Steve Burns former "Blue's Clues" host delivers commencement speech

Steve Burns, former host of the children's television show "Blue's Clues," delivered the keynote address at SUNY Delhi's commencement ceremony on May 18th.

Burns addressed the graduating class of approximately 800 students, he referenced  the show throughout and also added recurring messages of perseverance.

Clips shared on social media show Burns reflecting on his time as "Steve" and the show's premise of seeking help from viewers to solve puzzles. He expressed gratitude to the audience, stating, "sincerely, thanks for all your help."

Burns then highlighted a key phrase from the show's "Paw Prints" song: "if you use your mind and take a step at a time, you can do anything that you wanna do." He explained the quote's purpose as encouraging both hard work and the pursuit of dreams, saying it was meant to be "an empowering reminder of the power of hard work" and "an empowering reminder of the importance of having a dream."

The university shared additional takeaways from the speech on social media, including Burns' advice to embrace the moment and explore opportunities beyond initial goals. They quoted Burns saying, "'I encourage you to inhale this moment. Feel it if you can. You’ve done something very hard and important, and you are to be commended. I commend you and congratulate you.'" 

The post also quoted Burns as saying, "Your life may not lead to your dream. But your dream will lead you to your life. There are often incredible opportunities in the surrounding areas, to the right and left, north and south of your dream. I’m a living breathing example of that fact, and my wish for you is that you will be too."

"Blue's Clues" premiered on Nickelodeon in 1996 with Burns as host. He left the show in 2000 and was succeeded by Donovan Patton until the show's end in 2006. The franchise continues with "Blue's Clues & You!" featuring Joshua Dela Cruz.