Justin Timberlake Received An Honorary Doctoral Degree And Was So Excited About It
Justin Timberlake — or should we say Dr. Justin Timberlake — now has yet another impressive accomplishment to add to his resume. He received an honorary doctorate degree from the Berklee College of Music, and he couldn’t be more excited about it.
The singer announced the news on Instagram, and also used this as a moment to inspire and encourage others to chase their dreams:
“No Dream is too big!!! Keep chasing!!! Trust me… I’m a DOCTOR,” he wrote on Instagram. “But, for real … THANK YOU to @berkleecollege for this incredible honor — I’m very humbled and grateful”:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxVvL1NBWpG/
Timberlake was just one of the college’s honorees this year, as Missy Elliott and Alex Lacamoire also received honorary doctorates.
According to a press release, each musician was honored for their “lasting contributions to music and popular culture.” Timberlake, specifically, was recognized for “his influence on pop music, his versatility and for being an inspiration to others.”
The honorees join the ranks of Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Esperanza Spalding, Steven Tyler and more incredibly talented artists who have also received honorary doctoral degrees from the college.
When Timberlake took the stage to accept his diploma, he had encouraging words to share with his fellow Berklee graduates.
“You’re defined by what you define failure as,” he said, according to the release. “It’s not a thing if it leads you to your success. It’s all part of the journey. I hope that in the years to come, two things will happen: One, I will represent you in the way that you most hope for. And two, I look around and see this graduating class. Meet me at the studio. I want to see y’all!”
Timberlake’s wife, Jessica Biel, was, of course, there to show her support for her husband, who she said is truly an inspiration to everyone around him.
Biel filmed a sweet video message to her husband as his “Man of the Woods” tour was coming to a close just a month before he was honored with this degree, as a way to tell Timberlake just how big of an inspiration he was to her and to their 4-year-old son.
“You inspire me, you inspire Silas. You inspire everyone around you. All of your fans, all of your friends and family to work as hard and with so much passion as you do. You are truly a sight to behold,” she said in a video that shared on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwNW4i6FjMB/
And now he’s got yet another credential to prove that hard work really does pay off.
Congrats to Timberlake for this accomplishment!