Congrats to the Class of 2026
- The Perrotti's Team
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
I love graduation speeches. High achieving women and men in goofy outfits dishing out pearls of wisdom to a sea of inattentive adolescence? Gets me every time... maybe it has something to do with being a dad.
A good graduation speech is a meal for the brain, and it's such a tricky recipe to get right. The core challenge seems to be this: share a fresh take on a timeless idea that manages to connect with a group of kids who would probably rather be doing something else. Here are a few from this graduation season that really hit the spot.
Eric Church — University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | May 9, 2026
“The difference between a life that sounds like music and a life that sounds like noise is whether you stop and listen, whether you’re honest enough to hear which string has drifted out of tune and humble enough to make the adjustment instead of just turning up the volume and hoping nobody notices.”
Conan O'Brien — Harvard University | May 28, 2026
“Your real education starts now, with friends you’ve made and friends you get to meet, with stunning successes and miserable defeats, and with a humble acceptance that your greatness comes from the mess around you, not despite it.”
Queen Latifah — North Carolina A&T State University | May 9, 2026
“You have to be delusional beyond your wildest dreams, beyond your faith, beyond your belief. When was I delusional? Well, it started off with me being 16 and calling myself Queen Latifah. I was calling myself Queen Latifah because I had this ridiculous amount of faith that I was going to be somebody. I was looking forward into the future with a delusional amount of faith that I was going to get there. Be delusional enough to call yourself something that the world hasn’t called you yet. Be brave enough to walk down that road that no one else can see but you.”
Henry Winkler — Emerson College | May 9, 2026
"You can live a life. You can accomplish. You can accumulate a lot of stuff. You can fill your house and then fill your garage and fill your basement. But you cannot live a rich life if you don't have empathy."
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