Celebrities launch podcast to give Class of 2020 commencement speakers
By Camden Mondeaux on April 17, 2020
Millions of graduating students won’t have graduation ceremonies this year — but thanks to a new podcast, they’ll still have commencement speakers.
By: Cami Mondeaux
All across the country, graduations and commencement ceremonies have been canceled to adhere to ongoing social distancing measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But, these students will still get special guests to send them off into their “great unknowns.”
Thanks to Jimmy Fallon, Halsey, Hillary Clinton, John Legend, Kesha, Pitbull, David Chang and many others — graduates will get to hear inspiring words for the Class of 2020 in a new podcast from iHeartMedia.
The podcast is called “Commencement: Speeches for the class of 2020” and is expected to launch May 15 — just ahead of National Graduation Day on May 17.
“Because so many schools and colleges have moved to online learning to ensure the safety of their students, many graduates are missing their commencement ceremonies, traditionally such significant milestones in their lives,” said Conal Byrne, president of the iHeartPodcast Network, in a release.
Byrne noted that graduates often need that last bit of inspiration, reassurance and life advice as they walk into their next chapters. And that’s definitely true for this round of graduates, as they head into unprecedented times.
“‘Speeches for the Class Of 2020’ brings together some of the most experienced and inspiring people in the country today to celebrate the resilience, strength and accomplishments of this year’s graduates,” Byrne said.
Other notable speakers include Abby Wambach, Katie Couric, Eli Manning, Khalid, Tim McGraw and several others.
