Oprah Winfrey, Cardi B, DJ Khaled, and so many more celebrities came together to celebrate the Class of 2020 in a virtual graduation ceremony on Friday (May 15th). The virtual event, titled #Graduation2020, was held in honour of all the graduates who were unable to have a proper commencement as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Hosted by Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak in collaboration with Facebook and Instagram, #Graduation2020 featured a myriad of stars offering inspiring words to all the graduates, including the expert herself, Oprah, giving the official commencement speech.
“Hello everyone,” Oprah began. “I know you may not feel like it, but you are, indeed, the chosen class for such a time as this, the Class of 2020. You’re also a united class, the pandemic class, that has the entire world striving to graduate with you. Of course, this is not the graduating ceremony you envisioned. You’ve been dreaming about that walk across the stage with your family and friends cheering you on, the caps flung joyously in the air. But even though there may not be pomp because of our circumstances, never has a graduating class been called to step into the future with more purpose, vision, passion, energy, and hope. Your graduation ceremony is taking place with so many luminaries celebrating you on the world’s Facebook stage, and I’m just honoured to join them and salute you.”
“I just want to say congrats to all my high school and to all my college graduates,” Cardi said in her own speech. “Congrats congrats congrats! And don’t let no coronavirus, no nothing, take this special moment from you…It’s more than a diploma, it’s more than graduation, it’s knowledge, it’s knowing that…you went through those hard nights, studying….Now you’re about to start your life, you’re about to make some money, you’re about to show your skills on what you worked for!”
Watch the full virtual ceremony below:
