Did Jennifer Coolidge go to college? Actress to deliver the 2025 commencement speech at Emerson College

Actress Jennifer Coolidge will return to her alma mater to give the 2025 commencement speech at Emerson College. According to a press release, the actress will also receive the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at the ceremony, which will be held on May 11, 2025. President Jay Bernhardt shared a statement saying:

“Emerson College is deeply honored to welcome the incredibly talented and always funny Jennifer Coolidge back to her alma mater as our commencement keynote speaker.”

He continued:

“Jennifer embodies Emersonian creativity and originality through and through. We are thrilled that our graduating students will hear Jennifer’s story.”

Nearly a thousand undergrads will graduate during the Commencement Ceremony. Jennifer Coolidge attended Emerson College’s Department of Performing Arts and earned her theater degree in 1985.

According to Patriot Ledger, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she shared a video message for that year’s graduates. While speaking to the graduating class of Emerson College in that year, Coolidge said:

“Life is a storm, my young graduates. You will bask in the sunlight in one moment and be shattered on the rocks in the next. What defines you is what you do when the storm comes. You must look into the storm's eye, and you should shout, as you did in Rome, do your worst, as I will do mine. And then the fates will know you as we know you, as Emerson Class of 2020.”

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Jennifer Coolidge reflects on her journey in an old video posted by Emerson College

In 2010, Emerson College released a video of Jennifer Coolidge’s interview. She commented on how glamorous both Boston and Emerson have become. She joked about the idea of reliving her college experience there but admitted that no one would believe she was 18 or 19 anymore. Coolidge said:

“I think I am a great example of how not to do it one of those things where I just didn't have anything else I was even remotely good at. I could kind of play the clarinet kind of play and you know, I could run really fast you know.”

Jennifer Coolidge shared that acting was the one thing where she consistently received positive feedback. After her time at Emerson, she participated in shows alongside Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, and others. They all traveled to New York for Saturday Night Live, though only some were selected. She added:

“I was one of the ones that didn't that wasn't chosen and at the time I thought about leaving the business and I am really glad I didn't because I happened to be on stage at the growlings because I wasn't back at Saturday Night Live and Christopher Guest was in the audience and I got best in show.”

Jennifer Coolidge expressed her frustration with Hollywood, saying it became disappointing compared to when she first arrived two decades ago. She also discussed relationships and social issues, including her hope that Hollywood will improve.

She found it surprising that same-sex marriage was still a debated topic, believing that progress should have already been made. Despite the ongoing opposition, she was confident that equality would prevail.