(Photo From Facebook Newsroom)
For most people, going to college includes not only a huge investment financially, but there is the other side of the coin that includes copious effort and time. Often, years are taken to obtain a degree of any kind. There is the rare few who receive their college degree in an nontraditional sense.
On Thursday, May 25, 2017, Mark Zuckerberg will be receiving an Honorary Degree from Harvard University during their 366th commencement ceremony. He will also be addressing the audience with a commencement address.
(Photo From Wikipedia)
An Honorary Degree is different from a Degree in such a way that the recipient does not necessarily receive this degree after time, money and effort. Honorary Degrees are typically based on merit/social advancement for the betterment of society.
Zuckerberg had attended Harvard before the creation and launch of Facebook. While attending school, he decided to drop out and focus on the development of his creation. Zuckerberg said about the whole ordeal, "I remember really vividly, you know, having pizza with my friends a day or two after—I opened up the first version of Facebook and at the time I thought, 'You know, someone needs to build a service like this for the world.' But I just never thought that we'd be the ones to help do it. And I think a lot of what it comes down to is we just cared more".
(See the video captured when Mark Zuckerberg received his acceptance to Harvard.)
Even though Zuckerberg dropped out of college, his time at Harvard included studies in Psychology and Computer Science, and he belonged to Alpha Epsilon Pi and Kirkland House on campus.
Mark is not the first person to receive an honorary degree from Harvard University, and the presentation of honorary degrees is nothing new to the university. In fact, the first Harvard Honorary Degree in 1753 to Benjamin Franklin, who received an Honorary Master of Arts (A.M.) degree. Many others have received honorary degrees from Harvard. Just a few of these people include: George Washington, Albert Einstein, Walt Disney, and Bill Gates.
(Photo From Harvard Magazine)
Speaking of Bill Gates, Zuckerberg actually attended the commencement ceremony ten years ago in which Gates received his own Honorary degree from Harvard University of Doctor. A Doctor of Laws degree, which may come of a surprise to those who are unaware of Gates' academic history. While he studied mathematics and graduate level computer science, his declared major was in pre-law.
(See the video of Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates talking to each other about their Harvard degrees.)
It is currently unknown as to what degree will be conferred on Zuckerberg during the commencement ceremony next Thursday.
