Hello everybody,
and congratulations to the class of 2020.
This is a huge day for all of you
and we couldn't be more excited
-to be celebrating with you. -I'm very excited.
-It's very exciting. -It's exciting.
Now, while you might not get the experience
of sweating under your cap and gown in the hot sun
or get embarrassed by your family yelling out your name
when you walk across the stage,
you still have all those people with you today
just like they've been with you this whole journey,
rooting you on, pushing you to grow
-and offering you a hand if you needed it. -Mm-hmm.
These folks deserve your love and gratitude for helping you get here.
So, give them a squeeze if they're with you right now.
-Especially the dads. -[chuckles]
And if they're not, give them a call later.
That's from the mom. This is their day, too.
So today is the culmination of a long journey.
Think back to when you were starting your first year,
you were probably just hoping that by graduation day,
you would've found your people, learn some new skills,
got yourself ready for your next step.
Maybe college, maybe grad school, maybe your first job.
You accomplished all that.
And then, just as you were rounding the final turn,
the world threw a pandemic your way.
Yeah. So, these past few months, you've had to reach even higher.
You weren't just adjusting to a virtual classroom,
you were helping your teachers adjust their audio
so the rest of the class could hear.
You weren't just taking your finals online.
You were making sure your siblings had enough time
on the computer, too, to do their work.
And you weren't just hanging out with your friends in that group chat.
You were supporting them through all this uncertainty and loss.
That's a lot to ask of anybody,
but in spite of it all, here you are.
And we want you to know that all the work you've put in
to get your education is still one of the best investments you can make.
We've seen it for decades.
The more education you have,
the better you and your families are likely to fare.
It's been borne out over the past couple of months.
And it will be the case for years to come.
So you all have done something great.
Hold your heads high and celebrate.
And go ahead and do a little dance.
-[laughing] What? -A cool dance.
Just for yourself.
Maybe even not so cool if you're just by yourself.
-Yeah. -Embarrass yourself.
But the important thing is to celebrate.
Congratulations again, everybody.
And now, we hope you enjoy
the rest of this once-in-a-lifetime commencement.
-It's gonna be good. -It's gonna be great.
Proud of you. [chuckles]