Kermit the Frog was announced at the University of Maryland's 2025 commencement speaker in March Speaking with PEOPLE about the special moment, the Muppets favorite says he was excited to be part of this energizing moment for the class of 2025 Kermit also opened up about his life in the swamp, learning from the school of life and what values are important for graduates to carry into the future The University of Maryland's Class of 2025 received a warm send-off with some wise words from one of America's most beloved characters. Kermit the Frogwas on hand to deliver a commencement speech to University of Maryland graduates on Thursday, May 22. After speaking to the young hopefuls, the Muppets favorite told PEOPLE about the special moment and what it means to him to speak at the school, which is also the alma mater of late Muppets creator,Jim Henson. "I have been working my tail off — not literally because I lost that a long time ago when I was a tadpole — but this is one of the most important days of the graduates' life so far," he said. Kermit shared his life experience in hopes that his "words of wisdom about some of the things that are very important to me" would resonate with the graduates. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Stephanie S. Cordle/University of Maryland "Graduating from college or school of any kind is a huge milestone with a lot of big changes in store for some people. You might start applying for jobs or grad school or paying rent or or taking a gap year to backpack in Europe, stuff like that," he shared. "I hope that some of my own life lessons that I talked about, like finding your people and and taking the leap and and making connections" are takeaways, he added. Kermit encouraged graduates to remember that, "Life is not a solo act," adding, "It's a big, messy, delightful ensemble piece, especially when you're with your people." "Because if I know a thing, it's important to stay connected to your loved ones, stay connected to your friends, and most of all, stay connected to your dreams — no matter how big, no matter how impossible they seem. The truth is, dreams are how we figure out where we want to go and life is how we get there." Dylan Singleton/University of Maryland Kermit didn't get a chance to experience a college education himself, but he knows that it can lead to great things for the hard workers who are celebrated for their achievements at the special event. "Growing up in the swamp, the only schools we had where schools of fish. So I mostly learned from the school of life, but there are definitely a lot of things that can be learned from a college experience — not only in the subjects that you study or the development of your career interests, but also in the connections you make along the way," Kermit told PEOPLE. John T. Consoli/University of Maryland For graduates with a huge sense of adventure, Kermit hopes they'll continue to author their stories. "Some of my best advice is, it's your story. So, set your sights on your dreams and keep writing new chapters," he shared. "Hey, it's like we said at the very end ofThe Muppet Movie —'Life's like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing, keep pretending.' I can't think of any advice better than that." Read the original article onPeople
