Kamala Harris tells 2021 graduating class ‘you give me such inspiration’

• Vice President Kamala Harris congratulated the 2021 graduating class and offered a keynote address.
• During CNN’s event, Harris applauded high school seniors for persevering through the pandemic.
• She reminded seniors to use their strength to continue to succeed and help others in the future.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

Vice President Kamala Harris told a group of graduating high school seniors that they inspire her during CNN’s Graduation 2021 event.

“I couldn’t be more proud of you guys,” she told the seniors. “The things that you all have accomplished, you give me such inspiration.”

During her video conference keynote, the vice president commended the graduating class for their ability to succeed and learn about themselves during the pandemic and recounted how young people throughout history have been changemakers and able to propel movements forward.

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“You know exactly what it took to get here. Right in the middle of your junior year, everything seemed to stop… For more than a year you kept going to class, even if it was online. You kept studying, you kept striving, and you made it to this day,” Harris said.

She encouraged them to continue to support each other through future obstacles.

“And there are two things I would like you to remember. One, you now know that you have what it takes to get through pretty much anything. So, when you come up against an obstacle and when you experience a setback – and you will, we all do – remember the resilience that you showed this past year, the determination. Remember you have the strength to get through anything. Two, you do not have to get through anything alone. You are not alone. We are all in this together. When we look out for one another, everybody is better off,” Harris said.