On Friday (May 31), Oprah Winfrey passed down her wisdom to Harvard University’s graduating class as commencement speaker and honorary doctorate recipient. “It doesn’t matter how far you might rise. At some point, you are bound to stumble,” she told graduates. “If you’re constantly pushing yourself higher and higher, the law of averages predicts that you will at some point fall. And when you do, I want you to remember this: There is no such thing as failure.”
With graduation season in full swing, celebrities are flocking to college campuses to be honored and pass down advice to eager graduates. Click through the pages find 10 other celebrities with this prestigious honor.
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This year, the Scandal actress returned to her alma mater George Washington University to receive a doctorate of Fine Arts.
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In 2009, the Oscar winner received his honorary doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, the same school his s0n attended.
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The Queen of Soul has earned dozens of honorary degrees including a Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music in 2006.
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The FLOTUS didn’t have to travel far in 2010 when she spoke at the 2010 George Washington University commencement.
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Obama is a commencement pro as well. This year, he gave an inspiring speech at HBCU Morehouse College.
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Bill Cosby
The television legend is at a college graduation nearly every year with degrees from Yale, Carnegie Mellon, Berklee and more.
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Yes, even Mike Tyson is a scholar. The boxer was awarded a Doctorate in Humane Letters from Central State University in Ohio.
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The literary legend boasts over 30 honorary degrees from some of America’s most prestigious schools including Boston College, Howard University and Chapman.
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Athletes are collegiate, too! Just ask Muhammad Ali, who earned a Doctorate of Humanities from Princeton University.
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The former supermodel made headlines when she announced that she would be heading back to school. There is still confusion over whether she was a honorary doctorate or actually worked for it. Either way, going to Harvard Business School is a noted accomplishment.
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