This past Saturday (May 10th), Sean “Diddy” Combs provided the commencement speech for the 2014 graduating class of his alma mater, Howard University. Diddy also received an honorary doctorate degree in humanities from the historically black university, which he attended in the 1980s.
Unlike the students he addressed during his speech, Diddy didn’t graduate from the university. After two years, he dropped out to take an internship with Uptown Records, which later blossomed into an extremely successful, multi-faceted career.
Diddy reflected on his tenure at the university, the struggles he experienced after choosing music over an education, and shared personal stories about his life, during his commencement speech. He also encouraged graduates to dream big, and informed them that prosperity is attainable despite the challenges they encounter.
Other people who received honorary doctorate degrees during the ceremony were CNN news anchor Wolf Blitzer, transplant surgeon Clive Callender, jazz musician Benny Golson, and PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi.
Unlike the students he addressed during his speech, Diddy didn’t graduate from the university. After two years, he dropped out to take an internship with Uptown Records, which later blossomed into an extremely successful, multi-faceted career.
Diddy reflected on his tenure at the university, the struggles he experienced after choosing music over an education, and shared personal stories about his life, during his commencement speech. He also encouraged graduates to dream big, and informed them that prosperity is attainable despite the challenges they encounter.
Other people who received honorary doctorate degrees during the ceremony were CNN news anchor Wolf Blitzer, transplant surgeon Clive Callender, jazz musician Benny Golson, and PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi.
Notable people who have received honorary doctorate degrees from Howard in the past include Colin Powell, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, and Hillary Clinton. View Diddy’s commencement speech below.
AHumbleSoul 