NEW YORK — Oprah Winfrey will be everyone’s graduation speaker this year, thanks to Facebook.
The tech giant on Tuesday announced that it will host a virtual graduation ceremony for college seniors unable to partake in a traditional ceremony due to coronavirus.
On May 15, starting at 11 a.m. ET, Facebook will begin a multi-hour streaming event on Facebook Watch called “#Graduation2020: Facebook and Instagram Celebrate the Class of 2020.”
Winfrey is no stranger to commencements. The media mogul has given advice to grads in schools across the U.S., from Harvard in Massachusetts to Agnes Scott College in Georgia.
Joining Winfrey to dish out some words of wisdom are Awkwafina, Jennifer Garner, Lil Nas X, Simone Biles and more that are to be announced.
Miley Cyrus is the special musical guest for the event.
Facebook is also providing tools for graduates to host their own virtual graduation ceremony and parties. The company is adding special features such as a virtual graduation hub, custom filters and celebrations enabled by Messenger Rooms.
Forty-three states and Washington DC have issued orders that will keep students at home for the academic year, and many schools have turned to remote learning.
While some states have announced plans to begin lifting social distancing measures, most states will not have students returning to school this year.
A number of universities are considering the possibility that in-person classes may not resume until 2021.
