Tim Cook this weekend gave a commencement speech to the 2015 graduating class of George Washington University, sharing a number of reflections and his perspective on life for graduating students and their families. As announced in February, Cook was asked to speak at the event in Washington, DC following a nomination process by students earlier in the year.
Cook started off the 20-minute speech by reflecting on a few moments from his teenage years in which he met both President Jimmy Carter, one of his personal heroes, and Alabama Governor George Wallace, a man he disagreed with vehemently even at the young age of 16. The two men's similar backgrounds - they were both from the South and Democrats - helped teach Cook about how his internal journey in life was just as important as his external passage through schools, universities, and jobs.
Crowd on National Mall for commencement ceremonies (Source: Andras Szep)
My own journey in life was just beginning. I hadn't even applied to college yet at that point. For you graduates, the process of discovering yourself, of inventing yourself, of reinventing yourself is about to begin in earnest. It's about finding your values and committing to live by them. You have to find your North Star. And that means choices. Some are easy. Some are hard. And some will make you question everything.
Twenty years after my visit to Washington, I met someone who made me question everything. Who upended all my assumptions in the very best way. That was Steve Jobs.
Cook mentioned that just like Apple in the late nineties he was also "rudderless" and looked to Jobs' invitation to join the company and "change the world" not as a skeptic but as a believer. As expected, Cook looked back on the decision as one of his best and encouraged the graduates of George Washington to "find your North Star." The Apple CEO concluded his address at the university by taking a picture of the amassed crowd of graduates, claiming his position at the podium was "the best view in the world."
Cook and MacRumors reader Andras Szep following Cook's speech
MacRumors reader Andras Szep was on hand for the event, sharing a few photos and noting he was lucky enough to find a seat up front for Cook's speech and get a few moments afterwards to speak briefly with the Apple CEO, congratulating him on his speech and shaking his hand.
It's crazy how shaking a guys hand is a big deal in this life. He's just a man. No way I'd waste my time photographing me standing next to a CEO of any company.
Some men aren't just men to everyone... My dad might just be a man to you but a role model to me. Tim Cook might just be a man to you but a person of inspiration to someone else.
I personally came from a family that had nothing and it has resulted in people like Larry Ellison and Howard Schultz, both of which came from nothing too, to be role models to me. To me, they are proof that if I continue doing what I've been doing and I have a little luck there is no reason I can't be as big as they are.
It's crazy how shaking a guys hand is a big deal in this life. He's just a man. No way I'd waste my time photographing me standing next to a CEO of any company.
I don't think it's about shaking the hand of a CEO, but about shaking the hand of someone who just gave a great speech. ;)
It's crazy how shaking a guys hand is a big deal in this life. He's just a man. No way I'd waste my time photographing me standing next to a CEO of any company.
It's crazy how shaking a guys hand is a big deal in this life. He's just a man. No way I'd waste my time photographing me standing next to a CEO of any company.
Personally I think its time for Tim to stand on his own merits without having to always insert a Steve. He certainly has enough of his own accomplishments.
Wednesday March 29, 2023 1:54 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
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CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...
Wednesday March 29, 2023 9:58 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today announced that its 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from Monday, June 5 to Friday, June 9. Like WWDC 2020, 2021, and 2022, WWDC 2023 will be an online event for the most part, and it will be open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple will provide online sessions and labs, which will allow...
Wednesday March 29, 2023 7:28 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are rumored to feature a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra, according to a MacRumors forum member who leaked accurate details about the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models last year.
The source claimed the Action button will replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. They did not...
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID.
iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
Apple today published a support document explaining why it decided to release a standalone Apple Music Classical app for classical music.
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Tuesday March 28, 2023 10:15 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a day after the launch of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4.
Registered developers can opt in to the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to Software Update, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option and toggling on the iOS 16 Developer Beta. Note that an...
Tuesday March 28, 2023 1:50 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple has made the option to upgrade to new Home architecture available again with the release of iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, and macOS Ventura 13.3, after it temporarily pulled the update in December.
After updating Apple devices to the latest software, users can once again opt to upgrade any homes set up in the Home app to the new Home architecture, which Apple says brings faster, more reliable ...
Apple on March 27 released iOS 16.4, delivering 21 new emoji characters, support for Safari web push notifications, the return of the page-turning animation in the Books app, updates for the Podcasts app, and more.
Top Rated Comments
Some men aren't just men to everyone... My dad might just be a man to you but a role model to me. Tim Cook might just be a man to you but a person of inspiration to someone else.
I personally came from a family that had nothing and it has resulted in people like Larry Ellison and Howard Schultz, both of which came from nothing too, to be role models to me. To me, they are proof that if I continue doing what I've been doing and I have a little luck there is no reason I can't be as big as they are.
I don't think it's about shaking the hand of a CEO, but about shaking the hand of someone who just gave a great speech. ;)
Nothing wrong with looking up to someone.
It's crazy how shaking a guys hand is a big deal in this life. He's just a man. No way I'd waste my time photographing me standing next to a CEO of any company.