Dr. Swift Addresses NYU Class Of ’22

• New York University’s graduating Class of 2022 was treated to an inspirational — and aspirational commencement address by none other than Taylor Swift, who during the ceremony at Yankee Stadium was presented with an honorary doctorate in fine arts.

As chronicled by the New York Daily News, Swift, 32, shared some her own important life lessons in her nearly 25-minute speech, noting, “I was a teenager at a time when our society was absolutely obsessed with the idea of having perfect young female role models. I became a young adult while being fed the message that if I didn’t make any mistakes, that all the children of America would grow up perfect angels. However, if I did slip up, the entire Earth would fall off its axis, and it’d be entirely my fault… It was all centered around the idea that mistakes equal failure and ultimately the loss of any chance at a happy or rewarding life. This has not been my experience.”

Later in the speech, Swift quipped, “I would like to thank NYU for making me, technically, on paper at least, a doctor — not the type of doctor you would want around in case of an emergency, unless your specific emergency was that you desperately needed to hear a song with a catchy hook and an intensely cathartic bridge section… or if your emergency was that you needed a person who can name over 50 breeds of cats in one minute.”

We also found a couple of memorable Taylor quotes posted later on the NYU Twitter feed: “Listen to me when I say this,” she said. “Never be ashamed of trying. Effortlessness is a myth.” Another strong pull-quote was this one: “I know it can be really overwhelming figuring out who to be, and when. Who you are now and how to act in order to get where you want to go. I have some good news: it’s totally up to you. I also have some terrifying news: it’s totally up to you.”