The only thing standing between a graduating student and his or her diploma is that fateful commencement speech. Luckily, this season promises plenty of inspiring acts. From Bill Nye “the Science Guy” to Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Apple CEO Tim Cook, students, professors and their families will surely be on the edge of their fold-out seats.
To help us choose which campuses to “crash”, CNN compiled a list of the most high-profile graduation speakers, revealing a myriad of entertainers, politicians, military leaders, business executives and famous alumni.
The Hollywood community will be well represented when academy award-winning actors Denzel Washington (Dillard University in New Orleans, May 9), Matthew McConaughey (University of Houston, May 15) and film director, screenwriter and producer Christopher Nolan (Princeton University, June 1) step up to the podium. Audiences at Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville are sure to get a good laugh when comedians Stephen Colbert and Ed Helms take the stage, respectively.
See CNN’s complete round-up and also check out what NPR considers to be the Best Commencement Speeches, Ever.
