This compilation of commencement speeches, a perfect gift for students and parents alike, will generate an optimistic outlook and fuel excitement for the future.

Listen closely as each orator mines his or her past for gems of advice. From funny to sentimental, imbued with important social and cultural commentary, these timeless speeches by successful public figures will motivate alumni to move forward with zest as they enter the real world. Speeches include Barack Obama at Notre Dame, Hilary Clinton at NYU, Tony Blair at Yale, Dana Gioia at Stanford, Robert Gates at West Point, Mitt Romney at Regent University, John Kerry at Dartmouth, Barbara Bush at Wellesley, John F. Kennedy at American University, and George C. Marshall at Harvard.