She was addressing about 460 people who had just graduated in person in commerce, tourism and law at a 3pm capping ceremony at the Dunedin Town Hall on Saturday.
Ms Stoddart, an Otago law and commerce graduate, said Otago University had "opened doors for me to the world".
"It opens up doors for all of you.
"But it is up to all of you to walk through those doors and achieve your dreams."
"Nothing holds you back in life, other than yourself," she added.
She had worked hard at Otago University, had taken little time to have fun and now realised she could have been less anxious about her past and her future.
"For me, I didn't need to have worried about what school I had attended; I didn't need to be a pessimist; I could take risks; I could have fun- and I could map my own career."
Ms Stoddart, who is Air New Zealand people and technical operations group general manager, said she had earlier been responsible for looking after 11,000 Air New Zealand staff and the company's engineering division had also been added more recently.
"I also see my share of CVs - 40,000 people a year apply to work for Air New Zealand," she said.
Many staff had worked at Air New Zealand for more than 20 years, and she continued to be amazed by their positive and caring approach.
She noted some of the firm's air crew had saved a passenger's life during a flight, and had in some cases taken stranded passengers to their own homes to wait for the next flight.
Some staff had given up their holidays to volunteer at an Air New Zealand child-care centre in Christchurch, looking after children of other staff affected by the recent earthquake, and helping clean up their houses.
Learning humility and how to take advice were also valuable, she suggested.
She recalled, after completing her Otago studies and having been hired by a very large Auckland law firm, she had been told on her first day she might have a law degree but the firm's secretary knew more than the 30 law graduates who had just been hired, and to take her advice.
She had done so and the secretary continued to be a great friend.
