Every northern spring, the top US colleges roll out a program of graduation (or commencement) speakers that would not look out of place on the guest list of an Oscars after party.
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This year, Harvard's Class of 2016 heard from Steven Spielberg, the University of Pennsylvania played host to Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, while graduates from the University of Georgia were treated to an address by former American Idol host (and Keeping Up with the Kardashians creator) Ryan Seacrest.
And, over the weekend, actor Matt Damon returned to the set of his 1997 film Good Will Hunting to send off the Class of 2016 at Boston's Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
The 45-year-old actor started his humorous address by apologising that the students had ended up with him as their speaker, explaining that previous speakers included Nobel Prize winners. The UN Secretary General. President of the World Bank. President of the United States.
"And who did you get? The guy who did the voice for a cartoon horse," he said, referencing his role in children's animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.
The actor's words seemed to mirror that of Conan O'Brien in his 2011 address to the Darmouth College graduating class, who expressed concern that he had been selected to advise the young.
"Before I begin, I must point out that behind me sits a highly admired President of the United States and decorated war hero while I, a cable television talk show host, has been chosen to stand here and impart wisdom," O'Brien said at the time. "I pray I never witness a more damning example of what is wrong with America today."
But, while O'Brien graduated magna cum laude from Harvard, Damon was quick to point out that, although he did attend classes at Harvard (and even snuck into his year's graduation ceremony), he never finished his degree.
The Boston native joked he was disappointed to learn he would be leaving college empty-handed once again.
"For the second time in my life, I am fake graduating from a college in my home town: my mom and dad are here again, and this time I brought my wife and four kids.
"Welcome, kids, to dad's fake graduation. You must be so proud."
After sledging Harvard and Yale as "safety schools" ("I'm not running for any kind of office. I can say ... pretty much whatever I want"), Damon went on to read from a 1997 review of Good Will Hunting from the MIT student newspaper.
"'In the end', the reviewer writes, 'the actual character development flies out the window. Will and Sean talk, bond, solve each other's problems, and then cry and hug each other. After said crying and hugging, the movie ends ... such feel-good pretentiousness is definitely not my mug of eggnog'."
To giggles from the crowd, Damon said the review "kind of hurts [his] feelings".
"But don't worry: I now know better than to cry at MIT."
