Of Compassion and Aspiration

What Mr. Rogers Taught Me About Commencement Speakers

2024 seems to have a heightened level of scrutiny and deep feelings baked into the Commencement Speaker hype/reality cycle. From the ‘controversy’ related to Jerry Seinfeld’s much hyped spin at Duke University, to the Ohio State tech bro alum hocking bitcoin while reading a speech that you wrote while high on ayahuasca, and who can forget the “don’t let the Kitchen Door smack you in the fact when you are making my dinner,” themed speech from Kansas City Chiefs Kicker, Harrison Butker at Benedictine College - 2024 has been quite a year of speeches, demonstrations and headlines.