From: JustJared & WKXN

Tulane University graduates got a triple dose of celebrity at their commencement ceremony today.

First up, they heard from former Presidents Bush and Clinton, followed by a surprise visit from comedian Ellen DeGeneres. She's from New Orleans and returned to her hometown yesterday for the first time since Hurricane Katrina struck.

In what Tulane University President Scott S. Cowen called a Louisiana lagniappe -- a little something extra -- New Orleans native Ellen DeGeneres made a surprise appearance to congratulate the nearly 2,200 graduates. Wearing a white bathrobe -- "I was told everybody would be wearing robes"-- the comedian commended the students for making it through the last year. "You're amazing people. You're a very famous graduating class to go through what you've gone through," she said. DeGeneres told the graduates that she never went to college. "This is the closest I'll come to graduating," she said. A personal visit to New Orleans coincided with Tulane's commencement, but beyond that, "Whenever I get a chance to speak after presidents, I say, 'Get me in there,' " she quipped. DeGeneres told the students that as they go out into the world, it's important to remember that "my show is on different times in different cities."