John Legend was awarded an honorary doctorate at Loyola Marymount University’s commencement over the weekend.

Legend, the keynote speaker on Saturday (May 4), was feted with a Doctor of Humane Letters. Before he was conferred with the degree, Paul S. Viviano, chair of Loyola’s board of trustees, shared a quick note about Legend’s determined path to success, dating back to his teenage years.

Viviano talked about how a young Legend, 15 years old at the time, entered a Black History Month essay contest sponsored by McDonald’s and answered the prompt: “How do you plan to make Black history?”

He shared part of Legend’s answer: “I’m going to become a successful artist and use that success to help my community.” Viviano added, “This early commitment has defined his career; since then, he has used his platform to listen, amplify, and advocate for diverse, underrepresented communities, tackling key issues from education reform to criminal justice reform across the United States.”

During Legend’s commencement speech, the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner discussed the power of love and how it brings us together. “I like to think that these last few years have instilled in you the recognition that love matters most of all – the kind of love that has defined my life’s journey,” Legend told the crowd of undergraduates. “With love, we can see ourselves in each other. We can discover our abiding mutuality. With love, we can serve. With love, we can heal. We can build. We can do – and undo.”

Following the ceremony, Legend went to social media to express his gratitude. “I loved being a part of @loyolamarymount ‘s commencement celebration today,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “Thank you for the honorary doctorate degree. Thank you for singing for me and with me and listening to my words of encouragement. Love you all.”

 

Legend’s honorary doctorate from Loyola Marymount University isn’t his only degree. After graduating high school at 16 as the salutatorian of his class, Legend attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in English, concentrating on African-American literature.

In 2014, Legend’s alma mater celebrated him with an honorary Doctor of Music. Then, in 2021, Legend received an honorary degree from Duke University.

In other news, Legend recently launched a new pet food brand, Kismet, with his wife, Chrissy Teigen. He also has special engagement concerts lined up throughout the summer.

Watch John Legend’s speech at Loyola Marymount University’s 2024 commencement below.