Hilary Duff Delivers Commencement Address to Northeastern Class of 2026 at Fenway Park

The Northeastern University Class of 2026 commencement featured former Disney Channel star Hilary Duff as the keynote speaker. During the ceremony held on Wednesday, April 29, at Fenway Park, Duff urged graduates to embrace uncertainty and design their own paths to happiness through authenticity.

“For me, a wonderful part of giving yourself that space is you can look back and see the distance you've traveled,” Duff told the graduates of Northeastern's Class of 2026 during the commencement ceremony. “Don't forget to pause and appreciate how far you've come, what you've overcome, and then you can look forward and see all that's yet to come.”

Duff emphasized that experience alone isn't a substitute for education, reinforcing the value of continued learning and personal growth.

“I am genuinely still figuring it out myself every single day. But, in a way, it kind of makes sense, because at Northeastern University, you believe experience isn't a substitute for education. It is the education,” she said.

Northeastern University President Joseph Aoun presented Duff with a university citation. Several students, including Northeastern's award-winning a cappella group, dancers, and cheerleaders, performed a large pop concert that included a version of Duff's hit song “What Dreams Are Made Of” from Disney's The Lizzie McGuire Movie.

“She is our childhood, so she was the perfect person,” said Leo Nixon, who graduated with an accounting degree, in comments shared with The Boston Globe. “She did a good job encapsulating what the Northeastern experience is about, which is kind of a unique and unconventional experience.”

Northeastern's commencement is one of the earliest graduation ceremonies among Boston's circle of colleges and universities. According to the Globe, approximately 5,000 Northeastern undergraduates and 3,400 graduate students were expected to participate in separate graduation ceremonies held earlier this week.