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With this school year's commencement season at an end, all of us at the Goldhirsh Foundation and LA2050 congratulate the graduates of the Class of 2025 and their families!

We’re marking the occasion by releasing a new installment of what’s become an LA2050 blog tradition: A run-down of some of our favorite recent commencement speeches from colleges and universities in Los Angeles. 

This year, we’ve selected filmmaker Jon M. Chu, musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, educator and author Dr. Bettina Love, and CSUN communication studies graduate Désirée Kiva Powell. Read more and find links to their respective remarks, below.

Jon M. Chu | University of Southern California

On May 15th, USC School of Cinematic Arts alum Jon M. Chu took to the stage and addressed the 2025 USC graduating class as their main commencement speaker. Chu touched on the necessity of community in an ever-changing world. He focused on storytelling as the best navigator in an unprecedented time, and how the graduates’ job is “not simply to inherit a world, but to reimagine it and set the foundation for who we are moving forward.” He encouraged students to redirect their imagination away from worry and to embrace all the mistakes and flaws that led them to this point in their lives, emphasizing that the best stories are written alongside community. “You will go through tough times. Terrifying times even,” Chu said. “But your beautiful brain will figure out creative ways to get out of it. And your ferocity will get you through it.”

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson | Loyola Marymount University

Academy Award-winning filmmaker and multiple GRAMMY Award-winning Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of The Roots joined the Loyola Marymount University graduating class on May 17th as their main commencement speaker, sharing four guiding practices that he said provided him with the resilience to grow amidst adversity. Drawing from his personal experience, Thompson stressed the importance of gratitude, daily habits, conscious breathing, and movement as means of alleviating the anxieties of uncertainty and the physical toll of unprocessed emotions. He encouraged students to “dig deep” and noted that “the stuff that changes your life is usually buried under your biggest fears,” underscoring the power of self-affirmation. “Transformation begins with how you talk to yourself,” he said. “Flip that question, ‘Am I good enough?’ into, ‘I

On May 19th, 2025, author, academic, and educator Dr. Bettina Love addressed the doctoral graduates at the USC Rossier School of Education. Dr. Love also urged graduates not to confuse credentials with wisdom, and to always stay true to one’s community because “education without accountability is empty, and knowledge without application is wasted.” In her final remarks, Dr. Love encouraged graduates to center love and community in every endeavor. “A degree is what you bring into this world,” she said. “And that degree also asks you to give back, reflect, and keep learning.

On May 19th, CSUN Communication Studies graduate Désirée Kiva Powell addressed her class of 2025 peers at the university’s commencement for the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, & Communication. Sharing some of her own life’s triumphs and tribulations, Powell reminded graduates that when you are down the only way to go is up: “Mistakes are always an opportunity to grow, and messing up is how you really learn.” As Powell reminisced on her educational journey and her experiences as a single mom of two, she highlighted the importance of learning to be happy and present.

To all the recent graduates who are stressing about their next steps or worrying about their future, embrace both the sweet and sour moments of your journey. In the wise words of Désirée Kiva Powell, always remember that “life should be lived… if you dare!”

 Four of Our Favorite LA Commencement Speeches: 2025 Edition 

Come join our team as the Social Media and Communications Coordinator. 

Our mission at the Goldhirsh Foundation is to identify the brightest emerging talent from this diverse metropolis, and beyond, and plug them into the tools to best support their success. We fund social innovation efforts across these three areas: opportunity, sustainability, and activation, with a particular focus on Los Angeles County. 

The Goldhirsh Foundation is looking to add an enthusiastic and proactive team member to serve as Social Media and Communications Coordinator. The position reports to the Director of Communications.

The position is currently remote, but this may change. A candidate who is based in the Los Angeles County area is required.

The Goldhirsh Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive staff team. We strongly encourage applicants who are people of color, LGBTQ+, women, people with disabilities; and/or formerly incarcerated people.

Play an active role in building our brands across various social media platforms, including:

Creating and scheduling content for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn

Engaging and interacting with our social media communities

Conducting research to identify new platforms and trends in social media to help grow each of the brands

Monitoring social media analytics, and using them to inform strategies

Strengthen the brands through traditional communications and marketing, including:

Creating videos (depending on the candidate)

Updating media lists and press contacts, and conducting research to identify aligned outlets

Pitching to journalists, bloggers, and influencers

Writing and editing short- and long-form articles, newsletters, and blog posts on behalf of LA2050 and the Goldhirsh Foundation

Assisting in planning, outreach, programming, and logistical support of and at events

Curating articles related to the Goldhirsh Foundation and/or LA2050’s interests

Staying up to date on happenings in the social impact and philanthropic sectors, with particular attention to Los Angeles

Making regular updates to the LA2050 and Goldhirsh Foundation websites, using our CMS, and monitor website analytics

Additional duties, as assigned, including administrative tasks

Exceptionally well-organized with strong attention to detail

Professional experience in a field related to social media, communications, journalism, filmmaking, public relations, or similar

Interest in the social impact and/or social innovation field, including non-profit organizations, foundations, corporate social responsibility, or social enterprises

Experience in an administrative support capacity

Exceptionally well organized with strong attention to detail

Spanish language ability not required, but is a plus

WE’RE LOOKING FOR THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCE, ATTRIBUTES, AND STYLE:

An organized individual who is able to handle many tasks simultaneously and calmly

A clear and concise communicator who conveys confidence and enthusiasm when communicating to partners, grantees, vendors, and colleagues

Detail-oriented and organized with an adaptable, entrepreneurial nature in order to work with a variety of partners and stakeholders

A flexible and enthusiastic approach to work, including the humility and grace to work effectively with others whether completing large or small tasks

Proficiency and speed in completing tasks and a high sense of urgency

Initiative-taking ability and resourcefulness

Eagerness to learn and grow within the position

A sense of humor, and appreciation for a team dynamic that is fun, social, and intensely dedicated to results

An interest in social innovation, philanthropy, and how the two relate to Los Angeles

Send resume, cover letter, and links to writing, social media, and video work (if applicable) that you’ve done to 

This is a full-time, exempt position, with full benefits. The pay range for the position is $60,000-$75,000, depending on expertise and experience.

Join Team LA2050 as the Social Media and Communications Coordinator

 and its network of STEM educators are helping make Los Angeles the best place to learn, working with young Angelenos to underscore the importance of our oceans in building sustainable lives for us all. AltaSea has assembled a dynamic and diverse group of partner organizations that have delivered ocean-based STEM lessons to more than 350 LAUSD students, with exciting programs including and not limited to: the 

Altasea's STEM Network on the LA Waterfront is delivering hands-on ocean exploration, providing young minds with thrilling and eye-opening experiences with cutting-edge science and technology. Students hear from accomplished scientists, tech innovators and entrepreneurs in Blue Tech, experiences that can shape lives and career choices.

Provided 118 Dana Middle School students with tours of the E/V Nautilus via their partnership with Ocean Exploration Trust (OET). The E/V Nautilus is the exploration ship responsible for undersea discoveries such as the wreckage of John F. Kennedy's PT-109 and the WWII German battleship Bismarck. The students also met with scientists and engineers about to head to sea for an expedition.

Introduced students to aquaculture thanks to workshops at Catalina Sea Ranch. The program showed students how the company breeds the fastest-growing and strongest mussels at the first US offshore shellfish farm.

Los Angeles Maritime Institute will welcome students aboard its Tall Ships this fall for its Topsail program. In the meantime, the institute came to AltaSea offices to teach knot-tying and about the effects of micro plastics on sea life.

Blue Robotics will teach students about Remote-Operated Vehicles in the waters just off AltaSea's wharf.

AltaSea's initial efforts have spawned new partnerships and programs that will further expand our network, such as:

The Boys and Girls Club of the Los Angeles Harbor, who will expand joint efforts through a pending grant from the Harbor Community Benefit Foundation. The grant will inspire sustainable careers in blue tech for the area's workforce, careers that can support innovation at the port for years to come.

Collaborative opportunities with other My LA2050 grant winners, such as the Surf Bus Foundation. Together, AltaSea and Surf Bus will bring students to the L.A. waterfront for ocean-oriented STEM programs this summer.

This ambitious array of STEM-related ocean education and experiences will, of course, ultimately be evaluated against a range of metrics to ensure it effectively delivers on its promise to the students, families, educators and others affected. Altasea is conducting student surveys before and after workshops to define success measures, and is developing a tracking system to keep students involved with our network. Our best success measure will be years in the making, as we educate and inspire students to become champions for a sustainable ocean and planet, to take more STEM classes, and to pursue careers that can help sustain our oceans and indeed, our planet.

LA2050 Blog

Altasea is Educating the Next Generation of Ocean and Sustainability Experts