This year's commencement speakers are being announced one after another! With less than two months until graduation ceremonies, North American universities are gearing up to make the most important moment of the graduation season truly special.
This year's speaker lineup is as star-studded as ever. Harvard University has invited the acclaimed Hollywood actor Tom Hanks, a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Actor.
As one of Hollywood's most recognized and respected figures, Tom Hanks won back-to-back Oscars for Best Actor for Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994).
Hanks has played roles in nearly 100 films, including Saving Private Ryan, Apollo 13, Sleepless in Seattle, Captain Phillips, and the Robert Langdon trilogy, including The Da Vinci Code. In the trilogy, he portrayed a Harvard professor of religious symbology.
In addition to the Oscars, Tom Hanks has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Golden Globe, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the Emmy, and was nominated for a Tony Award for his Broadway debut in Lucky Guy in 2013. In 2014, he received the Kennedy Center Honors; in 2016, President Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
It is reported that Tom Hanks will be awarded an honorary degree at Harvard's commencement. In recent years, Harvard commencement speakers have included former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the late U.S. Representative John Lewis, and renowned director Steven Spielberg.
Beyond Harvard, who else have other universities invited this year? CheersYou（清柚教育） takes you through the highlights!
2023 U.S. University Commencement Speakers
New York University
Invited Speaker: Sanna Marin
2023 Commencement Date: May 17
Sanna Marin—Prime Minister of Finland, is Finland's longest-serving female prime minister and the youngest. She leads an all-female parliamentary coalition; has firmly opposed Russia's invasion of Ukraine; advocates for her country's NATO membership; provided steady and effective leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic; and is the first in her family to attend university.
At the ceremony, she will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from NYU and will deliver the address on behalf of all honorary degree recipients to the graduates and guests.
University of Pennsylvania
Invited Speaker: Idina Menzel
2023 Commencement Date: May 15
Idina Menzel is known for her performances on Broadway and the big screen, including Maureen in the musical Rent, the original Elphaba in the musical Wicked, and the voice of Elsa in the Oscar-winning Disney film Frozen.
She also performed the song "Let It Go" from Frozen, which became a Billboard Top Ten hit and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2014.
University of Michigan
Invited Speaker: Wynton Marsalis
2023 Commencement Date: April 29
Marsalis currently serves as the Director of Jazz Studies at the Juilliard School in New York City and is the CEO of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, a nonprofit that supports jazz musicians and jazz education.
Marsalis is a recipient of the 2005 National Medal of Arts and was also awarded the 2015 National Humanities Medal.
Vanderbilt University
Invited Speaker: Maria Ressa
2023 Commencement Date: May 11
Ressa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, becoming the first Filipino woman to win a Nobel Prize. She is also the co-founder and CEO of Rappler, a leading digital news outlet in the Philippines.
She is the author of Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al-Qaeda's Newest Center and From Bin Laden to Facebook: 10 Days of Abduction, 10 Years of Terrorism.
Rice University
Invited Speaker: Karine Jean-Pierre
2023 Commencement Date: May 6
Jean-Pierre will be Rice University's first Black commencement speaker since 2017.
She served as the Southeast Regional Political Director for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and as Regional Political Director for the White House Office of Political Affairs during the first Obama administration. In the Biden administration, she initially served as Principal Deputy Press Secretary before being promoted in May 2022.
Jean-Pierre is the first Black person and the first openly gay individual to serve as White House Press Secretary.
Northwestern University
Invited Speaker: Gov. JB Pritzker
2023 Commencement Date: June 12
Gov. JB Pritzker is the Governor of Illinois and a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Law.
Pritzker has made significant contributions across multiple fields, including education, business, public service, and human rights. He and his wife MK are also longtime supporters of Northwestern University.
Colorado College
Invited Speaker: Liz Cheney
2023 Commencement Date: May 28
Former U.S. Representative Cheney graduated from Colorado College in 1988 with a degree in political science and from the University of Chicago Law School in 1996. She served as the Republican Representative from Wyoming from 2017 to early this year. From 2019 to 2021, she served as Chair of the House Republican Conference.
She is the eldest daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and Second Lady Lynne Cheney. Lynne Cheney is also a Colorado College alumna and previously served as a trustee emerita.
2023 North American University Commencement Schedules
Most universities have announced their commencement details. CheersYou（清柚教育） has compiled the dates and locations for some North American universities' ceremonies to help students who wish to attend prepare in advance.
Wishing the Class of 2023 a joyful graduation! 🎓
