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2015 was a different time. One of the most polarizing discussions online was about whether the color of a striped dress was blue and black or white and gold<\/a>. The class of 2015 was graduating into an election year. And Stephen Colbert was just gearing up to become the host of The Late Show.<\/em><\/p>\n Now, polarization online looks a bit different, the class of 2026 is stepping into a country led by the same president who won in 2016, and global conflict and AI have transformed the economy and job market. And last night, the final episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert<\/em> aired on CBS.\u00a0<\/p>\n Back in 2015\u2014long before booing commencement speakers for peddling AI was the norm\u2014Colbert gave the graduating class at Wake Forest University<\/a> a few pointers on how to handle a future filled with what he called a \u201cdark chasm of yawning uncertainty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is my responsibility, as a commencement speaker, to prepare you for what awaits you in the future,\u201d Colbert told the crowd during his address. \u201cHere it is. No one has any idea what’s going to happen\u2014not even Elon Musk. That’s why he’s building those rockets. He wants a \u2018plan B\u2019 on another world.\u201d<\/p>\n At the time, Colbert was just navigating his own version of that uncertainty. After years of playing a caricature on The Colbert Report<\/em>, <\/em>he was about to reinvent himself in front of a national audience as the host of The Late Show<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cI just spent many years learning to do one thing really well,\u201d Colbert said. \u201cI got so comfortable with that place, that role, those responsibilities, that it came to define how I saw myself. But now that part of my life is over.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s time to say goodbye to the person we’ve become, we’ve worked so hard to perfect, and to make some crucial decisions. … For me, I’ll have to figure out how to do an hour-long show every night,” Colbert said. “And you, at some point, will have to sleep,\u201d he added jokingly. \u201cI am told the Adderall wears off eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n Colbert gave the class of 2015 tips on how to navigate graduating into an election year\u2014but the advice he shared still rings true today. \u201cYou’re gonna have to learn pretty damn quick how to tell the difference between hype and substance,\u201d he said, \u201cto keep folks from selling you things and ideas that aren’t true.\u201d<\/p>\n The comedian went on to tell the grads that they will inevitably face criticism from employers or others throughout their careers. \u201cHaving your own standards will help you weather moments like that,\u201d Colbert said. \u201cHaving your own standards allows you to perceive success where others may see failure.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, in Colbert\u2019s career, having those standards and self-confidence allowed him to tell \u201ciffy\u201d jokes. \u201cHaving my own standards is why I could keep going at times when no one laughed, or when I thought the person I was interviewing might throw a punch at me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Colbert\u2019s late-night slot is being filled by Comics Unleashed<\/a><\/em>, created and hosted by comedian-turned-media mogul Byron Allen, who recently added the title of \u201cCEO of Buzzfeed\u201d to his portfolio.<\/p>\n CBS said that the cancellation was driven by finances and not tied to ratings or content. Still, viewers speculated about whether Colbert\u2019s outspoken political voice played any role in the decision to end the franchise.<\/p>\n Through his career, Colbert has interviewed thousands of prominent public figures, from Barack Obama to Paul McCartney. The show averaged 2.7 million viewers<\/a> during the first quarter of this year, beating out other popular late-night shows.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI hope you find the courage to decide for yourself what is right and what is wrong,\u201d Colbert said at the end of his 2015 speech. \u201cPlease expect as much of the world around you. Try to make the world good according to your standards. It won’t be easy.\u201d<\/p>\n