Award-winning actor Jane Lynch returned to Cornell University this week with a message for the Class of 2026: fear will hold you back if you let it.
Speaking during Senior Convocation at Barton Hall on Thursday, the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor reflected on her own struggles with fear and uncertainty as a graduate student at Cornell in the early 1980s, telling students she once felt “paralyzed with fear” about her future after graduation.
Lynch, best known for her role as Sue Sylvester on “Glee,” said overcoming fear ultimately unlocked opportunities and fulfillment she never could have planned for. She encouraged graduates to let go of rigid expectations and remain open to unexpected paths in life.
“The best things that ever happened to me, without exception, are things I could never have planned,” Lynch told students.
The convocation ceremony featured performances from Cornell student groups including Yamatai and The Hangovers, along with remarks from student leaders and university officials.
Lynch also challenged students to resist what she described as performative or obligation-driven behavior, warning against becoming “the humorless do-gooder.” Instead, she urged graduates to pursue work and generosity rooted in genuine fulfillment and purpose.
At several points, Lynch leaned into humor and self-deprecation, joking about talking to imaginary people and briefly trying to converse with an AI chatbot before deciding never to speak with it again.
The actor closed her address by encouraging graduates to support others without diminishing themselves, comparing kindness and generosity to a candle lighting another candle without losing its own flame.
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