Year
Class of 2020
Browse commencement speeches from 2020, including addresses by France A. Córdova, William H. McRaven, and Jean Bennett. Each record links to the available source material, transcript, video, and archive context.
3 addresses 10 themes 3 highlights
Highlights from 2020
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France A. Córdova Stanford University France Córdova, a Stanford alumna and former National Science Foundation director, addresses the Class of 2020 at their delayed 2022 ceremony, reflecting on how the pandemic reshaped their college years and praising their resilience. She recounts her own winding path from English major and wanderer to astrophysicist, explaining how her humanities education informed her scientific career. She encourages graduates to remain open to unexpected paths, embrace their unique backgrounds, and pursue their passions while recognizing that real life develops within them through varied experiences. InfographicSummaryTranscriptVideoOfficial source 
William H. McRaven Massachusetts Institute of Technology Delivered during MIT's online 2020 Commencement amid the pandemic, McRaven argues that fictional superheroes will not save the world and that the graduates themselves must address challenges like pandemics, war, climate change, poverty, and intolerance. Drawing on his Navy SEAL career and examples from history and science, he outlines the qualities he believes real heroes need. He closes by urging graduates to be the last class to miss a commencement and to go forth as the heroes the world needs. InfographicSummaryOfficial source 
Jean Bennett Yale University InfographicOfficial source Represented themes
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