Right now, many teenagers are leaving high school without a lot of the typical accoutrements. Prom season has come and gone without anyone getting to celebrate, and now, graduations are here, and many students can’t have the typical ceremony. To help ease the pain of not being able to walk across the stage, celebrities have taken to giving them remote commencement speeches.
While former President Barack Obama (I miss you, Barry) was the main speaker over the weekend, other celebrities joined in for CNN’s extended event called “Class of 2020: In This Together” to share their own words of wisdom for the graduating class. Gal Gadot, who brings to life superhero Diana Prince (a.k.a. Wonder Woman) onscreen, made sure to remind the class that even in these uncertain times, they can still do anything they put their minds to.
Quoting the first female Israeli prime minister, Golda Meir, by saying, “So I urge you to think of these words: Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life,” Gadot’s message continued to talk about how we all can be our own heroes and do what we want with our lives. It’s all about the importance of making the right decisions and doing what’s right for you.
What I loved the most about her speech was when she started to talk about these possibilities, as well as what Wonder Woman means to her, because it isn’t about Wonder Woman’s power, but what she she stands for. So many of us look to Diana Prince because she represents love, truth, and compassion, but while those are important, the reason we love her is because she stands strong in her beliefs, in what she thinks is right, and not that she’s trying to teach us these virtues.
Well I want to tell you, you can. Anything is possible and now is your time to start and create your own special story in the world. I’m telling you there is nothing you cannot do if you put your heart and mind and all that you have learned into it.
She’s right, in a lot of ways, because looking to these heroes could be a wonderful way of staying strong right now. Diana Prince stands for what she believes in, and understanding that you, too, can stand up for your beliefs and make your own path is exactly what these kids should take away with them to college.
To the graduating class of 2020, I’m sorry this all sucks right now, but listening to advice from President Obama and Wonder Woman is a pretty cool sendoff from high school, too.
(via CNN, image: Warner Bros.)
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