‘This is Us’ Writer Vera Herbert Speaks at her Alma Mater’s Commencement
It’s that time of year again, graduation season! It’s a special time where young adults close one chapter of their lives to open another. And in this time, lots of people offer up advice as these young people enter a big new world.
One bit of advice comes from Vera Herbert, writer and producer for the hit NBC show This is Us.
This past weekend Herbert was welcomed back to her hometown to be the commencement speaker at her Alma Mater’s graduation.
Herbert, a 2007 graduate of Ursuline High School in Youngstown, Ohio, urged the new graduates to set goals and be willing to work hard to achieve them.
Vera Herbert, attended the University of North Carolina School of Arts to study screenwriting, and spent her senior year in Los Angeles working as the assistant to the creator of MTV’s “AWKWARD.”
Today I was honored to be the commencement speaker at my alma mater, Ursuline H.S. My heart is full for this place and people. Go Irish! 🍀❤️ pic.twitter.com/TeJXFYP2Qq
— Vera Herbert (@veraherbert) May 29, 2017
She offered the new alumni some advice that she’s use to help her in her career.
“It’s OK to be the dumbest person in the room. If you surround yourself with people who know more than you, you will begin to learn and be inspired…Failing is not the end of the world. Keep popping up and enjoy the game. The work and experience gained in my failures made me a more deft writer,” she said.
The third but of advice is to be grateful for the people who helped them along the way: parents, teachers, family and friends. And to also remember their struggle.
“Your moment is right now. Make your story but remember where you came from. Good luck and God bless you and go Irish,” she said.
It’s pretty awesome that she was asked to speak to the class of 2017. Aside from Herbert, Ursuline has some pretty amazing alumni: Ed O’Neill (Modern Family), Pat Bilon (ET the Extraterrestrial), Paul Maguire (AFL player and sportscaster), Jim Cummings (voice actor for Winnie the Pooh and countless other shows), and yours truly 😉.
Source: Twitter, vindicator.com
Good luck class of 2017!
When Beth “grows up” she wants to see her creations appear on the screen and stage. In her free time, Beth blogs about her love of craft beer and writes screenplays. She received her bachelors in journalism from Youngstown State and received her masters in communication from The University of Akron. She is honored to be a part of the FanFest family.
