Graduation memories are unfolding for college students at campuses across the country. Some are lucky enough to have speeches presented by the foremost thinkers of our time. Don’t discount them because of their celebrity. They’re bright, interesting, see the world from a different angle, and often leave otherwise stodgy commencement speeches feeling a little lighter.

We’ve rounded up the commencement speeches given by actors, actresses, and even tech giants that left us inspired, humbled, and in stitches.

In 2006, Stephen Colbert gave the commencement speech at Knox College, a private liberal arts school in Galesburg, IL. His opening remarks played on his thinly veiled real life/television persona. “I play someone on television named Stephen Colbert. He looks like me and talks like me, but with a straight face, says things he doesn’t mean. I’m not sure which one of us you invited here today.”

It didn’t take long to figure out which Stephen Colbert showed up. In his trademark farcical, news anchor style, he was light on the wisdom and heavy on “truthiness.” He somehow pulled off a law student/beer pong/Dred Scott joke, and claimed to have attended Knox College. “It doesn’t get reported much, partly because the press doesn’t do proper research, and partly because it’s not true,” he said.

It only took him 18 minutes, but he finally squeezed in some genuine remarks. He talked about his experience with improvisational comedy troupes, and how the spontaneity imitated life. “You’re about to start the greatest improv of all. You’ll have no script, no idea…and you are not in control. So say yes, and if you are lucky, people will say yes back,” he said. “Saying yes begins things, saying yes is how things grow. Yes is for young people, and that’s the word.” Read the rest of this entry »

A new study has been released showing that high jobless rates in major cities across the country may correspond to poor education. Another factor revealed showed that cities hit hard by the housing crisis have larger gaps between workers’ actual education and the required education level of most job listings.

The study was conducted by the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. Calculations were completed by senior research associate Jonathan Rothwell, and included online jobs posted between 2006 and 2012.

Rothwell looked at the average number of years required for jobs in 100 metro areas and compared that with the education level of those respective populations. The most narrow education gaps were found in locations with highly-skilled workers such as Raleigh, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C. – both boasting gaps of 2 percent or less.

“Narrowing the education gap is particularly important for improving the long-term health of metropolitan economies,” Rothwell told Forbes in a recent interview. “Metro areas with wide education gaps have higher unemployment, but metro areas with narrow education gaps have lower unemployment, more job creation and more job openings.” Read the rest of this entry »

Karen Klein is a 69-year-old former bus monitor who struck mini-fame after a video of a pack of middle school boys lobbing insults at her on a bus went viral last June.

Like many who viewed the video and felt anger toward the bullies and extreme sympathy for Karen, Reddit user Max Sidorov couldn’t watch the horrific event and stand idly by. So, out of the goodness of his heart he started a campaign on the website indiegogo to raise money so Karen could take a vacation.

The initial goal was to raise $5,000, but within days of the campaign’s commencement the effort had brought in nearly $400,000. Needless to say, the goal quickly went from “send Karen on vacation” to “help Karen retire.”

To date, the campaign has raised $703,873, which Karen says has changed her life forever and not only enabled her to go on vacation, but also retire and take care of her family.

Despite the public attention and large sums of money shuffled in Karen’s direction, she hasn’t let the newfound fame go to her head, nor has she felt compelled to “sit” on the money and coast the rest of her life. Instead, she’s using her new “status” as a platform for good. Read the rest of this entry »

Hollywood is ripe with eclectic celebrities, a majority of whom reach stardom before they ever think about entering college. Perhaps to them, the fame and fortune is greater than a college degree. But there are some celebrities who go to college before diving head first into acting careers, including a surprising number of big name comedians.

Conan O’Brien received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 1985, majoring in history and literature. He even graduated with honors and wrote for the Harvard Lampoon – a humor magazine at the university. Conan’s writing skills came in handy when he became a staff writer at Saturday Night Live, where he would occasionally appear on skits. Eventually, he started hosting his own television show, ‘Late Night With Conan O’Brien,’ which he’s most well known for now. Taking a look at Conan’s resume, it’s not hard to see that this funny man is a smart one, too.

John Krasinski, known for his witty character on NBC’s sitcom “The Office,” attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. During his time there, Krasinski studied theatre arts where he was also part of a sketch comedy group. Around that time he landed an internship with the above-mentioned funny man on ‘Late Night With Conan O’Brien.’ In addition to an Ivy League college education, Krasinski also taught English in Costa Rica before attending school, which proves he has much more to offer than just his funny quips and good looks. Read the rest of this entry »

John Francis “Jack” Welch, Jr. was born on November 19, 1935 in Salem, Massachusetts. He is the son of John, a Boston & Maine Railroad conductor, and Grace, a homemaker.

Welch attended Salem High School. Welch went to college at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering. After receiving his bachelor’s degree Welch went on to earn his M.S. and Ph.D at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1960.

Welch began his career with General Electric in 1960. He worked as a junior chemical engineer in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In the beginning Welch received a salary of $10,500 annually. After his first year, displeased with his pay and work environment, Welch planned to leave General Electric. A higher executive knew he was too valuable to lose and took him out to dinner convincing him to stay with the company. Welch was convinced and did not leave.

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Week 13 Recap

By Cabrone D. Brewer

With one week remaining in what has proved to be one of the wackiest college football seasons in recent memory, it’s almost safe to say that the BCS national championship picture has become a bit more focused.

After building a 14-0 lead in the first half it looked as though No. 3 Arkansas was on a mission to crash the championship party, but a sudden 92-yard punt return by Tyrann Mathieu and a stellar defensive performance in the second half secured the SEC western division title for the Tigers, as No. 1 LSU defeated the Razorbacks 41-17.

LSU had not been down more than three points all season, but the Tigers rallied behind Mathieu’s play on special teams and quarterback Jordan Jefferson’s return as a starter to advance to the SEC championship game next Saturday against No. 13 Georgia in Atlanta.

Arkansas finishes the regular season at 10-2 — with both loses coming at the hands of No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama.

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So you’ve decided to study abroad in order to learn Spanish? That’s awesome and congratulations! But now it’s time to decide where to go.

If you want a small town where you will get to know the locals and become fully integrated into their daily lives, then you should not go to Madrid. However, if you like the hustle and bustle of a major city and all of the options that go along with living in the biggest city in the nation, then Madrid is one of your best options! Another benefit of living in Madrid if you are learning Spanish is that they have a very pure accent that is easy to understand, which is somewhat rare in Spain.

Luckily, the accent isn’t the only thing that you should take advantage of if you decide to study abroad in Madrid, Spain. Here are some other fun things that you should do in order to make the most of your study abroad experience.

1. Visit the Official Home of the King of Spain. El Palacio Real is one of the most beautiful palaces that I have ever seen and it is the largest in Europe. Although the King and Queen do not actually live there now, it is very easy to get lost in legend and imagine that you are going to see them just around the corner. Construction of El Palacio Real started in 1738 and it is located on the site of an Arab fortress that was built in the 9th century. Today, it is a museum and features 2,800 rooms that contain various works of art, furniture, and other historical and cultural items. Make sure you walk across the plaza and see the gardens that surround the palace because they are definitely worth taking a look at.

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Studying abroad is one of the best things you can do during college, in my opinion. I studied abroad twice in two different countries and learned a lot more than just the subjects that I studied during my class hours. Studying abroad is a great way to learn a new language or learn another culture and way of life. You can take classes that relate to your major, or you can study something that is completely unrelated to your major. Either way, you are going to learn lessons about yourself and how you relate to other people that I feel are impossible to do while living in your own country.

So, studying abroad is fantastic. It makes you a better person. It’s a life changing opportunity and everyone should take advantage of it during college. Great. But it can also be very expensive, especially if you don’t know some of the tricks to the trade. Luckily for you, I happen to be a pro at this (or at least that’s what I tell myself) and I’m willing to share some tips for studying abroad in some of the hottest study abroad locations in the world.

EDUinReview will be releasing a series of posts this school year that will focus on traveling and living abroad in some of the best locations in the world. This series will provide you with valuable information about living in a foreign country, such as which tourists attractions are really worth your time and money, which restaurants to eat at and which ones to avoid like the plague, and how to really experience the culture of the place you are living in. If you have already decided on a place to study abroad at, these posts will help prepare you for the great adventure you are about to embark on. If you haven’t decided, they can serve as a great resource for you. Either way, it’s going to be a great way to learn how to really study abroad without spending your entire life-savings. Who can say no to that, right?

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By Cabrone D. Brewer

The Penn State board of trustees unanimously voted to remove football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier.

After 46 seasons of roaming the sidelines for the Nittany Lions, the Penn State University board of trustees fired legendary coach Joe Paterno Wednesday night amid public outrage over the school’s handling of sex abuse allegations against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

PSU president Graham Spanier was also terminated Wednesday evening in a speedy and unanimous decision by the board to relieve both men of their duties at the university.

College football’s all-time winningest coach felt extreme pressure from all angles this week following the arrest of Sandusky on charges that he molested eight boys, in the football locker room in some instances, during a 15-year period.

In order to combat the media storm surrounding State College, Paterno announced early Wednesday afternoon that he would retire at the end of this season — admitting in a prepared statement that he “should have done more” after a graduate assistant told the Hall of Fame coach that he witnessed Sandusky assaulting a boy in the shower in 2002.

Retirement wasn’t enough for the board of trustees, who must now work hard to repair the university’s shattered image.

Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley will serve as interim coach for Penn State’s game Saturday against Nebraska.

By Cabrone D. Brewer

It was everything college football fans were hoping for — without the offense.

For more than 60 minutes Saturday, No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama battled in the trenches of Tuscaloosa for the right to be proclaimed king of the BCS. But when the final whistle blew in regulation, no touchdown had been scored and no winner had been crowned.

Enter overtime and the LSU kicking game.

After a failed 52-yard field goal attempt by Alabama kicker Cade Foster in the first overtime, LSU rushed at the opportunity to capitalize on Alabama’s misfortune by sending Drew Alleman into the game on third down to boot a 25-yarder — giving LSU a 9-6 edge in an epic regular-season matchup that showcased the defensive superiority of both schools.

Alabama had several opportunities to put LSU away in regulation, but the Crimson Tide missed four field goal attempts and botched another score by throwing a disappointing goal-line interception.

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