Oprah Stanford Commencement Speech
June 17, 2008 – 6:51 am by Nick
Oprah Winfrey, the queen of daytime television, delivered an excellent commencement speech, emphasizing a strong call to service. Her Stanford University Commencement speech began with a her gifting everyone in the crowd Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth and Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind. Stanford’s Class of 2008 cheered and high-fived.
During the speech, Oprah drew on her personal experiences and acknowledged her graduating goddaughter, Gayle King’s daughter.
“I like money,” said Winfrey,”it’s good for buying things. What you want is money with meaning. Meaning is what brings real richness to your life.” She spoke of controversial opening of the $40 million Leadership Academy for Girls. “I built that school from the outside in, when what really mattered was the inside out.”
Winfrey advised the graduates to help other because it enables access to “the greatest fellowship of all: the sorority of compassion and the fraternity of service.”
