Graduation season is coming and many colleges have announced their commencement speakers for 2017. While it is not the reason to choose a college, it can be exciting to be a graduate at a commencement speech that goes on to be famous. For example, Steve Job’s 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University is often quoted for its inspirational words. Someday you will also attend commencement and hear a speech that will inspire those in attendance. Some commencement speakers will be alumni of the institution, while others may be famous in their field of work. Below are some famous names giving commencement speeches around the country in 2017.

• Arizona State University – Howard Schultz, Starbucks Chairman
• Barnard College – Joanne Liu, Doctors Without Borders President
• Bennington College – Cornell Brooks, NCAAP President
• Brooklyn College – Bernie Sanders, United States Senator from Vermont
• Dartmouth College – Jake Tapper, CNN anchor
• Grove City College – Ben Carson, neurosurgeon, author, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
• Harvard University – Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder
• Johns Hopkins University – Frank Bruni, New York Times Writer
• Knox College – Eva Longoria, actress, producer, activist, and businesswoman.
• Lafayette College – Ron Chernow, writer, journalist, historian, and biographer.
• Liberty University – President Donald Trump
• Loyola University – New Orleans – Van Jones, CNN commentator
• Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts – John Lewis, U.S. Representative from Georgia, civil rights leader
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Tim Cook, Apple CEO
• New York University (NYU) – Pharrell Williams, singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, film producer
• Northwestern University – Billie Jean King, former World No. 1 professional tennis player
• Rutgers University – Steven Van Zandt, musician (Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band) and actor (The Sopranos)
• Skidmore College – Oprah Winfrey
• Smith College – Oprah Winfrey
• Tufts University – Kenya Barris, writer, producer and creator of numerous television shows, including Black-ish
• Tulane University – Helen Mirren, Academy Award Winning Actress
• University of Albany – Scott Kelly, Astronaut
• University of California, San Diego – Dalai Lama
• University of Houston – Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and former governor of California
• University of Massachusetts at Amherst – Elizabeth Warren, United States Senator from Massachusetts
• University of Notre Dame – Vice President Mike Pence
• University of Pennsylvania – Cory Booker, United States Senator from New Jersey
• University of Southern California – Will Ferrell, actor and comedian
• University of Wisconsin-Madison – Steven Levitan, director, screenwriter, producer and co-creator of Modern Family
• Virginia Tech – Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook Chief Operating Officer
• Wellesley College – Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State

And, an impressive high school commencement speaker:

• Langely High School – Lauren Graham, author and actress from television shows such as Gilmore Girls and Parenthood

Commencement speeches are known for being inspirational and motivational. Some are even given by well-known personalities, and 2017 has a lot of famous individuals giving commencement speeches this year.

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