For Ryan Schreiber, founder and CEO of Pitchfork Media, receiving an honorary degree means a lot more than giving a speech and sporting formal wear. Schreiber, who never attended college, will tell any Columbia student the importance of the knowledge, training and opportunities a degree provides. He will not downplay the struggles he faced starting up his music publication with what he says was barely a high school diploma.

Schreiber will join Bruce Mau, chief creative officer of Bruce Mau Design and founder of the Institute without Boundaries, and Regina Taylor, a Golden Globe award-winning actress, playwright and Emmy nominee, as the honorary degree recipients at Columbia’s May commencement. The three will be honored for their accomplishments in the arts with college diplomas and will address graduating students.

“Over the course of my career, I have sought places that challenge me, where I can grow and [collaborate] and where I can also offer and contribute what I have learned along the way,” Taylor said. “With Columbia, I feel like this is a continuation of that journey.”

A statement issued by Columbia President Warrick L. Carter said that the three were chosen for their selection of Chicago as their creative home and employing “interdisciplinary approaches [that] have resulted in visionary work that embodies the spirit of the college and echoes concepts set forth in our strategic plan.”

Schreiber, Mau and Taylor echoed that sentiment, and said Columbia encompasses what they believe education should accomplish and personifies their commitment to the arts. Taylor said she respects the college for being daring, challenging and cutting edge.

The actress has been visiting Columbia for a year now and has enjoyed working

with the students and faculty. She said she thinks the college is making its mark in the Chicago area and nationally by being at the forefront of the arts.

For Mau, whose designs have been used by companies like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, his invitation to be an honorary degree recipient was a humbling experience. He said it was like getting his degree the hard way, and it’s exciting someone noticed his creative motives and accomplishments.

“In the kind of work we do you never really know what the impact is or if people have seen it or are connecting the dots,” Mau said. “It’s a moment where there is someone on the other end of the line [saying], ‘We see there is a pattern in what you’re trying to accomplish and we share your commitment.’”

In the beginning of Pitchfork, Schreiber had doubts about whether it was a realistic way to make ends meet.

However, he said it was his perseverance that kept him and the music publication going. His advice for college students going into the arts is to have that same persistence to achieve what they want to in their careers. He also acknowledges the poor economic environment, but urges students to not let it discourage them and start collaborating.

“Everybody is facing the same economic realities, so through that, there are many obstacles I think people can find solutions for within their communities of like-minded people,” Schreiber said. “I think it’s a great opportunity to embrace your own dreams and to make a go of it.”

Taylor’s advice is similar, in that she says passion and being tenacious is what will carry artists through the rough patches to accomplish what they want to. Mau, on the other hand, said it is the belief in the arts’ power and not allowing the tribulations of life get in the way that will help students be successful.

“I think if we look at our moment in historical terms, this is the greatest time to be alive and working,” Mau said. “The only way we will succeed is through the application of the arts.”