Hilary Duff delivered a commencement speech at Northeastern University's 2026 ceremony in Boston on April 29. The singer, known for her song "What Dreams Are Made Of," delivered an inspiring speech that included a reminder of her journey to pause and appreciate how far she has come. She emphasized the importance of slowing down to what she really wanted and taking back control of her career. Duff had previously taken a hiatus from her music career and focused on acting, production, and writing her New York Times bestseller Elixir trilogy. Her latest album, "Lucky Me," hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and spawned a radio hit in "Roommates," reached No. 25 on Pop Airplay.