Miss Piggy would surely agree that Kermit the Frog looked dapper in his red robe and graduation cap as he delivered his cheery commencement speech to the University of Maryland’s graduating class on Thursday.
The iconic green Muppet encouraged the graduates to “take big leaps” in life and to always “stay connected to your families, your friends and your dreams.”
“Life’s like a movie,” he told the crowd. “Write your own ending. Keep believing. Keep pretending. You’ve all done just what you set out to do. And you’re just getting started!”
An honor and joy to celebrate our graduating class with @KermitTheFrog! His message of finding community, taking leaps together and making connections was an inspiration to us all. #UMDgrad pic.twitter.com/ZKANNAk1fR
— Dr. Darryll J. Pines (@President_Pines) May 23, 2025
The speech — written and spoken by puppeteer Matt Vogel, who has performed Kermit since 2017 — paid tribute to the late Jim Henson, creator of “The Muppet Show” and a graduate of the University of Maryland class of 1960.
“In the early days, he had a hand in literally everything I did,” Kermit said at one point, eliciting laughter from the crowd.








