Actress Jennifer Coolidge Tells Class of 2025 to Embrace ‘Unattainable Possibilities’

Award-winning actress, comedian, and Emerson alum Jennifer Coolidge told the roughly 1,000 graduates of Emerson’s Class of 2025 to have unrealistic expectations for themselves, be their own champions, and “find [their] own path” through life’s obstacle courses. 

Coolidge spoke at Emerson’s 145^th Commencement Ceremony, held Sunday, May 11, at Agganis Arena, where she also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, alongside Emerson’s retiring Vice President for Government and Community Relations, Margaret “Peggy” Ings.

In a speech to “some very excited gay students, some less excited hetero students, and hopefully, some very eligible widowers,” Coolidge talked about growing up a few miles away in Norwell, Massachusetts. She said her elementary school would end the school year with Field Day games. One year, she managed to beat the fastest girl in the school to capture the blue ribbon — or so she thought.

“Then the teacher came up to me and told me I didn’t win the blue ribbon because I was disqualified. And it turns out, I had skipped all of the obstacles,” she said. Her classmates teased her relentlessly. “I realized I was going to go the rest of my life as a joke. Iwas so uncomfortable with myself, I began completely living in my head.” 

From that moment on, Coolidge said, she decided that she would have “insane expectations [for herself] and believe they’re going to come true.”

She remembered seeing a magazine of her mother’s that featured Grace Kelly and her royal wedding to the prince of Monaco.

“In this moment, I realized I wanted to be queen of Monaco. I convinced myself that I had a chance at it … I expected something great would really happen to me,” she said. “In retrospect, it was the one and only thing I really had going for me. I had this thing inside of me telling me that I could achieve anything in this world, and there was just nothing to back it up,” she said to laughs.

But, Coolidge said, her fantasies “gained momentum,” and “I really started to power my reality somehow.” While it may have taken time, and she might not be queen of Monaco, many of her “insane expectations” came true.

“Emerson has ignited these seemingly unattainable possibilities for you that now can be your reality,” she said. “It is your ability to convince yourself you really can make it, because you really have to be your own champion.”

Just one thing though.

“I do have a little confession to make. The story I told about the obstacle course … it was just a metaphor,” she said to laughter. “Wait, before you turn on me, I just want you to know it really did happen…. I brought it up … today … so I can tell you it doesn’t really matter what anyone thinks or says. When it comes to the obstacle course of your life, you have to find your own path.”

Peggy Ings, also an Emerson alum who has worked for the College for 31 years, spoke of her pride and joy in making sure that Emerson was able to grow and evolve sustainably, responsibly, and collaboratively with the cities of Boston and Los Angeles. But she reserved most of her words for the graduates before her.

“The main thing I really want to say is, you … are part of a wonderful group. This community I have never seen in other places. This community does come together,” she said. “We’re never far apart from being Emersonians.”

David Yu ’25 gave the Senior Class Commencement Address. In it, he broke it to his classmates sitting before him in caps and gowns that “this, right now, is not ‘your moment.’”

Their Commencement ceremony is the culmination of too many achievements, experiences, and sacrifices to name, Yu said, but it’s still not “your moment.”

“’Your moment’ is seeing your name in starry lights. ‘Your moment’ is having the world’s attention at the tip of your pen. ‘Your moment’ is watching the curtains rise or the credits fall to thousands of eyes anticipating your next move,” he said. “’Your moment,’ is yet to come, for this moment is just the beginning.”

President Jay Bernhardt, in kicking off the ceremony, paused to remember two members of the Class of 2025 who passed away before they could sit among their classmates in the Agganis: VMA major Brooks Walker, who died in February 2023, and Journalism major Nora Onanian, who died in December 2024.

Bernhardt closed the program by praising graduates for persevering through challenges and emerging “triumphant – creative, courageous, and ready to lead.”

“At Emerson, you’ve learned that progress isn’t always linear, but resilience and curiosity will carry you forward. You graduate at a time of great complexity, but the world needs your voice, your vision, and your ability to connect and inspire,” he said. 

This year’s winner of the Dean’s Award was Kayla Armbruster ‘25, and the winner of the President’s Citation was Basil Iacampo ‘25.

During the three-hour ceremony, three faculty members were recognized for receiving teaching awards: Visual and Media Arts Assistant Professor Maria Corrigan, Marketing Communication senior affiliated faculty member Randy Harrison, and Marketing Communication Professor Thomas Vogel.

And, Provost Alexandra Socarides conferred emeritus status on nine retiring faculty members: Performing Arts Senior Artist-in-Residence Amelia Broome, Communication Studies Senior Executive-in-Residence Cathryn Cushner Edelstein, Journalism Professor Janet Kolodzy, Charles Wesley Emerson Professor Megan Marshall, Marlboro Institute Associate Professor Eileen McBride, Communication Sciences and Disorders Senior Scholar-in-Residence Alisa Ruggiero, VMA Professor Lauren Shaw, Marlboro Institute Professor Tulasi Srinivas, and Writing, Literature and Publishing Professor Steve Yarbrough.