Emily Ratajkowski and Kim Kardashian are helping shape the minds of tomorrow. Last week the podcaster and SKIMS founder visited NYC’s Hunter College and Harvard University, respectively, and shared some sage words of wisdom to current and graduating students.
On Thursday, Jan. 19, Ratajkowski made the trek uptown to deliver an inspiring commencement address to Hunter College’s class of 2023. In a snippet posted to Instagram, Ratajkowski can be heard opening up about imposter syndrome and the value of celebrating such a significant milestone.
“It’s hard to celebrate myself, not as an imposter in a body, but as a soul deserving of joy. And I bet a few people here feel the same way,” the supermodel said to the crowd.
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“So, if you can’t celebrate yourself, maybe do it for others; for the friends and family that greeted you when you returned home after your long day, who listened to you complain about your workload and your schedule, who encouraged you when you were filled with stress and hopelessness — for the loved ones who fill this audience, who can remember when you first had the idea to try and get this degree and cheered you on when you were sure you’d never make it. The people in your life who love you are a precious gift; treat them as such, enjoy them as such, celebrate with them,” she continued.
Ratajkowski also encouraged graduates to “reflect” on their accomplishments.
“Find the moments to pause, to reflect on where you are and how far you’ve come. It’s easy to stand up here and say that. And I’ll tell you what’s harder — practicing it myself,” she said, as reported by Daily Mail.
Despite facing hardships along the way, the class of 2023 prevailed. Ratajkowski commended seniors for their steadfastness and determination in earning their degrees, especially during times of turmoil.
“I learned that this graduating class is especially remarkable. That there are particular challenges and circumstances unique to all of you,” she said. “Students who worked several jobs while getting degrees, battling illnesses, the people who are first in their families to graduate from college, and those who had to learn English as a second language.”
“I heard about the students who are mothers, who took time away from their education, and somehow found courage and ability to return to school as an older person,” Ratajkowski added, after relating to such struggles as being a mother herself.
“I am so humbled and honored to stand before you all today,” Ratajkowski concluded.
Meanwhile, just a few hours north, Kardashian was preparing to speak at Harvard Business School’s direct-to-consumer seminar.
In a photo carousel shared to Instagram, the business-fashion mogul revealed SKIMS was the subject of an assignment for HBS’ “Moving Beyond DTC” class.
“I spoke At Harvard Business School yesterday for a class called HBS Moving Beyond DTC. The class’s assignment was to learn about @skims, so my partner Jens and I spoke about our marketing, our challenges and our greatest wins,” she captioned a slideshow of behind-the-scenes photos from her visit.
“I’m so proud of Skims and the thought that it is a course being studied at Harvard is just crazy!!! Thank you professor Len Schlesinger and @harvardhbs for having us. #BucketListDream,” she concluded.
While online trolls were quick to reprimand HBS’s choice of subject matter, students of the class found Kardashian’s insights both educational and inspiring.
“I think a lot of people don’t respect her as someone who is co-running a multi-billion dollar company,” a student named Liz told NBC10 Boston. “Just to learn from someone who has built such a successful business was really exciting and I think having the privacy of no cameras in the room, being able to have that candid conversation was special too.”
If given the opportunity to attend a talk by either entrepreneur, who would you rather hear from?
