Graduation

These international students are our true hope. They will become our ambassadors of change, the ambassadors of democratic freedoms and the rights for higher education, and they will become our future leaders.

A connection should probably make you feel a little uneasy. Because if you make a connection it means you're beginning to take responsibility for that person's life.

Never put on a piece of clothing without curiosity, without thinking: what kind of risks are the people taking so that I can have an affordable shirt?

May you thrive in a way that enhances the justice, and the safety, and the dignity of every person who has made the clothes that you are wearing today.

Success comes to the prepared mind. Success is not like rain that falls from the sky equally upon everyone. Success is what you reap when you sow with passion and optimism.

The soft power of science has the potential to reshape global diplomacy—and at significantly lower expense than that needed for use of the hard power of military involvement.

Without hard work, we are not entitled to a good life—and without compassion, we will not attain the good life in a world-majority population of have-nots.

For kids like me who couldn't articulate what they needed to do, the arts were my way of speaking. For people who may not be able to say exactly what they mean, they can draw it. It's a way of communicating, and if we cut it off then we are more than barbarians, because we know better.

Stand up for what you believe in. It's okay to be wrong. It's okay to know stuff in your heart and discover that you're wrong, and cop to it. Say, 'You know what, I changed my mind.' This has become a terrible thing to do in this country, and only art can bring it back.

Be you. Be unique. Be prepared to be alone sometimes when you're unique. It's not a bad thing. You could travel with the sheep, follow everybody else's stuff, but then you're not you.

Pessimists do not change the world. They don't think it's worth the trouble. But you can.

Comment is free, but facts are sacred.