‘Some Good News’: Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Malala Yousafzai, and Jon Stewart Celebrate the Class of 2020
John Krasinski, known for his roles in The Office, the Jack Ryan series, and A Quiet Place, has been providing fans with hope during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with his YouTube series Some Good News (SGN).
On May 3, SGN hosted a special ceremony for all of the students that were set to graduate this year featuring special guests Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Malala Yousafzai, and Jon Stewart. Here’s the advice they had for the Class of 2020.
‘SGN’ is the content we all need right now
In March 2020, Krasinski asked his followers on social media for “some good news.” At first, fans thought the post was simply Krasinski’s way of interacting with them, but they soon learned he was crowd-sourcing stories for a new web series highlighting, well — some good news!
Given the state of affairs in the world right now, it’s hard to turn the television on without hearing about less than cheerful news. Krasinski sought to create an outlet where people could turn to for some amusing stories. So far, Krasinski has shared heartwarming stories from around the world, including conversations with celebrity guests like his Office co-star Steve Carell, Guy Fieri, Brad Pitt, and Ryan Reynolds.
‘Some Good News’ hosted a virtual graduation for the Class of 2020
Krasinski brought in some special guests for Episode 6: Graduation 2020. With the help of media mogul Winfrey, Oscar-winning director Spielberg, Nobel Prize laureate Yousafzai, and comedian Stewart, Krasinski wished the Class of 2020 well and sent them off with some sage advice.
A few lucky viewers were able to interact with Krasinski’s celebrity guests and ask for some advice as they leave school behind and enter the real world.
Steven Spielberg spoke about following your dreams
“Dreams are a great test because dreams are going to test your resolve,” Speilberg shared with a grad who asked for advice on how to follow your heart, even when it felt like the world was against you.
“You’re going to know a dream from a pipedream. A real dream is something that not only hangs on to you, but you will hang onto it. And it will power you through every obstacle people and the environment will throw against you.”
Oprah Winfrey shared how her greatest humiliation was ultimately a triumph
A Harvard graduate who was named the first Youth Poet laureate in the country’s history spoke with Winfrey about an impactful moment in her life when things didn’t go her way. Winfrey explained the demotion she received in her first job as a news anchor, simply because her co-anchor didn’t like her.
That demotion turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to Winfrey’s career. “I’m being called in by the bosses and told that I’m no longer going to be needed on the news,” Winfrey said. “Instead of firing me, what they did was put me on the local talk show.”
And as they say, the rest is history. “I believe that failure is an opportunity to move yourself in a different direction,” Winfrey told the Harvard graduate. “It gets better because you learn the lessons for the first time.”
Malala Yousafzai and Jon Stewart encouraged graduates to embrace their beliefs and the unknown
“Believe in your voice — continue speaking, and don’t give up,” Yousafzai shared with another graduate who asked what advice Yousafzai would give to her younger self. “Society tries to define us and tries to limit us. Do not listen to that. Ignore all of that and believe in yourself and continue to do what you strongly believe in and what you want to do.”
“You have no idea what’s about to come at you, and man, isn’t that the beautiful part of it?” Stewart told a fan who asked, “What’s next?” Stewart’s advice was to embrace that unknown and all of the possibilities that come with it.
Check out Krasinski’s lastest episode of SGN for all of the good vibes. And congratulations to the Class of 2020!
