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"Grey's Anatomy" Creator And Alumna Addresses Dartmouth Class Of 2014

Baker Memorial Library
Flickr Creative Commons

The Dartmouth College alumna who is the creative force behind TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal” returned to her alma mater to give Sunday’s commencement speech.  Shonda Rhimes spent much of her speech talking about the practical realities of daily life.  She also derided commencement speakers who tell students to dream big.

“I think that’s crap.  I think a lot of people dream," she said.  "And while they are busy dreaming, the really happy people, the really successful people, the really interesting, engaged, powerful people, are busy doing.”

Rhimes said she didn’t decide to go to film school until she stopped dreaming and moved out of her sister’s basement.  She graduated from Dartmouth in 1991.  Rhimes won a Golden Globe for her television writing work, and is a three-time Emmy nominee. 

Dartmouth awarded more than 1,100 Bachelor’s degrees yesterday, and more than 800 graduate degrees.

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