Get ready because graduation season is about to kick off in Boston, which means the city will be flooded with caps, gowns and a ton of proud parents. The list of 2017 commencement speakers is pretty stacked, as everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Hillary Clinton is coming to town to send off our local graduates in style. Check out the five speeches you can’t miss this spring, plus a few famous words of wisdom from the upcoming college visitors.
1. Oprah Winfrey at Smith College
Smith College students lucked out this year, as Oprah, the queen of entertainment, will be stopping by the Quadrangle to speak at this year’s commencement ceremony. The media maven will receive an honorary degree alongside former Northampton mayor Clare Higgins, Howard Hughes Medical Institute president Erin O’Shea, Native American tribal leader Henrietta Mann, as well as Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan.
Inspirational quote: “Be thankful for what you have and you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
Where, when and how to watch: Sunday, May 21, 10 a.m., Smith College Quadrangle, 10 Elm St, Northampton. Check out the live stream here.
2. Hillary Clinton at Wellesley College
The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee is back in the public spotlight and will return to her alma mater to deliver this year’s address. We’re guessing a certain leader of the free world is going to pop up in her speech.
Inspirational quote: “I think that if you live long enough, you realize that so much of what happens in life is out of your control, but how you respond to it is in your control. That’s what I try to remember.”
Where, when and how to watch: Friday, May 26, 10:30 a.m., Wellesley College, 106 Central St., Wellesley. Check out the live stream here.
3. Elizabeth Warren at Wheelock College
Clinton isn’t the only Democratic feminist icon coming to town, as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren will speak at Wheelock College’s commencement. Warren will also be speaking at UMass Amherst’s ceremony on May 12.
Inspirational quote: “It’s better to fight because if you don’t fight, you can’t win. Besides, even when you don’t win, you can change the game.”
Where, when and how to watch: Friday, May 19, 10 a.m., Temple Ohabei Shalom, 1187 Beacon St., Brookline.
4. Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard University
He may be a Harvard dropout, but Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg will be welcomed back to the university with open arms later this month. Joining Zuckerberg for the weekend of fun will be former vice president Joe Biden, who’s set to speak the afternoon prior at Class Day.
Inspirational quote: “The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”
Where, when and how to watch: Thursday, May 25, 2:30 p.m. Harvard Yard, 2 Kirkland St., Cambridge. Check out the live stream here.
5. Tim Cook at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Apple CEO Tim Cook will be on hand to deliver the commencement speech at this year’s MIT ceremony. We’re guessing he’ll be scoping out the graduating class to find some new genius additions to the Siri-loving team.
Inspirational quote: “The sidelines are not where you want to live your life. The world needs you in the arena.”
Where, when and how to watch: Friday, June 9, 10 a.m., Killian Court, 222 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Check out the live stream here.
