‘Pursue Your Path with Wholehearted Passion,’ Trinity College Commencement Speaker Tells Class of 2026
“Passion is a force that can transform obstacles into opportunities and setbacks into fuel for growth,” N. Louis “Lou” Shipley ’85—a Trinity trustee, multi-time tech CEO, and senior lecturer in entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School—told the Trinity College Class of 2026 during his Commencement address on Sunday, May 17. Addressing a crowd of thousands assembled for Trinity’s 200th Commencement on the Main Quad, Shipley urged students to combine their liberal arts degrees with an entrepreneurial mindset. “The resilience and intellectual agility cultivated in a liberal arts education lays the foundation for entrepreneurialism,” he said. “Your degree will help you navigate changes, learn new roles, and reinvent yourself throughout your career.” A total of 549 Trinity students were honored as they officially earned their degrees.