Harris to 2021 grads: Pandemic prepared you for 'pretty much anything'

Vice President Harris delivered an address to high school graduates on Sunday, telling them the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic had changed America's graduating class of 2021 for the better.

"History is going to remember a lot about this time, about the people who persevered," said the vide president in a roughly 5-minute speech as part of a CNN special celebrating students around the country. "For more than a year, you kept going to class...you kept studying, you kept striving."

The past year had prepared grads for "pretty much anything," she said, adding that it had taught Americans to look out for one another.

"We are all in this together," she said. "When we look out for one another, we are all better off."

"Please remember: you are prepared. Please remember: you are not alone," Harris continued. "President Joe Biden and I, and our country, believes in you."

High school graduations continue to look different in many states due to ongoing restrictions on public life and health concerns resulting from COVID-19. In some states, many high school graduations are being held virtually as they were in 2020, while in others such as Michigan efforts are underway to end restrictions on graduations and other public gatherings.

Former President Obama took part in a national celebration for high school graduates of 2020, urging them at the time to build their own communities and work together to address major challenges faced by society.

(THE HILL)