TEMPE, Ariz., May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — With a shower of maroon-and-gold confetti, and guidance from actor and conservationist Harrison Ford, Arizona State University celebrated the graduation of more than 14,000 undergraduate students on May 11, part of a record-setting 22,631 students earning their degrees this spring. The graduating class is the largest in ASU history.

“The potential of your entire generation — that is what gives me hope for the future,” said Ford, a legendary household name who has portrayed beloved on-screen characters.

“Whatever talent or ambition you possess, find a way to put it to work,” he said. “Build something that didn’t exist yesterday. Stand up for someone who can’t stand up for themselves. Bring people together who weren’t talking before. That’s leadership. That’s what moves the needle.” 

In addition to his acting work, Ford has been a champion of global conservation for more than three decades, joining Conservation International’s Board of Directors in 1991 and currently serving as its vice chair. In recognition of his work, ASU President Michael Crow awarded Ford an honorary Doctor of Arts and Humane Letters at the ceremony.

“Your generation has far more power than you may realize,” Ford said. “And if you harness it, if you find your leadership, your issues, your voice, the world will not be able to ignore you. You will have to be accommodated. Believe me, I know that’s true.”

His parting words to graduates: “Go change the world.”

Ford’s commitment to conservation also reflects ASU’s deepening commitment to research and student education in this area. In 2025, the university announced the creation of the Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures, which will welcome its first cohort this fall.

It is just one of the many areas where graduating students earned degrees and are poised to make a difference, with others focused on career opportunities in business, health care, engineering and more. One such graduate, Thomas Hancock-Bacon, will join the Peace Corps after graduation, combining his enthusiasm for sustainability and finance.

In his opening remarks, University President Michael Crow nodded to the 250th birthday of the United States of America, saying that ASU students have a responsibility that goes beyond their own communities.

“You are going to make this country work.,” he said. “You are going to make this country better because you are just getting started.”

The spring graduating class is 6% larger than last year’s spring class. This includes 14,258 on-campus undergraduate and graduate students, and there are 8,373 online students graduating, up 16% from last year. More than 10,000 graduates are Arizona residents and 2,000 military-affiliated students are graduating, including veterans, active duty, guard/reserves or dependent family members.

The graduation ceremony included remarks from businessman and philanthropist Howard Graham Buffett, who also received an honorary Doctor of Arts and Humane Letters.

“You can’t outsource who you want to be,” he said, addressing the graduates. “You decide who you want to be. Don’t let other people influence it.”

This spring’s graduates are primed for the workforce, and many are headed for jobs in high-demand fields such as teaching, nursing, microelectronics and defense. ASU is ranked No. 2 among public U.S. universities in employability, ahead of UCLA, the University of Michigan and Purdue.

“Universities have a responsibility to demonstrate their return on investment to the public at-large – not just students, but everyone,” said Crow. “Everything we do at ASU, including the degrees earned today, enables greater social mobility, prosperity, health, community and more. We must continue to work together to advance the democratic ideals of ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ for all.”

Photos and video of Harrison Ford.

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SOURCE Arizona State University – Media Relations