During Stanford University’s 131st Commencement Ceremony on June 12, 2022, Stanford alum and Netflix co-founder and co-CEO Reed Hastings reminded graduates of the power of inventions and stories. “One is about harnessing the natural world; the other is about harnessing the human spirit,” said Hastings, who was unable to attend in person and provided remarks via a recorded video. Hastings urged graduates to focus on inventing solutions to one challenge in particular – climate change – and to devise new stories for a modern world, ones that encourage compassion between people and help prevent war.
This year’s Commencement weekend also featured a ceremony to recognize the Class of 2020, whose in-person Commencement ceremony was delayed due to pandemic-related restrictions. Around 2,600 alums from the Class of 2020 reunited at Stanford Stadium on June 11, where they heard France A. Córdova, an astrophysicist and a former leader of major universities and government agencies, reflect on how her career path pivoted from literature to physics and then to outer space. She encouraged graduates to look out for the unexpected possibilities that emerge in life’s path.
“Keep your eyes open for side streets and bike lanes,” Córdova said. “You may end up on an even more incredible journey than you had foreseen if you remain open to possibilities in unlikely places.”
Go to the web site to view the video.
Go to the web site to view the video.
Full-length videos of the 2022 Commencement ceremonies are available on the Stanford YouTube channel:
