1m8Ds "undefined") on May 10 --- > “” --- ## Stacey Abrams: ‘You need to know what you believe’ Stacey Abrams at [American University School of Public Affairs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUOdnZghqQo "undefined") on May 11 --- > “” --- ## Glenn Close: ‘No one looks out onto the world through your eyes’ Glenn Close at [The College of William & Mary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time%5Fcontinue=103&v=EVD%5FT5iBOuU "undefined") on May 11 --- > “” --- ## Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor: Education ‘is deeply important to our growth as people and as a community’ Sonia Sotomayor at [Manhattan College](https://manhattan.edu/news/archive/2019/04/justice-sonia-sotomayor-undergraduate-commencement-speaker.php "undefined") on May 17 --- > “” --- ## Tim Cook: ‘Don’t waste time on problems that have been solved’ Tim Cook at [Tulane University](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taLzKBs-Yu4 "undefined") on May 18 --- > “” --- ## Bill Nye: ‘Turn your fear into excitement’ Bill Nye at [Goucher College](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6z0K1-qBTY "undefined") on May 24 --- > “” --- ## John Krasinski: ‘Lean all the way in’ John Krasinski at [Brown University](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time%5Fcontinue=501&v=RIS2dlnlsRo "undefined") on May 25 --- > “” --- ## German Chancellor Angela Merkel: ‘Letting go of the old is part of a new beginning’ Angela Merkel at [Harvard University](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKBeR-HPNPw "undefined") on May 30 --- > “” --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5589307/best-commencement-speeches-2019/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5589307/best-commencement-speeches-2019/"},"headline":"Here Are the Best Commencement Speeches of 2019","datePublished":"2019-05-21T19:53:23.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-24T11:20:13.000Z","description":"From Stacey Abrams to Kristen Bell, here are some of the most inspiring grad speeches this year.","url":"https://time.com/5589307/best-commencement-speeches-2019/","keywords":["Education","Commencement"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e7ca98ed2536da2/69894a3522fb8527fee284ad/oprah-winfrey-colorado-college-commencement.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mahita Gajanan","jobTitle":"Gajanan is an editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e7ca98ed2536da2/69894a3522fb8527fee284ad/oprah-winfrey-colorado-college-commencement.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Oprah Commencement Colorado","caption":"Oprah Commencement Colorado","creditText":"Jerilee Bennett—AP","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":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5589307/best-commencement-speeches-2019/","name":"Here Are the Best Commencement Speeches of 2019"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"In Stunning Commencement Speech, Billionaire Promises to Pay Off Student Debt for Entire Graduating Class","description":"In Stunning Commencement Speech, Billionaire Promises to Pay Off Student Debt for Entire Graduating Class","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/rBo328ru/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2019-05-19T19:26:43.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/rBo328ru.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5589307/best-commencement-speeches-2019/","duration":"PT2M28S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5589307/best-commencement-speeches-2019/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```