All right, I am back, camera is...
recording.
All right.
-[man]
[laughter]
[man 2] Camera A, camera B, on the mark.
We are good to go.
[man]
We're good.
-[man] Clap... -[woman] Okay.
Dear class of 2020...
First and foremost...
-we did it... -Together.
-Together. -Together.
And like all the generations that preceded us...
...we were determined to see this through.
We found unbelievable...
-...opportunity. -Resilience.
-And life... -...where others found disappointment.
So, congrats on this accomplishment.
Secondly, I'd like to share a little bit more about myself.
-I was born in... -...Los Angeles, California.
Kingston, Jamaica.
Glastonbury, Connecticut.
Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.
Greensboro, North Carolina.
-In India. -In the United States of America.
-My parents were... -[woman]
-[woman 2]
[woman 3]
[woman 4]
-I wanted to go to college... -...to make a better life.
-I wanted to go to college... -...to find myself.
[man]
[laughter]
I thought I knew who I was.
-Nerdy. -Scared.
-Smart. -Determined.
But that was only a part of my story.
I met some amazing people along the way.
-[woman 1]
-[man]
-[man 2]
[man 3]
And I was ready...
[man and woman]
-We heard... -"You cannot sit with your friends."
"You cannot see your family."
You cannot walk...
-across... -that...
...stage.
-[woman]
...illness, and injury.
Financial troubles.
Cultural difference.
Self-doubt.
[woman]
-[man 1]
[woman 2]
[woman 3]
[woman]
-[man 1]
[woman 3]
[man 1]
[man 2]
For immigrants.
For the climate.
For African Americans.
For the LGBTQIA+ community.
For Latinas.
[woman]
-[woman 2] Happy Mother's Day! -[laughter]
We pin our own coats of arms.
We learned from each other, and learned about ourselves.
[man]
New interests, strengths and talents.
We were raising each other.
We found who we are and who we want to be.
[woman]
-[woman 2]
-[woman 3]
[woman 5]
[woman]
[man]
[woman 2]
[woman 3]
[man 2]
[woman 4]
[man 3]
[man 4]
[woman 5]
[all] Graduating...
...from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
To Brown University.
From Bridgewater State University.
To Francis Marion University.
From Manchester Community College.
To Morehouse College.
We are united in our shared experience.
And we continue to learn.
[woman]
[woman 2]
[man]
[woman 3]
[man 2]
-We heard... -...you cannot sit with your friends.
But it doesn't mean that they aren't there.
-We heard... -...you cannot see your family.
[woman]
-We heard you cannot walk... -...across...
-...that... -...stage.
It doesn't matter.
What does matter is what you can do.
-You. -You.
-You. -The class of 2020...
...can do anything.
Congratulations.
The future is already yours.