Usher gives commencement speech at Emory University

Finally, in the U.S., Grammy Award-winning R&B artist and philanthropist Usher Raymond IV delivered the keynote address at Emory University's 180th Commencement ceremony in Atlanta on Monday, local time.

He also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the university.

In his speech, Usher encouraged graduates to "be a dreamer" and shared personal experiences, including the challenges he faced in his early education.

He said while a diploma still matters, "it's not the paper that gives the power" and that "You create the value behind that degree."

Usher's nonprofit organization, Usher's New Look, has supported over 55-thousand under-resourced young people in collaboration with Emory's Business School.