斯坦福大学校长2021年毕业典礼演讲

Remarks by Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne at the Commencement Ceremony for the Senior Class of 2021

June 13, 2021

Well, thank you so much, Provost Persis Drell.

It is one of my great honors, as Stanford’s president, to address our graduating seniors on Commencement Day. And this year, it’s a special joy to be gathered with so many of you here in Stanford Stadium.

Class of 2021, you have persisted through a time of extraordinary challenge. But your years at Stanford have also been marked by incredible achievement and intellectual exploration.

Your hard work and your dedication have brought you to today. I hope you savor this moment.

To the entire Class of 2021, in person and around the world, I’m delighted to celebrate you, and everything you’ve accomplished at Stanford, as you prepare to embark on the exciting next stage of your journey.

You are entering the world beyond Stanford during a time of historic change. The pandemic has altered our world profoundly.

It’s also affected each of us on a deep, personal level. Some have lost loved ones this year. Others have missed personal milestones or celebrations.

We’ve all lacked in-person contact with friends and with peers.

And while we are emerging from the pandemic here in California and across the United States, I know that’s not the case in many parts of the world, where it continues unabated. For those who are still suffering the effects of the pandemic, in our country and around the world, my thoughts are with you.

It has been a hard year.

But in the face of this hardship, our community kept going.

And so I’d like to say a few words today about everything you’ve accomplished over the last year, and how you’ve strengthened our community, even during this time of fragmentation.

And then, I’d like to share how I believe these experiences will have helped to prepare you as you enter the world beyond Stanford.

First, you have strengthened our community by leaning on one another. Your friendship with peers and classmates have grown stronger in the face of shared challenges.

You’ve kept one another safe by embracing health and safety protocols, like wearing masks and participating in COVID testing. And you’ve reinforced our community, by working together to find new ways to pursue the things that matter to you:

Maybe you performed alongside your peers in Stanford’s first remote Winter Performing Arts Festival, or maybe you participated in at-home lab work, with materials arriving by mail and experiments carried out side-by-side in video boxes over Zoom.

Perhaps you worked with others to make a difference through new, remote Cardinal Service opportunities, or even started your own non-profit, like the Stanford students who created “Bridging Tech,” which provides computers to vulnerable students at risk for falling behind in remote schooling.

And maybe you even spent nine weeks on the road with your teammates to bring home the national championship for women’s basketball.

Whatever your own particular area of focus, all of you – each and every one of you – have found ways to pursue your studies and explore your interests through a difficult time. And in working together to do so, you’ve also reinforced our community, at a time when we were physically apart.

Another way in which you’ve strengthened our community, even as you’ve navigated the pandemic, is through your response to racial injustice.

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder last year, you pressed for change in our broader society – and here on our campus, too.

You shared your personal experiences and your ideas for how Stanford needs to change. And as we’ve launched initiatives aimed at advancing a more just society and improving Stanford itself, your insights have helped to guide our way.

To our graduates, to all of you who have played a key role in this work – I’m tremendously grateful for your commitment to making our community better.

And finally, at the same time as you have made our community stronger over the last year, each of you, individually, has also learned, and grown, and changed through these experiences.

The pandemic upended our lives. And after the year we have had, it may feel tempting to turn your back on this time – to forget about it as you move on to what’s next.

But living through this time has also provided each of us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reassess – to think about what we really value and the shape we want our lives to take.

For graduating seniors, this has come at a crucial moment, as you prepare to launch into your post-college lives.

You now have a rare opportunity to reassess what interests, relationships, and pursuits give you meaning and fulfillment, and to design your life based on what you truly value.

For some of you, this reassessment may affirm the path you were already on.

Perhaps your experiences over the last year have solidified your decision to pursue further studies in your chosen field, enter a profession, or live in a certain part of the country or world.

But for others, your experiences over the last year may have caused you to change course. Perhaps last year has shown you new ways to use your talents to make a difference in the lives of others.

So as each of you prepares to move on to graduate school, to new jobs, or to other new adventures, I encourage you to take time to reflect, with your family members, loved ones, and friends.

I want you to ask yourselves:

What have I learned about myself this year?

What are my values – and how have they shifted over the past 15 months?

What matters most to me?

And how can I use this knowledge to shape the life I want to lead and to contribute to the world?

As Stanford graduates, you have many opportunities in front of you. It is up to each of you to decide what you want to do with everything that you have worked so hard for.

Class of 2021, I am so proud of everything you’ve accomplished over your years here, and of the persistence, grace, and commitment to others that you have shown over the last 15 months.

I hope these experiences have helped clarify what is truly important and meaningful to you.

You’ve gained the knowledge and the skills to pursue a life that conforms with your values. And the strength and tenacity that have brought you through the last year will help you in that pursuit.

And that brings me to today’s Commencement speaker, Issa Rae.

An actor, writer, and producer, Issa Rae is known for portraying complex characters and everyday Black life onscreen, always with her trademark wit, wisdom, and creativity.

Issa graduated from Stanford in 2007 with a major in African and African American studies and a minor in political science.

Her acting talent, impressive writing skills, and comedic voice were evident from the very beginning of her time at Stanford.

As an undergraduate, she filmed her mockumentary “Dorm Diaries” about Black life at Stanford. She also collaborated with other students to create video and stage productions, including Spike Lee adaptations and a Motown version of Grease.

After Stanford, Issa went on to create and act in the groundbreaking web comedy series, “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl”. She wrote a best-selling memoir of the same name.

Issa then created and stars in the HBO comedy series “Insecure”, for which she has earned multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. There are a lot of fans here, Issa.

And I personally can’t wait to hear her voice as Spider-Woman in the sequel to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

In 2018, Issa was included in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people, and she was twice listed as one of Forbes’ “30 under 30.”

In her writing, producing, and acting, Issa focuses on authentic experiences of young Black people today. She’s broadened the types of stories being told about contemporary Black America.

Issa also produces film and TV and has her own music label and management company.

She uses her platform to champion emerging Black artists and other people of color across many mediums – from acting, to songwriting, to the visual arts.

She is also a vocal advocate for civil rights and women’s rights.

In the words of our Senior Class Presidents: Issa “embodies the courage, strength, and resilience that the Class of 2021 has demonstrated not just during their senior year in a pandemic, but during their entire Stanford careers.”

Please join me in welcoming Issa Rae.

Remarks by Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne at the 2021 Commencement Ceremony for Advanced Degree Recipients

June 12, 2021

Well, thank you, Dean Steinwert.

Graduates, Stanford faculty and staff, former and current trustees of our university, and cherished family members and friends:

I thank you for joining us on this very special day to celebrate Stanford’s 130th Commencement.

It is my great honor to warmly welcome all of you, whether you are here at Stanford, or joining us via the livestream.

As you can see, our Commencement ceremony looks a little different this year.

And so I’d like to begin by asking you to join me in thanking everyone who has made our in-person celebration possible, in this most unusual year and in light of public health restrictions, this includes the groundskeepers, ushers, event planners, and crew, as well as those who are working our cameras and the livestream, to make it possible for us to share this celebration with those who can’t be here in person.

Thank you all.

Graduates, you have persisted through a time of extraordinary challenge. But your years at Stanford have also been marked by incredible achievement and intellectual exploration.

We are all so proud of everything you have achieved during your time at Stanford and of all the hard work and dedication that have brought you to today.

Today, we will award 2,171 master’s degrees and 1,103 doctoral degrees.

These numbers represent the hard work of students from around the globe; 1,018 international students representing 89 countries will receive degrees today.

Now, some of our international students are here with us in the stadium, but many of you are watching from your homes around the world.

For those who are watching from afar today, your absence here is felt.

I wish you were celebrating with us in person, but I look forward to the day when we welcome you back as Stanford alumni.

Graduates, during your time at Stanford, our faculty and staff have dedicated themselves to nurturing the potential in each of you.

So I want to take this moment to thank them for their ongoing support and encouragement, especially during this most difficult year.

Your accomplishments are also due, in part, to the dedication, to the loving encouragement, and to the extraordinary support of the family members and friends who have championed each one of you in the years you have worked toward your Stanford degree.

Some of those family members and friends are here today, in the stands of our stadium.

Many more are watching from afar and around the world.

These include your mothers and your fathers, your siblings, your grandparents, aunts, and uncles, your mentors, and your peers – people who’ve helped you get to Stanford, and helped you through your years here at Stanford.

And so, I’d ask…like to ask all of our graduates to join now in one of the most cherished Commencement traditions we have here at Stanford.

I ask each of you to think of all those family members and friends who supported you on this very special journey, and if you’re here with us in the stadium, please rise, if you are able. All the graduates, please rise. 

And whether you’re here in the stadium or watching with your loved ones from afar, please turn to your family members and friends. And please join me in saying these words to them: “Thank you!”

To the family members and friends of our Stanford graduates, I say “thank you,” as well. And please be seated now, all our graduates. To those family members and friends, thank you for entrusting your loved ones to our university in their time here, and thank you for all that you have done to ensure their success.

To all of our graduates, in person and around the world, I’m delighted to celebrate you, and everything you’ve accomplished at Stanford, as you prepare to embark on this most exciting next stage of your journey.

You are entering the world beyond Stanford during a time of historic change. The pandemic has altered our world profoundly.

It’s also affected each of us on a deep, personal level. Some have lost loved ones over the last year. Others have missed personal milestones or celebrations. We’ve all lacked in-person contact with friends and peers.

And while we are gradually emerging from the pandemic here in California and across the United States, I know that’s not the case in many parts of the world, where the pandemic continues unabated.

For all those who are still suffering the effects of the pandemic, in our country and around the world, my thoughts are with you.

It has been a hard year.

But in the face of this hardship, our community kept going.

I would like to say a few words today about everything you have accomplished over the last year and how you have strengthened our community, even during this time of fragmentation.

And then, I’d like to share how I believe these experiences will have helped to prepare you as you enter the world beyond Stanford.

First, you have strengthened our community by leaning on one another.

Your friendships have grown stronger in the face of shared challenges.

You’ve kept one another safe by embracing health and safety protocols, like wearing masks and participating in COVID testing.

And you’ve reinforced our community, by working together to find new ways to pursue the things that matter to you:

Perhaps you’ve connected with one another through remote live performances, online painting workshops, or virtual artistic showcases.

Maybe you’ve worked with your team and your friends to develop new processes for lab research or found creative ways to advance shared research projects remotely.

You may even have worked with friends and colleagues to contribute to Stanford’s COVID-19 response.

Maybe you helped develop diagnostic tests, or assisted with clinical trials or vaccination drives.

Or perhaps you studied how to reduce the spread of disease in incarcerated populations or worked to improve our understanding of how past pandemics exacerbated disparities, and what steps can be taken to mitigate these effects.

Whatever your own particular area of focus, all of you have found ways to pursue your studies and explore your interests through a difficult time. And in working together to do so, you’ve also reinforced our community, at a time when we were physically apart.

Another way in which you’ve strengthened our community, even as you’ve navigated the pandemic, is through your response to racial injustice.

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder last year, you pressed for change in our broader society – and here on our campus, too.

You shared your personal experiences and your ideas for how Stanford needs to change. And as we’ve launched initiatives aimed at advancing a more just society and improving Stanford itself, your insights have helped guide our way.

To our graduates who have played a key role in this work – I’m tremendously grateful for your commitment to making our community better.

Finally, at the same time as you have made our community stronger over the last year, each of you, individually, has also learned, and grown, and changed through these experiences.

The pandemic upended our lives. After the year we have had, it may feel tempting to turn your back on this time – to forget about it as you move on to what’s next.

But living through this time has also provided each of us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reassess – to think about what we really value and to shape the way we want our lives to take.

For graduates, this has come at a crucial moment, as you prepare for the next step in your lives and careers.

You now have a rare opportunity to reassess what interests, relationships, and pursuits give you meaning and fulfillment, and to design your life based on what you truly value.

For some of you, this reassessment may affirm the path you were already on. Perhaps your experiences over the last year have solidified your decision to pursue further studies in your chosen field, enter a profession, or live in a certain part of the country or world.

But for others, your experiences over the last year may have caused you to change course. Perhaps last year has shown you new ways to use your talents to make a difference in the lives of others.

So as each of you prepares to move on to new jobs, further studies, or to other new adventures, I encourage you to take time to reflect, with your family, loved ones, and friends.

And I want you to ask yourselves:

What have I learned about myself this year?

What are my values – and how have they shifted in the last 15 months?

What matters most to me?

And how can I use this knowledge to shape the life I want to lead and to contribute to the world?

As Stanford graduates, you have so many opportunities in front of you. It is up to each of you to decide what to do with everything you’ve worked so hard for.

Graduates, I’m so proud of everything you’ve accomplished over your years here and of the persistence, grace, and commitment to others that you’ve shown over the last 15 months.

I hope these experiences have helped clarify what is truly important and meaningful to you.

You have gained the knowledge and the skills to pursue a life that conforms with your values. And the strength and tenacity that have brought you through the last year will help you in that pursuit.

……

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