Commencement Addresses 2026: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, and the Inspirational

It’s college graduation season. That means a steady flow of viral videos featuring a wide range of inspirational, cringe, awkward, and unforgettable moments, courtesy of those commencement speakers — some you know and some you’ve never seen before.

This time of year, these videos are to me what cat videos are to a Kamala Harris voter. I click on one, and before I know it, a couple of hours have passed and I’ve completely lost track of what I sat down to do in the first place.

I’ll start with my favorite one of all time: the 2005 speech by college drop-out Steve Jobs to the graduating class at Stanford.

That is what you call the standard. Even a good commencement address would struggle to meet that benchmark. 

Actor Harrison Ford gave it a shot when he spoke to the seniors at Arizona State University, and he was on brand as an irritable old leftist codger. After watching this, I’d say it looks like it’s been a few years since he’s actually talked to anyone under the age of 30. He’s a bit rusty. The only thing he did not say was, “Get off my lawn.”

If you’re looking for a "Debbie Downer," put Ford on your list of must-see commencement speakers.

Were you expecting an encouraging speech about the future during this commencement ceremony?

Sorry, you’re getting Harrison Ford lecturing about climate change and indigenous people.

What a downer! pic.twitter.com/iJvHjSr9Rd

— Dr. Jebra Faushay (@JebraFaushay) May 14, 2026

I’ve written a few commencement speeches, and I can say this: The goal of most of them is to make the new grads feel ready to take on the world. When you write and give these addresses, that’s your one job. Ford had one job and he blew it.

Gloria Caulfield had the same charge when she spoke to graduating seniors at the University of Central Florida. Caulfield is vice president of strategic alliances at the Orlando-based Tavistock Development Company. Tavistock is a real estate development company. Caulfield graduated from the University of Arizona, so she’s not a UCF alum. I can’t figure out why they invited her to speak, and on top of that, I really can’t figure why she decided to make artificial intelligence her focus in this way, even if it wasn't the whole speech.

If anyone ever asks you to give a commencement address, remember this pro-tip: stay in your lane. Caulfield did not, and the crowd was brutal to her.

A commencement speech at the University of Central Florida drew a strong reaction as speaker Gloria Caulfield made comments about artificial intelligence that prompted audible boos from graduates. https://t.co/KCwuModIVQ pic.twitter.com/VPANms3Ebw

— ABC News (@ABC) May 13, 2026

Not all commencement addresses are terrible, but most are forgettable. NBA legend Magic Johnson has given a few commencement addresses in his day, and he knows the job. Be uplifting and inspire. 

Not to nitpick, but you could make a drinking game out of the phrase “change the world” at college commencement ceremonies. From a writing perspective, you have to avoid the clichés. “Change the world” is at the top of that list. Don’t say it. But as you can see here, Johnson went there. It didn't add to his speech, but it didn't take away from it either. He got away with it because he's a good speaker with an important message.

That message to the new graduates at Stillman College was priceless. It’s something everyone from Gen Z who graduates this year needs to hear, and I doubt they’ll hear it from anyone else but Johnson.

🏀 Overdeliver.
That was the word Magic Johnson handed Stillman's Class of 2026 — a charge from one of sport's most influential athletes-turned-executives to a class of graduating business students.https://t.co/SVH5Bg1FVO#MagicJohnson #AthleteSpeakers #Commencement pic.twitter.com/wiFIUOIPSc

— AthleteSpeakers (@AthleteSpeakers) May 14, 2026

Sometimes when we think about memorable commencement speeches, we try to remember the words. But often, it’s not always what they say, but who is saying it. Erika Kirk spoke to the new crop of graduates at Hillsdale College. It was the perfect fit between school and commencement speaker, and it was the right time for Kirk to give this speech.

Eight months have passed since her husband Charlie was publicly executed for standing up for his conservative and Christian beliefs. Erika has continued her work through all of her grief, staying true to her commitments and obligations to her children and to Charlie’s memory. She has persevered through an onslaught of some of the most savage and barbaric treatment any human being could be forced to endure from all sides, including from some people who were very close to her and Charlie not that long ago.

Erika’s words to the Hillsdale graduates will be most remembered because she was the one who spoke them. She will be remembered for stepping up now, well before even a year has passed since her tragic loss. Her message will be remembered because it was Charlie’s message: Be a lifelong learner. Don’t shy away from being tested. Stand for your country, your freedoms, and your Christian values — live them, fight for them, and don’t be afraid to be challenged.

🇺🇸 Erika Kirk Tells Hillsdale Grads: Love Country, Challenge Beliefs Like Charlie, Men Marry Youngpic.twitter.com/3HUeAqkkCA

— U.S.A.I. 🇺🇸 (@researchUSAI) May 10, 2026

I’ve done an informal survey of people over many years anytime I hear that someone recently attended a college commencement. It’s a one-question survey: What did the commencement speaker say?

Almost everyone forgets, even if the speech was just one week earlier. Only a very few are remembered for their content. Country music singer-songwriter Eric Church spoke to the graduating class at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I’ll leave you with this and let Church have the last word. Of all the speeches that will be delivered to new graduates in 2026, this one just might be the one that sticks around for a few years. I believe more than a few UNC grads will remember this one, and it’s a speech I’d highly recommend to you. Sit back and enjoy the kind of commencement address that only Eric Church can deliver.

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