More than 20,000 students at the University of Southern California graduated on Friday, May 12, as members of the class of 2023.
A good number may have a job or acceptance to a graduate program lined up. But for those whose future is uncertain, that’s fine, too.
“You’ve got time. You’re on the right path. But remember: a good story always moves forward. And that requires action,” said Marvel Studios president and Hollywood producer Kevin Feige, who delivered a commencement address jam-packed with references to superheroes.
Success comes with trying new things, taking risks and “leading with ‘yes’ instead of ‘no’” – traits that have come to define the characters in Marvel movies, Feige said.
But even superheroes fail at times, he then reminded the audience.
“What’s important is that their failure is never the end of their story. They get up. They keep going,” he said, telling the audience he was rejected from USC’s film school five times before being accepted on his sixth attempt. Fast-forward a couple decades, and Feige’s leadership and direction is credited for Marvel Cinematic Universe’s rise to become the highest-grossing film franchise.
“My wish for you, graduates, is that you get comfortable with failure, with rejection,” Feige said. “Accept that it’s a possibility, but never let it define you. And never let it hold you back.”
Feige, who graduated from USC in 1995, received an honorary degree from the university on Friday, along with Frances Arnold, winner of the 2018 Nobel Prize in chemistry, and iconic labor leader Dolores Huerta. All three were on hand to help celebrate the university’s newest graduates.
This year, USC graduated 20,636 students – a record for the school. This included conferring 5,760 undergraduate degrees and 14,876 graduate and professional degrees, according to the university.
Additionally, more than 4,800 of the graduates were first-generation college students and more than…
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