Learn English Pharrell Williams Dont be like the previous generation with BIG subtitles

[Applause]

hi everybody

I’d like to start by thanking President

Andrew Hamilton trustees in the New York

State in the NYU students and the

faculty for welcomed me into your halls

last year and letting me have an

experience that I honestly could have

never imagined and I want to thank all

of you for this humbling experience

today this is major it’s super heavy and

I’m very grateful my mom is a lifelong

educator so this is going to be a really

good look for me to be a part of a group

like this is unimaginable to speak on

the behalf of our group is an honor that

I’m not sure I’m qualified for their

accomplishments the body of work

represented on the stage is staggering

we have history-makers miracle workers

in their own way if their names aren’t

on buildings yet they’re totally going

to be I’d like to say that I’m forever a

student and it’s people like this that

I’m forever grateful to learn from their

fearless their boundless

multi-disciplined and multitalented they

break down barriers and embody the focus

and dedication that this planet needs

even if Mark Kelly it means leaving from

time to time some may call them perfect

public servants but their work is

actually in the service of humanity and

standing with them here today and it’s

totally mind-blowing

[Music]

[Applause]

in this day and age it’s easy to lose

sight of the fact that it’s the people

who serve humanity that make the world

really go round most social media and

media itself would lead you to believe

otherwise but this group’s work doesn’t

feel gossip sadly it doesn’t generate a

lot of clicks amongst the sea of

headlines designed to bait their work is

often too important to be boiled down to

just a quick headline the work has never

been more important yet as a society we

seem to celebrate less important

achievements far more frequently I’m

glad to be a part of a moment that

recognizes these people the real movers

and shakers

[Applause]

think about it these great scientists

public servants and activists cannot be

bothered with building their Instagram

followers or how many views they get on

YouTube but they are the real

influencers their work makes us

healthier safer more enriched and more

intelligent their work is designed to

improve the quality of life for all

people not just themselves they are not

motivated by attention but rather

they’re motivated by the idea of

creating change for the better

I personally find out incredibly

inspiring I hope you guys do as well

NYU the school all you guys chose to

attend is going out of his way to honor

this distinguished group

what will they honor you guys for

someday

what will they honor you for someday

speaking to you guys today is charge me

up

it really has as you find your ways to

serve humanity it gives me great comfort

knowing that this generation is the

first that understands that we need to

lift up our women

[Applause]

imagine the possibilities when we remove

imbalance from the ether because it’s

unbalanced right now imagine the

possibilities when women are not held

back your generation is unraveling

deeply entrenched laws principles and

misguided values that have held women

back for far too long and therefore have

held us all that the human race the

world that you will live in will be a

lot better for it this is the first

generation that navigates the world with

the security and the confidence to treat

women as equal

you guys and gals are the first ever I’m

gonna say that again you guys are the

first ever our country has never seen

this before and it makes some people

uncomfortable but still I say just

imagine the possibilities today is in

many ways a celebration of higher

education I am forever a student as I

said before I believe is that a trait

it’s a trait that we all share yet we

live in a time when a great education is

harder and harder to come by but like

anything in life if there is enough

demand somebody will supply it so to the

graduates you might think your time and

education is done but after you leave

here today I’m asking you guys to let

your actions out there in the world fill

the demand for better and accessible

education

[Applause]

engage and inspire whether on an

individual level or loudly within your

communities talk about your complement

talk about your accomplishments it’s

very important talk about your

accomplishments be humble but not too

humble

don’t be invisible

sidebar

the days of being anonymous activists

our participant are over how can we

inspire if we’re only behind the scenes

how will an anonymous donation ever

inspire another that was the way of the

previous generations

no disrespect but don’t be like them

[Applause]

let your actions serve as an endorsement

for education and watch the demand rise

shining the light on a group of

individuals like these on stage also

helps feel the demand it’s why all of

our sustaining here do what we do that

same gene those same feelings an

adrenaline that feels us is inside of

all of you guys as well just like you

these recipients are brothers sisters

sons and daughters we put all of our

pants on one leg at a time we all have a

daily commute but we do so with an eye

towards something much bigger serving

humanity there is no humanity without

education there is no education without

demand you are all walking endorsements

for education so please embrace that

thank you again to the students and the

faculty at NYU thank you to all these

remarkable individuals that I’m up here

standing with for your service

leadership and inspiration we’ll all

forever grateful and I know that

somebody out there right now in this

class just might occupy the White House

one day

and let me be clear not red and not blue

but maybe purple like in why you thank

you