Right now, the Class of 2020 should be dressing excitedly in their caps and gowns, and taking their last high school selfies before they step into the next phase of their lives; but though they’ve earned their diplomas, the coronavirus pandemic has robbed them of the classic high school graduation ceremony experience. So iHeartRadio brought together dozens of leaders and celebrities for the Commencement podcast to deliver graduation speeches these students will never forget, celebrating their achievements and giving advice for the future. On this episode, MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle reflects on how the pandemic has sharpened our definition of community, and the opportunities it’s provided the graduates to change the world.
Stephanie commiserates with the students that they don’t have a chance to celebrate their achievements with their friends and families as they ought to, but she also tells them to focus on what opportunities are available now. “The people above you and around you, even the smartest, the most successful – they’ve never faced something like this. Nobody has it figured out.” That has equalized us, she says; it matters so much less what school you went to, who your parents know, what fancy internship you landed: What matters are solutions. “We don’t have the answers. This is a time to figure out what people need and what you can do.”
And it doesn’t have to be a grand-scale solution, either, she points out. “Here’s the thing, doing something good, just something simple and basic – if you did one every day, and you piled those days up, that’s a life of greatness.” The pandemic showed us all that our community is one of the most important thing in our lives, so she advises graduates to think about their network – not what the people in it can do for you, but how you can show up for them, how you can stay connected to them. “I don’t want to win alone, and I don’t want to lose alone….Right now, as we are collectively facing one of the darkest moments, if we work together, it can be our finest hour.” Hear all of Stephanie’s moving speech on the Commencement podcast.
Congratulations to the Class of 2020! iHeartRadio’s ”Commencement: Speeches for the Class of 2020” podcast celebrates this year’s graduating students as they take their next steps into the world. For more inspiring speeches from celebrities, athletes, business leaders and more, listen to the podcast on iHeartRadio.