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№ 2022.001 — Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Commencement address
Kealoha Wong
Poet Laureate of Hawai‘i; special ceremony for Classes of 2020 and 2021
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Kealoha Wong at MIT, 2022
A special-ceremony address for the classes of 2020 and 2021 about zooming out, cosmic perspective, inner meaning, limits, community, and presence after delay.
- 01 Delayed ceremony
- 02 Zoom out
- 03 Human history
- 04 Natural world
- 05 Look inward
- 06 Stretch limits
- 07 Community impact
- 08 Meaning
Return
A delayed class finally gathers in person
Wong speaks to graduates whose commencement was disrupted, making the ceremony itself part of the message about time and perspective.
The classes of 2020 and 2021 returned after pandemic delay.
Being together becomes evidence of endurance.
Commencement repairs a missing shared moment.
Perspective
Zoom out until life becomes larger
MIT frames the talk around looking outward: human history, the natural world, and the enormity of the universe.
A wider lens makes anxiety smaller without erasing meaning.
Science and poetry meet in awe.
The universe makes people tiny and connected at once.
Interior
Look inward for the work that matters
The address also turns graduates toward the heart: meaning is not only found in status, but in how people live.
Purpose grows through attention to what is worth protecting.
Limits stretch as far as people dare.
Inner life shapes public contribution.
Impact
The closest circles may matter most
MIT coverage highlights a communal ethic: impact is often felt in families, neighborhoods, and the way people treat one another.
Contribution is measured in relationships as well as discoveries.
How people treat others and themselves is part of legacy.
Use perspective to choose a generous life.
Transcript
The full transcript is hosted by the original publisher. Commencement Archive links to the source rather than republishing copyrighted text.
Read the full transcript at source →Provenance
Verified from official archive