Anatomy of a commencement speech

The best graduation speeches follow a surprisingly similar pattern

Will Ferrell gives the commencement address at USC.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Patrick T. Fallon)
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We combed through dozens of inspirational, funny, and memorable commencement speeches and found the best ones follow a surprisingly similar pattern comprising eight distinct parts. Listen to the anatomy of a graduation address above and click on the links below to watch any of the speeches in full.

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Lindsey Kratochwill
Lindsey Kratochwill

Lindsey Kratochwill is a digital production assistant at TheWeek.com where she edits podcasts and videos. She also co-hosts a podcast for Popular Science and has written for Popular Science, Fast Company, and The Guardian, among other publications. She's an unapologetic science nerd and an apologetic Floridian.

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