Tom Hanks Delivers First of Many Virtual Commencement Speeches for Graduates Affected by Coronavirus

Oprah Winfrey and LeBron James will deliver speeches of their own later this month. “These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized,” LeBron James said in a statement.

Graduation season is yet another major event in many peoples’ lives that has been disrupted by the coronavirus. But thankfully, Tom Hanks is here to make it special anyway.

The “Forrest Gump” actor delivered an empowering commencement speech to Wright State University’s new graduates. "You started in the olden times, in a world back before the Great Pandemic of 2020," he said. "The future is always uncertain. But we who celebrate what you have done, who celebrate all of your achievements, we are certain of one thing on this day: You will not let us down."

Meanwhile Oprah Winfrey, Awkwafina and Simone Biles are set to address graduates in a virtual commencement ceremony hosted on Facebook and Instagram titled “#Graduation2020” on May 15.

On May 16, LeBron James will host a prime-time special “Graduate Together: America Honors the Class of 2020” alongside Megan Rapinoe, the Jonas Brothers and Malala Yousafzai via the LeBron James Family Foundation to be broadcast on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and social media.

“These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized,” James said in a statement. “While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it.”

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