Great commencement speeches...

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<p>Right now, the commencement address at this year's Wellesley High School is making a buzz (thanks to a fellow CC parent for including link in his/her FB feed!), mostly because the speaker (an English teacher at the school) included the phrase "You are not special. You are not exceptional." in it.</p>

<p>This, of course, was taken any number of different ways by his audience and ever expanding circles of online readers. But the overall message of his speech is, IMO, exceptional. Here's a link to the transcript if you haven't read it yet:</p>

<p>Wellesley</a> High grads told: “You’re not special” | The Swellesley Report</p>

<p>This also reminded me to revisit what I consider one of the finest commencement addresses of all time, which the late David Foster Wallace gave at Kenyon College in 2005.</p>

<p>DAVID</a> FOSTER WALLACE, IN HIS OWN WORDS | More Intelligent Life</p>

<p>And of course, perhaps the most famous commencement address never ever uttered at a commencement (and often misattributed to Kurt Vonnegut):</p>

<p>Advice</a>, like youth, probably just wasted on the young - chicagotribune.com</p>

<p>For the record, I remember that the speaker at my high school graduation was the president of Mack Trucks. That is all I remember about it. Some guy named Ted Koppel gave the keynote at my college graduation, but all I can recall was that it was hot on Franklin Field that day.</p>

<p>Feel free to share any links to other great commencement speeches...</p>

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<p><a href=“http://peaceinstitute.sargentshriver.org/files/1993%20-%20COMMENCEMENT%20ADDRESS-THE%20CANTERBURY%20SCHOOL-NEW%20MILFORD%20CONNECTICUT.pdf[/url]”>http://peaceinstitute.sargentshriver.org/files/1993%20-%20COMMENCEMENT%20ADDRESS-THE%20CANTERBURY%20SCHOOL-NEW%20MILFORD%20CONNECTICUT.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>My all-time favorite would be J. K. Rowling’s at Harvard in 2008, on the fringe benefits of failure and the importance of imagination. Especially needed message for those of us who are so used to “overachieving”.</p>

<p>[Harry</a> Potter author J.K. Rowling’s 2008 Harvard Commencement address | Harvard Magazine](<a href=“http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/06/the-fringe-benefits-failure-the-importance-imagination]Harry”>http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/06/the-fringe-benefits-failure-the-importance-imagination)</p>