Just about all the typical trappings of academic graduation will be gone this year. No more caps thrown in the air in celebration and ensuing hugs and kisses all around. But the most important thing to hundreds of thousands of students completing their studies in high school and college this season, the diploma itself, will still be awarded.
And there will be commencement speeches. Lots of them. From personages ranging from President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, to LeBron James and Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey to the Jonas Brothers.
Virtual commencement ceremonies necessitated by the social distancing requirement of the coronavirus pandemic kick off Friday, May 15 on Facebook and Instagram with #Graduation2020: Facebook and Instagram Celebrate the Class of 2020. Speakers include Winfrey, Jennifer Garner, Awkwafina, Lil Nas X and Olympian Simone Biles. Another highlight, Miley Cyrus performs her iconic anthem, “the climb,” although perhaps “wrecking ball” would be more in tune to describe the current crisis.
The event starts up at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET and will be hosted by Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak of ”The Office.” Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg will intro Winfrey’s commencement address. Other featured speakers during the streaming event include Amy Schumer, Cardi B, DJ Khaled, Sterling K. Brown, Matthew McConaughey, Selena Gomez and Usher.
You can catch it on Facebook Watch and facebook.com/facebookapp. Highlights will be posted to the @instagram account on Instagram and on participants’ social media accounts. Plus, Facebook has a virtual graduation hub – classof2020.fb.com – for other ways to celebrate graduates.
Here’s a look at some of the other virtual graduation celebrations, as compiled by Rolling Stone:
iHeartMedia’s Podcast Commencement: Speeches for the Class of 2020
Date: May 15th
Speakers: Jimmy Fallon, Halsey, Hillary Clinton, John Legend, Kesha, Pitbull, chef David Chang
Podcast Commencement: Speeches for the class of 2020 celebrates grads with star-studded episodes featuring speakers like soccer player and World Cup champ Abby Wambach, Katie Couric, makeup artist Bobbi Brown, Chelsea Handler, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, former football player Eli Manning, Sienna Miller, singer-songwriter Khalid, journalist Guy Raz, Tim McGraw, and retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal.
Her Campus’ I’m Still Graduating
Date: May 15th
Speakers: Nico Tortorella, Frankie J. Grande, Teyana Taylor, Marcia Gay Harden,
reporter Jodi Kantor, soccer player Kealia Ohai Watt, Logan Browning,
Supermajority co-founder Cecile Richards, Feeding America CEO Claire
Babineaux-Fontenot, P&G Beauty CEO Alex Keith, Lennon Stella, the WWE’s
Natalya Neidhart, Lilly Pulitzer CEO Michelle McQuality Kelly, and Bumble
founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd.
I’m Still Graduating features business titans as well as special performances from Liam Payne, Austin Mahone, Jesse McCartney, Drax Project, Grouplove, and many others. “This graduation is all about the class of 2020, so it was pivotal to us that class of 2020 students don’t just get to watch it, but actually get to play an integral part in the event,” says Stephanie Kaplan Lewis, co-founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of Her Campus Media.
Chase’s “Show Me Your Walk HBCU
Edition”
Date: May 16th
Main speaker: Barack Obama
Former U.S. president Barack Obama will be sharing a special message during a virtual commencement to honor Historically Black Colleges and Universities at 2:00 p.m. ET. 78 HBCUs have joined together to celebrate the 2020 grads, honoring more than 25,000 students for their achievements. The even is hosted by comedian and actor Kevin Hart, with guest appearances from Steve Harvey, Chase Consumer Banking CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett, Ariel Investments Co-CEO and President Mellody Hobson, National Urban League president Marc Morial, and academic leaders from participating HBCUs. Other participants include 10-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul, 8-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter, Debbie Allen and Vivica Fox.
Graduate Together
Date: May 16th
Main speaker: Barack Obama
Graduate Together will air on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms. LeBron James, Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas Brothers, Yara Shahidi, H.E.R., Bad Bunny, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Megan Rapinoe, and Ben Platt will appear at the ceremony, which kicks off 8 p.m. ET.
Verizon’s Class of 2020: Ready for Anything
Date: May 22nd-June 12th
Speakers: Estée Lauder executive chairman William P. Lauder, San Francisco
49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers, Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love, Global
Citizen co-founder and CEO Hugh Evans, Away co-founder Jen Rubio, Bill Clinton,
and Verizon chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg.
Verizon’s commencement series will feature 30-minute sessions over the span of four weeks, with well-known figures in business, politics, and sports. Those who tune in will be able to interact with the speakers and submit questions to be answered during a Q&A. The series will be held on Verizon’s LinkedIn for all graduates. Dates for the series are May 22th, May 29th, June 5th, and June 12th, with times to be announced.
YouTube’s Dear Class of
2020
Date: June 6th
Speakers: Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, BTS,
Google and Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai, Malala Yousafzai, and Lady Gaga
The virtual commencement ceremony Dear Class of 2020 will premiere on Saturday, June 6th, at 3 p.m. ET. BTS will headline the “virtual grad night afterparty,” and the virtual commencement will feature appearances by Alicia Keys, Kerry Washington, Zendaya, and Jackie Aina, alongside YouTube creators like Dude Perfect and the Try Guys.
TED-Ed’s #graduaTEDtalks
Date: Rolling
Speakers: You
TED-Ed, TED talks’ youth and education initiative, has launched a series of TED talks that allows everyone to record their own video to share. It is for graduates or anyone else who wants to share positivity and wisdom for the class of 2020. The videos can be viewed on their website or under #GraduaTEDTalks for everyone to watch.
