Rachel Dratch ’88 will deliver the 2026 Commencement address. Here, we revisit inspirational words from past speeches delivered by alums.
Mindy Kaling ’01, 2018
Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something but especially not yourself.”
Long before she became a household name through The Office, The Mindy Project, and Never Have I Ever, Kaling was a student hustling between classes and comedy. She studied playwriting and was part of the campus humor scene, even creating a comic strip and interning for Late Night with Conan O’Brien while an undergraduate. That blend of ambition and self-awareness became central to her Commencement message, which encouraged graduates to tune out doubt—especially their own. Kaling’s career trajectory, from student writer to Emmy-nominated showrunner and bestselling author, made her presence feel less like celebrity spectacle and more like proof of concept.
Jake Tapper ’91, 2017
Do not worry if you do not know what you want to do with the rest of your life—uncertainty is part of the adventure.”
Tapper arrived in Hanover with an interest in politics and left with a sharpened sense of storytelling. He went on to build a career that spans print journalism, political reporting, and his current role as CNN chief Washington, D.C., correspondent and anchor. Known for tough questioning and insistence on accountability, his address leaned into uncertainty, urging graduates not to panic if their path wasn’t immediately clear.
Shonda Rhimes ’91, 2014
Ditch the dream and be a doer not a dreamer—hard work makes things happen.”
Rhimes, the creative force behind Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and Bridgerton, has reshaped modern television with stories that center on complex characters and unapologetic ambition. She studied English and film at Dartmouth, developing the foundation for a career that would redefine what network drama could look like. Her Commencement speech cut through the romance of “dream jobs” and instead emphasized discipline and execution—the idea that real success comes not from imagining a future but from consistently doing the work.
Phil Lord ’97 and Chris Miller ’97, 2023
Look ahead and imagine a world better than what we came up with—your imagination is valuable.” —Lord
Lord and Miller’s partnership began at the College, where they met through campus comedy and bonded over a shared sense of humor that would eventually shape films such as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Lego Movie, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Their joint address felt true to their creative identities—playful, thoughtful, and rooted in imagination—and made clear they still believe in the power of weird ideas, collaboration, and taking creative risks before anyone gives you permission.
Art is often very silly, but it is not frivolous. Make space in your life for creativity.” —Miller
Annette Gordon-Reed ’81, 2021
History teaches us both humility and courage—to stand up for what is right even when it is difficult.”
Gordon-Reed brought intellectual gravity and moral clarity to her address. A Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and professor at Harvard (where she earned a law degree), she is best known for her groundbreaking research on Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, which reshaped how historians understand American history and power. Her speech emphasized courage and humility—values deeply connected to her scholarship—and challenged graduates to confront, rather than retreat from, uncomfortable truths.
