Khushboo Malhotra
Taylor Swift is now a doctor. Yes, you read that right. No, not a medical doctor, but she earned an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts from New York University to celebrate her accomplishments in the music industry and beyond at the Yankee Stadium on May 18, along with the class of 2022.
Imagine the sound of a thunderous stadium filled with fresh NYU graduates exploding in a deafening roar when Taylor Swift, donning her cap and gown, steps out on the stage at the 2022 commencement ceremony and says to everyone, “Hi, I’m Taylor. The last time I was in a stadium this size, I was dancing in heels and wearing a glittery leotard. This outfit is much more comfortable.”
It is not a dream but an unforgettable and phenomenal reality we all experienced a month ago. Let’s be honest, we haven’t stopped thinking about it—from the raucous, jubilant stadium to fans cheering around the world to Taylor’s impressive, heartfelt speech doused with life lessons inspired by her time in the music industry.
Taylor Swift is a global sensation and blazing singer-songwriter, producer, director, actress, pioneering and influential advocate for artists’ rights, philanthropist, and a brilliant role model for hundreds of millions of people. She is one of the best-selling and top female artists with numerous accolades, highest industry honours, and billions of streams under her belt, along with a spectacular discography transcending genres, age groups, and demographics that strum your heartstrings.
In her 73 Questions With Vogue interview, Taylor revealed her desire to receive an honorary doctorate since one of her best friends, Ed Sheeran, received one in 2016. It’s good to see that her wildest desires have now come true. The ceremony was live-streamed online, and all her global fans were massively in attendance while sharing their excitement, love, and support for the singer on social media.
Taylor delivered a 22-minute-long, poignant, heartwarming speech after receiving her degree. In classic Taylor fashion, she poked fun at herself while bringing up her blockbuster songs and encouraging the graduates to feel enthusiastic about the new chapters of their lives ahead.
She advised one should not be hesitant to approach new things and work harder for what they want while also reminding them it’s alright to make mistakes along the road because they serve them valuable life lessons.
Take a moment to look back to refresh your memories as we share some hilarious anecdotes and insightful takeaways from Taylor Swift’s speech that will brighten your day and give you lots of life lessons.
- “As for me, I’m…90% sure the main reason I’m here is because I have a song called ‘22’. And let me just say, I am elated to be here with you today as we celebrate and graduate New York University’s Class of 2022.
- “Not a single one of us here today has done it alone. We are each a patchwork quilt of those who have loved us, those who have believed in our futures, those who showed us empathy and kindness or told us the truth, even when it wasn’t easy to hear.”
- “[I’m] Not the type of doctor you would want around in the 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.’
- “I imagine the idea of a normal college experience was all you wanted [during COVID-19]. But in this case, you and I both learned that you don’t always get all the things in the bag that you selected from the menu in the delivery service that is life. You get what you get. And as I would like to say to you, you should be very proud of what you’ve done with it.”
- “I won’t tell you what to do because no one likes that. I will, however, give you some life hacks I wish I knew when I was starting my dreams of a career, and navigating life, love, pressure, choices, shame, hope and friendship.”
- “Learn to live alongside cringe. No matter how hard you try to avoid being cringed, you will look back on your life and cringe retrospectively.”
- “Part of growing up and moving into new chapters of your life is about ‘catch and release.’ You can’t carry all things, all grudges…. so decide what is yours to hold and let the rest go. Oftentimes the good things in your life are lighter anyway, so there’s more room for them.”
- “There is a false stigma around eagerness in our culture of ‘unbothered ambivalence.’ This outlook perpetuates the idea that it’s not cool to ‘want it’. Be enthusiastic.”
- “Never be ashamed of trying. Effortlessness is a myth. The people who wanted it the least were the ones I wanted to date and be friends with in high school. The people who want it most are the people I now hire to work for my company.”
- “I know it can be overwhelming figuring out who to be, and when. Who you are now and how to act 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.”
- “My experience has been that my mistakes led to the best things in my life. And being embarrassed when you mess up is part of the human experience. Getting back up, dusting yourself off, and seeing who still wants to hang out with you afterwards and laugh about it? That’s a gift.”
- “I’m trying to tell you that losing things doesn’t just mean losing. A lot of the time, when we lose things, we gain things too.”
- “How do I advise this many people about their life choices? I won’t. The scary news is: You’re on your own now. The cool news is: You’re on your own now.”
- “Now you leave the structure and framework of school and chart your path. Every choice you make leads to the next choice, which leads to the next, and I know it’s hard to know sometimes which path to take.”
- “We are led by our gut instincts, our intuition, our desires and fears, our scars and our dreams. And you will screw it up sometimes. Anyway… hard things will happen to us. We will recover. We will learn from it. We will grow more resilient because of it.”
Once again, we’re incredibly proud of this recent graduate of the class of ’22…. and all of you!
Featured image courtesy of Raphael Lovaski on Unsplash. No changes or alterations were made to this image. Image license found here.
Khushboo Malhotra
Khushboo is a Twitter Editor at Empoword Journalism. She is an Award-nominated lifestyle and pop culture journalist, writer, and budding entrepreneur aiming to break down the boundaries of cultural stigma and shame attached to mental health and sexual health and bring marginalised topics to light. Send your stories, tips, and press announcements to khushboomalhotrafreelance@gmail.com