“Empathy Is Essential,” BU Commencement Speaker Emily Deschanel Tells 2025 Graduates
Addressing the largest University Commencement crowd in 30 years, Deschanel (CFA’98, Hon.'25), delivered a lighthearted, but heartfelt exhortation to the Class of 2025.
Photo by Hannah Osofsky
“Empathy Is Essential,” BU Commencement Speaker Emily Deschanel Tells 2025 Graduates
Addressing the largest University Commencement crowd in 30 years and the first Commencement overseen by BU President Melissa Gilliam, Deschanel (CFA’98, Hon.’25), also an environmentalist and animal rights activist, delivered a lighthearted, but heartfelt exhortation to the Class of 2025.
This article was originally published in BU Today on May 18, 2025. By Rich Barlow, Joel Brown, and Alene Bouranova
Over a three-decade acting career, Boston University alum Emily Deschanel has played a serial killer, a heroin addict, an ex-con, a lawyer, a doctor, a CEO, and wives of equally numerous fictive husbands. But she’d never played a graduation speaker until Sunday, May 18, she told the thousands attending the 152nd All-University Commencement, calling BU “the greatest school on God’s green earth.”
Addressing the largest University Commencement crowd in 30 years, one of the largest graduating classes in BU’s history, and the first Commencement overseen by BU President Melissa Gilliam, Deschanel (CFA’98, Hon.’25), also an environmentalist and animal rights activist, quipped, “I’m not a brilliant mind. I just played them on TV.” She then delivered a lighthearted, but heartfelt exhortation to the Class of 2025, urging them to embrace empathy for others, and for themselves, a skill she said actors learn in order to fully inhabit their characters.
In presiding over the day’s proceedings at Nickerson, Gilliam, beaming widely as she entered the field with the procession, awarded Deschanel an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts. Citing Deschanel’s wide range of roles, the president added, “Your commitment to vital causes related to women’s rights, climate change, and animal welfare embodies Boston University’s values of service and creating a better world for all.” The vegan actor has served on the board of Farm Sanctuary, a farm animal protection organization, and helped found the Women’s Climate Alliance for Mercy Corps, which helps girls and women affected by climate change.
“Empathy isn’t weakness,” she told the 4,000 graduates and more than 20,000 guests gathered on Nickerson Field, as well as an overflow crowd at nearby Agganis Arena, on a cloudy and windy afternoon that sprinkled light rain briefly during her remarks. (The full Class of 2025, including those who did not attend Sunday’s ceremony, totals almost 8,000.)
“It’s not about letting people off the hook for their behavior and choices. It’s about understanding what led to those choices so you can decide how to respond from a place of authenticity,” Deschanel said.
These days, empathy feels like it’s in short supply. The world doesn’t just need your skills. It needs your perspective. Your patience. Your courage to understand before judging. So bring empathy with you. For everyone you will encounter. But also… for yourself.
And addressing the graduating students, Gilliam told them to remember the support system around them: “I encourage you to face the future with courage and purpose. Because you have tremendous support. Look around you, there is a network of people who are here for you. You are graduating into one of the largest global alumni networks there is.”
Deschanel was also CFA’s 2025 Convocation Speaker!
Acclaimed actor and director Emily Deschanel (CFA’98, Hon.’25) addresses the graduating class of 2025 at Boston University College of Fine Arts Convocation on Saturday, May 17, 2025. “You came to Boston. You survived four years of Nor’easters, trips on the T, too many meals at the George Sherman Student Union, too many hours in rehearsal, endless nights in practice rooms. You worked your butts off. You did all of this because you have passion. You have talent. And yes, you have just the right amount of crazy. Hold on to that.”