With Northwestern’s announcement of Steve Carell as its 2025 Commencement speaker, it has finally made waiting until June to graduate worth it.

It even raised the antenna of this 2006 graduate. I wish I could graduate again!

As an alum, you’re going to get a never-ending stream of emails from NU. They’re not checking to see how you’re doing. They’re asking for a donation or offering a trip to some exotic locale (or even a bowl game, I hope you all learn what those are again next season), but this email announcing Carell’s speech didn’t find its way into my trash can. It made me jealous.

Way back in the olden days of June 2006, I listened to then-Sen. Barack Obama speak at my Commencement. I enjoyed and appreciated his advice and tenor, especially now in light of the current White House occupant.

But I think I could have used the wisdom of someone who reigned in a corporate titan in Scranton, Pennsylvania (and put up with Jim and Pam being horrible people), could handle the titanic chore of forecasting the weather in San Diego and managed to keep his spirit despite a 40-year scoreless streak.

You’ll hear the platitudes that the whole world is ahead of you and you have to seize the day at most commencement speeches. Breaking news: Commencement is rather formulaic. I have faith in Steve to break the mold and not be a schmuck (it’s a movie he was in, relax).

Savor it, graduates. Because you are our future, the world is in your hands. Or whatever.

Troy Appel (Weinberg ‘06) is a former Forum editor for The Daily. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.