Redford to college graduates: World needs you; be fearless

(David Leaming/The Central Maine Morning Sentinel via AP)


1 photo
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

WATERVILLE, Maine (AP) — Two-time Academy Award winner Robert Redford is encouraging college graduates to be fearless in a world of challenges and to become collaborators with others and the environment to overcome life's daunting difficulties.

Redford was the commencement speaker Sunday at Maine's Colby College. He received an honorary degree of fine arts from the school before an audience of thousands, including nearly 500 graduates.

"You're stepping into a world that's, well, pretty rough. It's pretty chaotic, pretty divisive," Redford told them. "You've got climate change, you've got debt, you've got wars, you've got political paralysis. It's kind of a grim story. But the story, I think, can be retold, and I really believe that you're the ones to do it."

The 78-year-old actor, director, and producer told the graduates they have been given the tools to make a difference.

"Don't be afraid to take a risk, don't be afraid of failure, be bold," he said, adding that what the world needs is "collaboration and connection," not only between people and people but also between people and the environment.


You're stepping into a world that's, well, pretty rough ... It's kind of a grim story. But the story, I think, can be retold, and I really believe that you're the ones to do it.

–Robert Redford


Redford's grandson was among the class of 2015, the Morning Sentinel reported.

Redford, whose speech appeared on the college's website, is the founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He is known for such films as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," ''Quiz Show," ''All The President's Men," and "The Way We Were." He received an Oscar for his directorial debut of "Ordinary People," as well as one for Lifetime Achievement.

© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

U.S.UtahEducation
Associated Press

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast