On Wednesday, May 21st, Hoda Kotb, the longtime co-anchor and host of the Today show, spoke to the senior class of 2025, sharing words of advice ahead of their graduation in June. Ms. Kotb, who moved to Bronxville last year, reflected on her life working in broadcast journalism, journey with breast cancer, and raising of her two daughters, inspiring the soon-to-be graduates to take risks, work hard, and be grateful. 

Her story, especially as it pertains to her career, is one of perseverance. Ms. Kotb described getting rejected by 27 different news directors before landing a job in Greenville, Mississippi—“sometimes, one person is all it takes”—that ultimately led to her frontlining NBC’s Today show. She urged the seniors to try to silence the little voice of doubt in the back of their minds and approach rejection as an opportunity to redirect. “Everyone’s got a little concern [about the future…but] everything happens right on time,” she reminded them. “I went through so many rejections…you gotta have stamina.”

Ms. Kotb ended her speech with five points of advice for the seniors: choose your circle wisely, do what you love, call your mom, keep in touch, and, most importantly, always go through life with gratitude. She emphasized how important it is to appreciate the most average days and shared how she keeps a list of little things to be grateful for to remind her to keep an optimistic mindset. “No matter what happens in your life, there’s a silver lining,” she said. This message is perfectly summarized in the song “Wednesdays” by Walker Hayes, of which Ms. Kotb played a clip for the seniors; she and the country singer co-wrote it when she interviewed him for a podcast, and it is about appreciating the ordinary things (the “Wednesdays”) in life. Her words—and music—left a lasting impression on students and teachers alike, and will surely be remembered fondly by the graduates as a memorable send-off from Bronxville High School.