Danny Ramirez receives doctorate from the University of Miami

That’s Dr. Danny Ramirez to you!

The On My Block alum served as the commencement speaker for two University of Miami undergraduate ceremonies on Friday, May 8. During his speech, he urged new graduates to push past fear and self-doubt and to just begin, per the university’s website.

Ramirez addressed 583 baccalaureates from the School of Architecture; School of Communication; School of Education and Human Development; and the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music. At an afternoon session, he shared remarks with more than 700 students graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences, including the Division of Continuing and International Education.

“Beginning is the hardest part,” he told the graduates. “It’s the moment where you’re out of your depth, where you think you haven’t earned it, where you know just enough to understand how much you don’t know, where, at any second, it feels like someone’s going to figure out that you’re not ready to be there.”

Not only did the Avengers: Doomsday actor speak to the students, he was also involved in the ceremony, receiving an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. He was noticeably excited about the honor when posting about his achievement to Instagram, uploading photos from the event while thanking the staff and “most importantly,” his mother. 

© Danny Ramirez Instagram

“Honored to receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Miami,” Ramirez began in his caption. “Thank you to President Joe Echevarria, the Board of Trustees, and the faculty for this incredible recognition. Growing up in Miami, this university always represented excellence, ambition, and permission to be great, so this truly means the world to me… An alum of my dream school.”

“It was also a privilege to speak to this year’s graduating class,” the actor continued. “I hope that in some small way, my words made sense for the next chapters of your life. Class of 2026.”

© Danny Ramirez Instagram

He made sure to shout out his mother in his conclusion, writing: “Most importantly, thank you to my mom. None of this exists without your sacrifices, your belief, and your love. Happy Early Mother’s Day from your son… DR. DR ❤️ Go Canes… Forever.”

A bunch of Danny’s celebrity friends made it down to the comments section to congratulate him on this huge win, including his girlfriend, Jessica Alba. She opted for some warm emojis, “❤️❤️😍👏👏👏” to make her support known.