Nike Chief Design Officer tells college grads to embrace what makes you different. 'I view my dyslexia as a gift to see the world differently.'

• Nike Chief Design Officer John Hoke recently gave a commencement address at Penn State.
• Hoke, who is dyslexic, encouraged graduates to embrace what makes them unique.

When he was 12 years old, Nike Chief Design Officer John Hoke III wrote a letter to then-Nike CEO Phil Knight.

Hoke, who contributed the lead essay in a recent book about Nike's future, loved to doodle as a child. He figured Knight might be interested in his ideas. Nike wrote him back.

Hoke recounted his story of writing to Knight recently during a commencement address that he gave graduates of Penn State's College of Arts and Architecture, his alma mater. Fittingly for a world-class designer, Hoke kept his remarks focused and concise.

The speech clocked in at a polished 13 minutes. Here are three takeaways, each applicable to Nike job applicants, as well as recent college graduates and professionals in need of a reboot or a kickstart.

Find your superpower

Hoke described himself as a "curious" kid "always asking questions like, what if, what now?"

He described "wonder" as his superpower and encouraged people to find theirs.

"Through my education at Penn State, I came to better understand myself and realize, in fact, that my superpower became wonder," Hoke said. "I believe wonder is a platform and provocation for positive change."

Embrace what makes you different

Hoke is a previous winner of the International Dyslexia Association's Pinnacle Award, which celebrates accomplishments of professionals who have publicly acknowledged their dyslexia.

"I view my dyslexia as a gift to see the world differently, and I fully recognize the privileges that I've had to make that orientation," Hoke said.

Hoke said dyslexia helped him understand and communicate through drawing, a critical skill for a designer.

"It's how I always understood the world around me and how I always explored ideas," he said.

Take your shot

Like many, Hoke drew sneakers as a kid.

When he was 12, while floating in a pool, Hoke realized a raft would make a good cushioning system for an athletic shoe.

"That night I made a drawing," he said. "The drawing was of a raft-inspired air-cushioning system. I looked up Nike's address and mailed the letter, including my sketch to the owner, Mr. Phil Knight. I did not expect an answer, but surprisingly, Nike wrote me back. They said they were working on something very similar, Nike Air, and to please stay in touch."

Hoke took the response as encouragement, including nurturing his dream that maybe one day he could work for Nike.

He eventually did, joining the company in 2010 and becoming chief design officer in 2017.

And what happened to the letter?

"I have that letter framed in my office in Beaverton, and it still makes me smile," he said. "And for the record, no, I do not receive royalty checks."