Commencement speakers share advice with the Class of 2025

Read the Full Transcript

• Amna Nawaz:

  As we showed last night, commencement speakers across the country are passing on key advice to the class of 2025, sharing their recipes for success and life lessons learned.

• Geoff Bennett:

  And we wanted to take another moment to reflect on the words of wisdom being passed down to the next generation of leaders.

• Jodi Kantor, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist:

  I dropped out of law school. This was also kind of mortifying in its way. It was Harvard, which I am not saying to sound like a jerk…

  (Laughter)

• Jodi Kantor:

  … but to help you imagine how bad it looked to my parents and to a lot of others as well. But that was the moment I became the author of my own life.

  I have been a journalist for a quarter-century now. Not a day has passed when my field has not been in existential and business crisis.

  (Laughter)

• Jodi Kantor:

  And I'm happy.

• Jarryd Wallace, Paralympian:

  In 2007, I signed to run track and field here at the University of Georgia, following in my parents' footsteps as athletes at this great institution. Shortly after signing day, I found myself in an operating room with little hope of ever walking again.

  I'm sitting in a doctor's office facing one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had, continue living my life in pain or consider having my leg amputated. In that moment, something clicked. I stopped letting the reality of my present circumstances dictate the potential of my future.

  Today, 15 years post-amputation, I stand before you as a two-time Paralympic medalist, three-time world champion, and four-time world record holder.

  (Cheering)

• Jarryd Wallace:

  Thank you.

• A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles:

  If you remember nothing else I say today, remember these three things, please. Number one, run your own route. Everybody's path is different. Stay focused on yours. Comparison kills potential faster than failure ever could.

  Number two, watch the film on yourself. Be real about your flaws. Own them. Grow from them. Self-awareness is a form of leadership. And, number three, think bigger than today. Everybody wants quick wins. Everybody wants to go viral. I'm sorry to tell you, social media is not real.

  Class of 2025, this is your kickoff. You're stepping into a new season. You're holding the ball. Ole Miss gave you the playbook. Now it's your job to call the plays and lead the drive. So whatever you're chasing, chase it with humility.

• Maggie Rogers, Singer-Songwriter:

  My career arrived overnight. It's the Cinderella story of a video. Maybe you have seen it. Maybe it was force-fed to you.

  (Laughter)

• Maggie Rogers:

  If you haven't seen it, I play a song for Pharrell Williams. He really likes it. His reaction goes on YouTube. Ta-da, I'm famous. But no one saw all the hard work or all the times I almost quit. They never heard the songs that didn't work or the shows that were just bad.

  I don't know any artists that hasn't considered quitting. But you didn't get here because you wanted to do something easy. You got here because you wanted to do something great.

• Taraji P. Henson, Actress:

  You have to turn your attention to you when moments get tough. There will be challenges, but how you respond is all up to you. I was chosen for this assignment. And so are you. You won't be perfect. Perfection is the perfect lie. You will make mistakes.

  And that's OK. As the Geechees from the Gullah Island say, take care of the root to heal the tree. And the tree is all of us, you all, because humans need humans.