President Barack Obama was the commencement speaker at the virtual graduation special for the class of 2020 this weekend. The event included remarks from LeBron James, Kevin Hart, and Yara Shahidi. He challenged them to rise to the new standard of an uncertain future during “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020.”
Obama began his remarks acknowledging the obvious - that this far from the senior year the kids had expected to have. “Just as you’re about to celebrate…proms and senior nights, graduation ceremonies — and, let’s face it, a whole bunch of parties, the world is turned upside down by a global pandemic,” he said. “And as much as I’m sure you love your parents, I’ll bet that being stuck at home with them and playing board games or watching ‘Tiger King’ on TV is not exactly how you envisioned the last few months of your senior year.”
He also reminded them that while the disappointment of missing a live graduation would fade quickly, the very real question of what’s next – whether it be college or a job – might not look the same.
Source: People