6 Biggest Celebrities to Speak at Hudson Valley Graduations

To celebrate graduation season, we're looking back at the best speeches made by celebrity commencement speakers at Hudson Valley colleges.

Graduation is an exciting time. Celebrating your hard work and looking towards the future is one of the milestones in your life that you'll remember forever. The only thing that can make the moment even more special is to be congratulated by someone you respect and admire.

Over the years, several Hudson Valley colleges have recognized students by inviting some A-list celebrities to share words of wisdom with the graduating class.

Tom Hanks - Vassar College Class of 2005

In 2005 Tom Hanks was asked to speak at the Vassar College graduation ceremony. The Forrest Gump star took the stage and shared his theory about the power of the number four, and how it can change the world.

David Byrne - Bard College Class of 2020

The Talking Heads frontman gave the commencement address at Bard College during a virtual ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The singer shared words of encouragement to students whose college experience was interrupted by quarantines while receiving an honorary doctorate of fine arts from the Dutchess County school.

 Lisa Kudrow - Vassar College Class of 2010

The actress was a graduate of Vassar College and spoke to students about her journey from being a Biology major to starring as Phoebe in Friends.

Mr. Fred Rodgers - Marist College Class of 1999

One of the most memorable graduation moments happened when Mr. Rodgers accepted an invitation to speak to the Marist College graduating class of 1999. Besides imparting his wisdom and encouraging the students to embrace their friendships, the beloved children's television host serenaded the class with a rendition of "Won't You Be My Neighbor?".

Stephen King - Vassar College Class of 2001

During his speech, Stephen King surprised the crowd by announcing that he would be making a donation of $20,000 to Dutchess Outreach. He encouraged others in the crowd to join him in raising money to support their programs for the homeless, sick and hungry.

Samuel L. Jackson - Vassar College Class of 2024

The legendary actor agreed to speak at the Vassar College 2024 commencement ceremony at the request of his daughter, who was a member of the graduating class. In his own colorful way, he encouraged the students to "find something that... pisses you off and do something about it." He shared his own experiences, explaining that speaking up isn't easy, and may not make you popular, but using your voice will let you become a part of something bigger than yourself. And he added, "making history is extremely cool."