Harrison Ford used one of the country’s largest graduation stages to speak plainly about climate, justice, and the future facing young leaders.

The 83-year-old actor received an honorary Doctor of Arts and Humane Letters degree from Arizona State University and addressed more than 14,000 graduating students..

Ford told graduates that “the world my generation left you is a real mess,” while calling for cultural change, expanded social justice, and greater respect for Indigenous peoples who continue to face marginalization and violence.

His remarks connected social responsibility with environmental protection. Ford said the world must safeguard 30 percent of its lands and oceans by 2030 to help prevent mass extinction and slow climate change. That goal is widely discussed in global conservation efforts and is especially relevant to Indigenous communities, whose homelands often hold significant biodiversity and whose stewardship practices have protected ecosystems for generations.

Ford also spoke about his own path. He recalled struggling in college, taking a drama class because he thought it would be an “easy A,” and unexpectedly finding belonging among people he had once dismissed as “geeks and misfits.” After years of limited acting work and supporting his family as a carpenter, his role as Han Solo in Star Wars changed his life.

Even then, Ford said, success did not fully answer questions of purpose. He later found deeper direction through his work with Conservation International, a nonprofit environmental organization he joined more than three decades ago.

To the graduates, he urged responsibility, creativity, and leadership: “Build something that didn’t exist yesterday,” and “stand up for people who cannot stand up for themselves.”

—Author Unknown