In his special message for the graduating class of 2020, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has urged them to be open, hopeful and impatient.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual graduation ceremonies are taking over on-ground ones. Google's video platform YouTube organised a virtual event to give a farewell to these students.
Former US President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Korean pop group BTS, singers Beyonc and Lady Gaga, former Defense Secretary Robert M Gates, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and activist Malala Yousafzai participated in the ceremony.
"I don't think this is the graduation ceremony any of you imagined. At a time when you should be celebrating all the knowledge you've gained, you may be grieving what you've lost: the moves you planned, the jobs you earned, and the experiences you were looking forward to. In bleak moments like these, it can be difficult to find hope," Pichai said.
He further said: "Be open, be impatient, be hopeful. If you can do that, history will remember the Class of 2020 not for what you lost, but for what you changed. You have the chance to change everything. I am optimistic you will".
Pichai drew comparisions between his generation and the present one on the grounds of access to technology.
"There are probably things about technology that frustrate you and make you impatient. Don't lose that impatience. It will create the next technology revolution and enable you to build things my generation could never dream of. You may be just as frustrated by my generation's approach to climate change, or education. Be impatient. It will create the progress the world needs," he said.
He exuded confidence that the youngsters will make the world better in their own ways.
"The important thing is to be open-minded so you can find what you love... So take the time to find the thing that excites you more than anything else in the world. Not the thing your parents want you to do. Or the thing that all your friends are doing. Or that society expects of you," he said.
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