President Arnold Speert, Goldie Hawn, Francisco Diaz, and John Martone

Goldie Hawn, the Oscar-winning actor and philanthropist, brought her talent for connecting with young people to William Paterson University on September 26, during a lecture uplinked live from the Nicholas Martini Teleconference Center, to students at more than 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada.

Still active in the movie industry where she acts, directs, and produces films, Hawn has recently established an organization, the Bright Light Foundation, which seeks to create programs that introduce the study of mindfulness to young people.

Hawn during booksigning

“It is my conviction that every human being has an innate desire to find peace and happiness, and eliminate suffering,” she said. “The foundation is dedicated to creating a more peaceful and tolerant world by supporting both research efforts and global education programs that target our youth. Our vision is to positively affect our world by investigating effective ways to handle negative emotions and aggression and teaching these methods to our young people.”

Directly addressing the college-aged people in the audience, Hawn told of her difficulties at the beginning of her own career and her philosophy for success.

“You don’t become a person who changes the world overnight,” she said. “We all have a fear of perfection, and a fear of failure. It’s important to follow your own path, and make your own choices. Whatever you choose helps you get to the next level and helps you to gain knowledge. So don’t be afraid to take the dive, and jump off the precipice. And if you are successful, don’t apologize for that success, you worked hard for it.”

After the lecture in the Martini Center, Hawn moved to Shea Center to address the overflow audience and sign copies of her memoir, A Lotus Grows in the Mud.

Hawn’s appearance was part of an ongoing series of lectures sponsored by the Office of Campus Activities and Student Leadership, and by the Society of Leadership and Success, a national organization designed to give college students the motivation, support and training to become effective leaders.

The next lecture is scheduled for October 18 when Dan Millman, a former trampoline world champion, a student of martial arts, and a coach and member of the faculty of Stanford University, will speak on “Lessons on Enlightenment for a World-Champion Athlete.” On November 15, Jake Steinfeld, founder of Body by Jake, a fitness training company, will present a lecture. Both lectures and those scheduled for the spring semester will be interactive broadcasts delivered via live satellite or video.