DeGeneres opened up about the most difficult period in her career — when she came out publicly and her sitcom was cancelled, leading to three years without work. She described what it felt like to go from being one of the most popular people in America to being the most hated, and how that experience forced her to look inward and ask what truly mattered. The answer she found was integrity. She told the Tulane graduates that living honestly and compassionately mattered more than any career success or public approval.