Hi Ho! Kermit the Frog Will Speak to Maryland Graduates

Every spring, well-known and accomplished figures deliver commencement addresses at college campuses around the country, offering graduates advice, wisdom and inspiration as they embark on their next chapter.

Students graduating from the University of Maryland in May will be sent off into the world with a croaky message from a green, lanky puppet.

Kermit the Frog is this year’s commencement speaker, the university announced on Wednesday.

Kermit may not be well known for his soaring rhetoric, but he has spoken publicly about the challenges he has overcome to reach “the top of the frog heap” in his life, which began in a swamp before he moved to Hollywood and became a star.

Perhaps one of his most valued contributions to the American cultural canon, the song “Bein’ Green,” details his journey to accept his bright visage, even though it means spending each day as “the color of the leaves.”

“I am thrilled that our graduates and their families will experience the optimism and insight of the world-renowned Kermit the Frog at such a meaningful time in their lives,” Darryll J. Pines, president of the University of Maryland, said of Kermit, known for his leading roles on “The Muppet Show” and “Sesame Street.”

The university revealed Kermit’s graduation ceremony role in a video that did not initially identify him, but touted the unknown’s speakers credentials as an international superstar, best-selling author, environmental advocate, Peabody award winner and “friend to all creatures.”

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