'The future belongs to you': Bill Gates delivers graduation speech at NAU

Bill Gates, one of the most successful self-described college dropouts in modern history, concluded Northern Arizona University's commencement ceremonies on Saturday afternoon by giving students the graduation advice he said he never received.

The sea of navy blue gowns erupted in applause when Gates received his honorary doctorate and officially joined their ranks as a Lumberjack, representing just a fraction of the network of more than 200,000 university alumni worldwide.

"So what does a college dropout know about graduation? Not much personally, to be honest," he said after reaching the podium.

After acknowledging the dedication required of students and their families to reach this point, he referred back to his decades-long career as the Microsoft co-founder and co-chair of the nonprofit Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, outlining the lessons he's learned.

"Your life isn't a one-act play," he said. "What you do tomorrow, or for the next 10 years, does not have to be what you do forever."

Gates, who left college after three semesters to form Microsoft, highlighted his shift from working in programming to focusing on philanthropy — a change he didn't necessarily anticipate when he was young but has since found extremely fulfilling.

Despite the pressure that many graduates might feel today, he said, they are always free to change course.

"Not only is it OK to change your mind or have a second career ... it can be a very good thing," he said.

Secondly, he said, "you are never too smart to be confused."

Gates encouraged the graduates to embrace what they don't know and seek out help and guidance from others, as he did throughout his career.

"Everything I have accomplished happened because I sought out others who knew more than me," he told them.

Calling back to the shift in priorities that Gates experienced himself, he encouraged graduates to "gravitate toward work that solves a problem."

"The good news is, you are graduating at a time of immense opportunity to help people," he said.

Outlining the advances in industries ranging everywhere from forestry to computer programming, Gates expressed optimism for the audience's ability to use these developments to change the world.

"When you spend your days doing something that solves a big problem, it energizes you to work," he said. "It forces you to be more creative and it gives your life a stronger sense of purpose."

Reinforcing something that has been particularly impactful in Gates' life, he advised the soon-to-be alumni not to underestimate the "power of friendship."

Gates recounted meeting one of his best friends, Paul Allen, while in school. They initially bonded over a shared interest in science fiction and computers, he said, and they would later join forces to form Microsoft together.

"The only thing more valuable than what you walk offstage with is who you walk onstage with," he said.

Lastly, Gates reminded everyone that relaxation is just as important as hard work: "You are not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack."

He recalled the workaholic tendencies that characterized his early years at Microsoft, when he prioritized work over all else and expected everyone around him to do the same.

"But as I got older, and especially once I became a father, I realized there is more to life than work," he said. "Don't wait as long as I did to learn this lesson."

As such, Gates encouraged the graduates to take time to recognize and celebrate their accomplishments in school before focusing on next steps.

Saturday's final ceremony featured graduates from the College of Engineering, Informatics and Applied Sciences as well as the College of the Environment, Forestry and Natural Sciences, which university President José Luis Cruz Rivera said was the perfect crowd to relate to Gates' personal experiences.

"His message really not only helped articulate a way forward for our students but also elevated the quality of education that they are walking away with," Cruz Rivera said after the ceremony. "The fact that we are tackling these tough problems, that we are providing them with the tools they need to not only have careers of consequence but live lives of purpose is something that I think not only spoke to our students and everybody gathered here today but I hope will resonate with all Arizonans."

"Class of 2023, the future belongs to you," Gates said, stating that he believes they hold the answers to the world's biggest problems today, including climate change and economic disparity.

"I cannot wait to see how you will drive progress around the world," he said.

Reach the reporter at LLatch@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bill Gates delivers graduation speech he never had at NAU