College Graduation

A great commencement speech not only inspires graduates, but audience members as well. A speaker may not have all the answers, but one with the right words can light a fire inside of all of us and push us to our potential.

So whether you’re a fresh college grad, someone stuck in a career rut, someone who could use a little direction in life, or simply someone who likes to listen to motivational speeches, we present these popular commencement speeches from various college graduations.

1. Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech

Steve Jobs encourages graduates to find what they love and to not settle. “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith.” There is meaning and reason behind everything; you have to trust that somehow the dots will connect in the future. Find what you love. Follow your curiosity and intuition. Trust in your gut.

A graduation gift can be a tough gift to buy, especially if the graduate is a relative you only see once or twice a year. While every person has their different tastes and needs of what they want in a gift, your best bet is to provide something useful for their time ahead in college. While getting a new car for your recent high school graduate is out of the question, check out these graduation gift ideas that will come in handy for any college student.