It’s that time of year again! And in honor of this great occasion and because we always need some inspiration, here are my top 10 favorite quotes for graduation (and because this is the closest I will ever get to giving a commencement speech):

1. You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world. -Tom Brokaw

2. Do not worry if you have built castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. -Henry David Thoreau

3. A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that ‘individuality’ is the key to success.
-Robert Orben

4. Your families are extremely proud of you. You can’t imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing. This would be a most opportune time to ask for money. -Gary Bolding

5. Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars. -Les Brown

6. Follow your passion. Stay true to yourself. Never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path. By all means, you should follow that.
-Ellen DeGeneres

7. Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. -Dr. Seuss

8. Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. -Judy Garland

9. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary… Stay hungry, stay foolish.
-Steve Jobs

And for my all time favorite quote?
10. Wear sunscreen. -Mary Schmich (One of the best graduation advice columns ever. Ever.)

Congrats class of 2012!