Amid bushfires in Australia, the tension in the Middle East, locust attacks, cyclones, police brutality on racial minorities and the elephant in the room—a life halting pandemic that has changed the world as we know it, 2020 has been quite the roller coaster ride. Amid all this, students who were supposed to celebrate the transition from their youth to adulthood which is often marked by their graduation had a really hard time coping with the change or lack thereof. College can be quite a stressful phase where a lot changes over a very short period. Owing to this and the fact that a staggering standstill hit them out of nowhere and the change they were so anxiously anticipating didn’t go exactly as per their plans, these last few months have been extremely difficult for them. Despite this, they braved through the hardships and graduated in their isolation.

To spur them on, several celebrities and influencers collaborated on youtube in a grand event called ‘Dear Class of 2020’. Scientists, Entrepreneurs, Actors, Entertainers and all sorts of influencers came together to congratulate the graduating students who were deprived of their opportunity to fling their hats into the air and sing and dance with their friends on their big day. An impressive lineup of musicians from Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, BTS and Lady Gaga among others came together to sing hearty congratulations to the class of 2020 on pushing through the tough times. The Youtube Livestream went on for well over 4 hours and everyone from the Obamas to the Simpsons participated to congratulate the students and to spur them on for the future while also reminding them to cheer up and celebrate their big occasion. They asked them to reflect upon how far they’ve come and to look forward positively as they approach one of the most important chapters of their lives.