Tis the season for college graduations which of course includes commencement speakers, many of whom are high-profile and well known individuals like President Obama who spoke at Rutgers on Sunday.

He previously spoke at Howard University’s graduation this month and will make his final graduation speech as a sitting President at the Air Force Academy next month.  Obama has been joined on the commencement circuit this spring by the likes of former basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who spoke at Drew University, Ryan Seacrest who addressed graduated at the University of Georgia, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at the University of Wisconsin and filmmaker Spike Lee at Johns Hopkins.

Over the next few weeks James Franco, Matt Damon and Seth Myers will all have the honor of speaking at college graduations around the country.

The upside of having someone famous speak at your college graduation is that you’ll at least remember who it was 10, 20 or 30 years later because most commencement speeches are likely very forgettable.  Frankly I don’t remember who spoke at either of my children’s graduations at Penn State or anything they said.

However there is one graduation speech I will never forget and it’s one I did not attend but rather watched afterwards courtesy of the internet.  Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs spoke to the Class of 2005 at Stanford University and delivered a powerful speech that is still talked about today as it centered on the life lessons he had learned:

  • Follow your heart and trust it knows where it’s going
  • The worst thing that could happen might turn out to be the best thing that could happen.
  • If you live each day as it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.
  • Don’t let anything drown out your inner voice.
  • Stay hungry, stay foolish.

During his speech Jobs talked about beating pancreatic cancer which it appeared he did. Sadly it would claim his life six years later.

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