Commencement

After you walk across the stage and accept your diploma, there is a question you need to keep in mind and an answer for yourself when things get rough (and they will): What great things have come from being comfortable?

The system by which we fund higher education may be horribly broken, but that in no way means the people who are a product of it should be written off. Graduates should feel empowered to effect these changes. If they don't -- if they're all too cynical and feel there's no use in trying -- then we're in big trouble.

For the first time, we have worked to record some of the shining examples of the stylish tradition at Lynn, and I am happy to be your guide through some of the "shoe-ins" for best shoes of the 2012 commencement ceremonies.

I feel a responsibility to use my privilege to address privilege. This comes through my awareness of privilege and prejudices, and my efforts to critically address my own prejudices and call others out on theirs, too.

Young Americans, my generation has failed you. Standards have slipped, we've deprioritized education and we've hardly even noticed. And young Americans, you are suffering as a result, arriving into adulthood without the knowledge and skills you need.

There's something we can guarantee will be in the speeches given at college commencement ceremonies; a boat-load of cliches. Whether you're going t...

Graduate School of Education student Sammy Lemoonga, shares a farewell prayer. Sammy is a member of the Samburu tribe in northern Kenya and (along with his wife), recreated an official tribal ceremony of sending forth.

ABC News' Barbara Walters delivers a punchy speech to Yale's class of 2012. She discusses her experiences interviewing world leaders on the topic of l...

When a student who has been narrowly preparing for a specific field sees their plan radically altered, they have little to cushion their fall. At least a liberal arts model hones a student's thinking skills and intellectual development to be prepared for a change in plan.

Belmont University President Robert Fisher started the commencement season strong with this short, sweet address to graduates totally comprised of son...

Not everyone wears the a cap and gown to their graduation. Check out this awesome video of 5 unusual graduation dresses from around the world. We ...

A good commencement speech gets graduates motivated about their futures; a great commencement speech gets cited as a source of inspiration for years a...

Lester Holt, anchor of the weekend editions of NBC's Today and Nightly News said it took gall to apply to NBC as an 18-year-old in a commencement addr...

It is not hard to understand why adult learners are the fastest growing segment of college students. Today's competitive job market, along with significant advances in technology, requires people to continually build upon their existing skills while also developing new ones.

We gave you round one, now here's round two of some of the 2012 commencement speakers we're excited about. Being journalists and admitted nerds, Hu...

It's getting closer to that time of year. That's right, it's nearly commencement season! It's that day when thousands of young 20-somethings wake u...

Reliving college traditions with the people who made college not only enjoyable, but unforgettable, one more time before throwing the cap up in the air may help alleviate the process of letting go.

It is tempting to turn for solutions directly to our newest graduates. Instead, it seems fairer to ask their colleges and universities how well positioned they are to help fix what ails.