Google CEO Sundar Pichai in his special message to the graduating class of 2020, said that his father spent a year’s worth of salary on his flight ticket to America so that he could study at Stanford. He further said that it was the first time he sat on a plane, and the only thing other than luck that got him from there to where he is now, was his passion for technology and his open mindedness. He further said that while facing the challenges during his younger years, computing was the bright spot for him.
In a virtual event held on Google-owned YouTube to give farewell to the graduating class amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Pichai urged the students to be impatient, hopeful and open, telling them that they had a chance to change everything. The ceremony was attended by former US President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, South Korean pop group BTS and activist Malala Yousafzai among others.
Saying that the class could be grieving everything they have lost like the moves they had planned and the job offers they had, instead of the knowledge they had gathered, Pichai told the students that if they remained hopeful, open and impatient, they would be remembered in history for what they changed. Citing examples of graduating classes of 1920 during a deadly pandemic, 1970 amidst the Vietnam War and 2001, just ahead of the 9/11 terror attacks, he said that all these classes prevailed and history has given them every reason to remain hopeful.