Watch Rashida Jones Speak at Harvard University

Image of Rashida Jones via YouTube

Remember a few years ago, when Amy Poehler came to town to be the Class Day speaker at Harvard University? According to her Parks and Recreation co-star, they contacted Rashida Jones first…but only for help getting in touch with Poehler. Jones was this year’s Class Day speaker, which differs from the commencement speaker, who you may recall is a certain world-renowned director. Instead, “Class Day speakers are chosen each year by a committee of the College’s seniors. They are typically well-known figures from the arts, politics, journalism, government, or business, and often — but not always — graduates of the College,” according to the Harvard Gazette. Jones took the opportunity to reminisce about her time at the school, talked about her efforts to get her own movie made, and boiled down her advice to “Don’t count on the system; protect your instinct to care; and choose love.”

But she also got in a few digs at the school, chastising the famed Hasty Pudding theatrical for not allowing women to perform, and pointing out bluntly to the graduates that this would be the only time anyone would be rooting for their success, now that they were officially Harvard graduates. And for anyone considering who to stay in touch with post-college, Jones mentioned that her very first onstage love interest was future Parks and Recreation creator Mike Schur during their Harvard years. Catch up on all of the advice the former Ann Perkins had to give below.