Read the full transcript of a former U.S. Navy SEAL turned astronaut Jonny Kim’s powerful and emotional speech at a Harvard alumni event 2026.
Editor’s Note: In this powerful and personal address at a Harvard alumni event, former Navy SEAL and astronaut Jonny Kim reflects on his unique journey as the son of immigrants. Through his story of service and resilience, he shares profound lessons learned from both the battlefield and his experiences navigating the path to space.
Welcome Remarks and Opening Confession
JONNY KIM: Thank you, Will, for the very kind introduction. President Garber, Provost Manning, distinguished speakers, honored guests, and most importantly, fellow alumni. Good afternoon.
I am incredibly humbled to be here with you all today on earth to see old friends, reminisce about the past, and ponder our future. I’ve had the privilege of wearing different uniforms in my 42 years, from war-torn battlefields to emergency departments to cockpits and spacecrafts. Through it all, I’ve made many mistakes and learned many lessons.
But before I begin, I have a confession. I’m a bit of a procrastinator. I’m sorry, Mom, that never went away. I finally sat down to write this after watching Conan O’Brien’s recent commencement speech. Perhaps to help me get over my procrastination, my lovely wife urged me to watch it together. And between the laughs, his message of humility and impact over accolades really resonated with me. Dang it, Conan, you’re so funny and wise.
But his message was for the college graduates. We are alumni. We’ve got it figured out, right? The truth is, I certainly do not. And I struggled with what I could possibly offer such a diverse and accomplished audience, especially to our alumnus from the class of 1946, Mr. Duby. Sir, you should be up here. I want to hear what you have to say. From one sailor to another, go Navy, and happy birthday.
A Triumph of International Collaboration
Just six months ago, I was wrapping up an eight-month mission aboard the International Space Station. The ISS is a triumph of human engineering. But perhaps more importantly, it’s a triumph of international collaboration. Alliances across 15 countries have kept a sustained human presence in low Earth orbit for over 25 years. And this collaboration continues as we set our sights on the moon and on Mars.
Let’s give a round of applause to the engineers, scientists, and administrators that have kept that beacon of collaboration alive. Thank you.
The Overview Effect: Seeing Earth From Space
Orbiting our planet at 17,000 miles per hour, I witnessed our planet’s raw majesty. Epic storms, volcanic eruptions, vast oceans, and cities glowing like the constellation, all crowned by vibrant auroras that paint the sky in colors beyond imagination. Yet through it all, I never saw distinct borders. I just saw a fragile, beautiful planet suspended in the darkness of our solar system.
The overwhelming realization that everyone you have ever known and will ever love shares this same spaceship we call Earth. The overview effect is the coined term. Sometimes I’d look out from the space station cupola window and relax my focus on the mission and instead ground my focus right here with my beautiful wife and our amazing three children, knowing that beneath the clouds, there were the very people that gave my life its gravity.
“I Am the Son of Immigrants”
But you don’t have to go to space to understand the weight of our shared humanity. Long before I ever put on a spacesuit, it was here, in the halls of the hospital wearing a white coat, or as an operator in the SEAL teams, that I learned the fundamental truth about service. True service isn’t about the uniform you wear, the title you hold, the altitude you reach. It is simply about the person next to you.
I am the son of immigrants who came to this great country to build a better life for their children. And while the fall of the Twin Towers during high school certainly called within me an action to serve, my calling to become a Navy SEAL was for an embarrassingly simple reason. I wanted to be a superhero.
A little tongue-in-cheek, but as a kid, I was infatuated with comic superheroes. I wanted to be like the incorruptible, self-reliant Batman fighting injustice. But in the extreme environments I’ve spent my life as an adult, I learned that the solo hero myth is dangerous. Whether you’re relying on the Marine next to you in a firefight, the nurse during a code blue, or your crewmates in the vacuum of space, survival demands absolute trust in others. True strength is found in recognizing you cannot do this alone. Thank you.
Mistakes and Tragedy Can Be the Spark for New Purpose
Being a Navy SEAL was one of the greatest honors of my life, and it gave me the tools to forge my own path and the chance to serve, albeit in the only way I knew how at the time. When the price was high, there was trauma, pain, and a darkness that enveloped me, bearing my boyhood dreams of ever being a superhero for good.
That brings me to the first lesson I’d like to share. Mistakes and tragedy can be the spark for new purpose.
The battlefield is unforgiving. Decisions are made in split seconds with imperfect data. Operating with the information I had and with the absolute intention of protecting my unit, I made a decision that took a life, and I was wrong. And despite being cleared by an investigation that I operated within the rules of engagement, nothing will take away that my actions caused irreparable harm.
I’m not the victim of this tragedy. I caused it, and it’s a weight I rightfully deserve to carry for the rest of my life.
Perhaps driven by guilt or a Sisyphean mission of atonement, I pivoted to medicine, hoping to uplift others, but I wasn’t ready to heal anyone.