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How Taylor Swift Celebrated Her NYU Graduation With Other Students

Welcome to New York! Taylor Swift earned her honorary doctorate degree at NYU on May 18, and a source told E! News she "blended in" while celebrating with students.

By Alli Rosenbloom, Lindsay Weinberg May 18, 2022 11:35 PMTags
Watch: Taylor Swift Receives Doctorate & Speaks at NYU Graduation

Taylor Swift is never going out of style in her cap and gown.

The Grammy winner picked up her honorary doctorate degree from New York University on May 18 and delivered an empowering speech to the class of '22 (who were, no doubt, feeling 22).

The moment seemed straight out of Swifties' wildest dreams, with fellow grads seen cheering as she entered Yankee Stadium. She was seen in on TikTok video waving to students and holding up double peace signs, spelling out 22, while walking up to the podium. One fan wore a Lover shirt under their cap and gown, yelling, "I love you" to Taylor as she passed by.

A source at the commencement ceremony exclusively tells E! News how the superstar fit right in with NYU's class of 2022.

"Taylor really blended in like one of the students," the insider says. "Everyone was really accepting of her and having fun with it." 

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Taylor Swift and Her Family Step Out in NYC

She even talked to some students and asked them about their experiences, per the source, who says, "She was very sweet and genuine... just listening to different perspectives."

The source adds, "Overall it was a really nice experience and everyone enjoyed it. She was cute and fun and she just seemed really happy. Taylor was telling people how pleasantly surprised she was about the honor."

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During her speech, Taylor, 32, reflected on the highs and lows of her life in the spotlight.

"Having the world treat my love life like a spectator sport in which I lose every single game was not a great way to date in my teens and twenties," she said. "But it taught me to protect my private life fiercely." 

The singer, whose last public appearance was in February, noted, "Being publicly humiliated over and over again at a young age was excruciatingly painful but it forced me to devalue the ridiculous notion of minute by minute, ever-fluctuating social relevance and likability." 

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She also took time to reflect on the upside of her infamous 2016 beef with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Seeing the positive, Taylor quipped, "Getting canceled on the internet and nearly losing my career gave me an excellent knowledge of all the types of wine." 

Read more highlights from her NYU speech here