According to the Huffington Post, the eighteen most exciting commencement speakers of 2012 are:

1. Aaron Sorkin (writer of The Social Network, The West Wing) – Syracuse University
2. Jane Lynch (Glee) – Smith College
3. Tony Blair – Colby College
4. Tom Brokaw – Arizona State University
5. Michelle Obama – Oregon State University, Virginia Tech, North Carolina A&T
6. Michael Bloomberg (New York Mayor) – University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
7. Bill Nye ‘the Science Guy’ – Rochester Institute of Technology
8. Brian Williams (NBC journalist) – George Washington University
9. Katie Couric – University of Virginia
10. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor – New York University
11. Fareed Zakaria (author) – Duke University, Harvard University
12. Jim Lehrer – College of William and Mary
13. Dr. Sanjay Gupta – University of Michigan
14. President Obama – Barnard College
15. Christiana Amanpour (journalist) – University of Southern California
16. Colin Powell (former Secretary of State) – Northeastern University
17. Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn co-founder) – Babson College
18. Melissa Harris-Perry – Wellesley

Aside from a couple politicians (Powell, Bloomberg, the Obama’s) and a few notable Hollywood A-listers (Sorkin, Lynch), most of the 2012 commencement speakers are journalists. Researching this further, I found a multitude of other prestigious college universities that are similarly following this trend:

1. Walter Isaacson (writer of Steve Jobs’ biography, CNN, Time) – Cooper Union
2. Junot Diaz – Rutgers University
3. Soledad O’Brien (CNN correspondent) – University of Delaware
4. Barbara Walters – Yale University
5. Rick MacArthur – Columbia University

While I highly doubt the number of journalist-commencement speakers this year is a coincidence, I can’t exactly pinpoint why so many universities opted for this professional field to dominate 2012’s ceremonies. Why is it that journalists are always willing to speak up?

Nevertheless, I have to say I am both impressed and excited about these pickings, namely that UM alum, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, will be delivering our own. Gupta is a renowned journalist, practicing neurosurgeon, and the chief medical correspondent for CNN. He is esteemed for his coverage of natural-disasters, namely his work during Hurricane Katrina. It is rumored that he was offered the position of Surgeon General in 2009 under the Obama Administration, but declined. In an article by CBS Local Detroit News, President of the University, Mary Sue Coleman, “told the newspaper that Gupta serves as an influential example of what university graduates can aspire to become.”

While he may not be an A-list celebrity, I think that Gupta and the other journalist commencement speakers this year will have really interesting and captivating things to say. Their perspective on the world comes from a watchful eye—and most times, an honest one. If anything, I am proud that this year many of the highest-ranking universities chose to honor their graduates with commencement speakers that will not just amuse audiences, but inspire them.

By: Samantha Tritsch

(Photo by Scot2342 under a Creative Commons license)