Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the world is now starting to shape up in a new way as the governments are relaxing lockdown phase-wise. In these hard times, YouTube has organized a virtual graduation ceremony on Sunday for the students who are graduating in 2020 in an effort to provide them some hope as they are missing their graduation ceremony.
The ceremony has also seen participation from various celebrities including former US president Barrack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama along with more than dozen artists including BTS, Camila Cabello, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys and more.
Google and Alphabet Inc CEO Sundar Pichai has made a remarkable commencement speech at the virtual graduation ceremony to inspire the class of 2020 with his words asking them to be open-minded, hopeful, and impatient. Few highlights from his speech include:
You will prevail
Pichai started his speech with the words: “You will prevail” as he spoke about hope and raised their spirits by giving notable examples of such instances from history.
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Pichai said,
“The reason I know you will prevail is that so many others have done it before you. 100 years ago– class of 1920 graduated in the deadly pandemic. 50 years ago, the class of 1970 graduated in the midst of the Vietnam War; and nearly 20 years ago, the class of 2001 graduated just months before 9/11. There are notable examples like this. They had to overcome new challenges and in all cases, they prevailed. The long arc of history tells us we have every reason to be hopeful.”
Be hopeful, be open-minded
He also mentioned that there is a need to be open-minded in the world where the possibilities of an outcome may seem frustrating. Elaborating this, he gave an example of how he has limited access to technology during his graduation and compared the stark difference how it works now for the current generation.
“It’s very convenient for every generation to underestimate the potential of the following one. It’s because they don’t realize that the progress of one generation becomes the foundational premise for the next. And it takes a new set of people to come along and realize all the possibilities,” noted the Google CEO.
Pichai also shared his experiences as a young student and the world of challenges that he had to face after moving to the US. He also shared Pichai shared some interesting stories about his deep passion for technology.
He also urged the students to not get frustrated by his generation’s approach to climate change or education, but continue being impatient as it will help in creating the progress the world needs.
Pichai added,
“Take the time to find that thing that excites you more than anything else in the world. Not the thing your parents want you to do. Or the thing all your friends are doing or that society expects of you.”
The Google executive concluded his speech by emphasizing the importance of being hopeful even if the world is battling a pandemic and asked students to focus on things that they feel deeply passionate about.