Theme
Commencement Speeches About Gratitude & Humility
Commencement is a day of thanks as much as ambition, and the best speakers name it. These addresses are about gratitude and humility — remembering who paid your way, keeping perspective, and refusing to mistake luck for merit.
24 speeches / 3 core matches
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Commencement is a day of thanks as much as ambition, and the best speakers name it. These addresses are about gratitude and humility — remembering who paid your way, keeping perspective, and refusing to mistake luck for merit.
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Billy Collins Colorado College / 2008 Why it belongs here He presents gratitude for simply being alive as the corollary to carpe diem and closes with a poem about filial gratitude toward one's mother. This theme is central to the speech. 02 Michael Lewis Princeton University / 2012 Why it belongs here Lewis argues that success carries a large element of luck and that the fortunate owe a debt to the unlucky, urging humility rather than assuming one deserves the extra cookie. This theme is central to the speech. 03 James Carville Hobart and William Smith Colleges / 2013 Why it belongs here Through the Holland/Bush story he urges graduates to return and thank the teachers, coaches, or mentors who helped them succeed. This theme is central to the speech. Featured speeches
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Why it belongs here He presents gratitude for simply being alive as the corollary to carpe diem and closes with a poem about filial gratitude toward one's mother.
Why it belongs here He recalls his mother's admonition that from those to whom much is given, much is expected, urging graduates to give back given their privilege.
Why it belongs here Lewis argues that success carries a large element of luck and that the fortunate owe a debt to the unlucky, urging humility rather than assuming one deserves the extra cookie.
Why it belongs here He thanks his parents, family, and host Mrs. Earl, noting his father spent a year's salary on his plane ticket.
Why it belongs here She thanks her father and coaches and honors her grandparents whose names she repeated during her race for strength.
Why it belongs here She reflects with gratitude on the women who redirected her work and thanks family members who made her story possible.
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Core matches 3
Colorado College / 2008 / Field: letters
Princeton University / 2012 / Field: letters
Hobart and William Smith Colleges / 2013 / Field: politics
Related mentions 21
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Wellesley College / 2015 / Field: letters
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign / 2009 / Field: business
Harvard University / 2007 / Field: business
Villanova University / 2010 / Field: arts
University of Wisconsin / 2004 / Field: arts
Massachusetts Institute of Technology / 2002 / President of the World Bank
Stanford University / 2001 / CEO, Hewlett-Packard
Villanova University / 2000 / Field: letters
Massachusetts Institute of Technology / 2000 / President and CEO, Hewlett-Packard
Massachusetts Institute of Technology / 2026 / Advanced Micro Devices CEO
Massachusetts Institute of Technology / 2022 / Director-General of the World Trade Organization
Massachusetts Institute of Technology / 2020 / Retired U.S. Navy admiral
Massachusetts Institute of Technology / 2014 / Chair and CEO, DuPont
Massachusetts Institute of Technology / 2010 / Chairman and co-founder, Analog Devices
Show 3 more related mentions
Massachusetts Institute of Technology / 2006 / Chairman, Federal Reserve
Barnard College / 2010 / Field: arts
Liberty University / 2006 / Field: politics
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