Teacher Rachel's NYU Graduation Speech Will Inspire Parents

As we all know Ms. Rachel is not just for kids; recently she started creating content on adulting on TikTok which Millennials and Gen Z parents are now consuming for themselves. 

It seems she's become a voice of encouragement for university graduates, too!

At the recent commencement ceremony of New York University's Steinhardt School, Rachel Griffin Accurso, an NYU graduate herself, delivered the commencement speech in May 2024.

She began her commencement speech in her Ms. Rachel persona. "As Ms. Rachel would say, I'm so proud of you!" she said, moving many students to tears.

The well-loved online children's educator thanked the NYU faculty, staff, and senior leadership and said she was "incredibly honored" to be on stage.

Ms. Rachel then recounted a story of being invited to an event with an early childhood expert, whom she was very excited to meet, only to realize that she was the event's expert.

"I definitely have imposter syndrome," she said. "I have it right now. I'm kind of freaking out. A lot of us have thoughts like that. You're not good enough; you should shrink and not take up space. … Our thoughts can tell us we're the opposite of who we are. Our thoughts lie."

She continued, "I used to wait for someone powerful to give me permission to use their power. Other people were the gatekeepers, the change makers. But the truth is, you don't need to wait for anyone else; find your role to play and show up. You are the one."

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Ms. Rachel then shared that her son had a speech delay, and when she couldn't find resources to help him, she began her making YouTube videos. With the help of her husband, she has produced YouTube videos addressing speech and child development for children all over the world. Ms. Rachel - Toddler Learning Videos now has 10 million subscribers and 111 videos as of writing.

"A lot of us think we're not good enough. That we can't act until we hit some ideal level of knowledge. It's not true," she said.

She stressed that you don’t need someone to show up, and if there is injustice or a way the world could be better, you should use the unique gifts and talents you have.

Ms. Rachel's inspiration for creating YouTube videos

Ms. Rachel is inspired by the stories families share with her about their needs and difficulties. She added that it's families who "have blessed me with a platform that I can now use to advocate."

"I've been advocating for children's rights, fighting for every child to have access to early childhood education, a safe place to live, the support they need to grow and thrive and for their families who care for them, paid family leave, and affordable child care," she said.

Not long ago, Ms. Rachel started a Cameo where she records video greetings for kids, and all the money raised from the videos are given to to Save The Children US, which supports children affected by the conflict in Gaza.

Ms. Rachel has recently begun to receive hate and negative comments on her initiatives, but she remains focused on her purpose to help children.

"I don't feel qualified to do this work. But I also didn't feel qualified to make our show or make this speech, honestly. And here I am trying."

She ended her speech with "The one you are waiting for to change the world, the one with the power and the genius and the vision, it's you."