“Congratulations to you chosen ones,†Tom Hanks told the graduating class of Wright State University this weekend via a remote commencement speech. Or, if you need that kind of inspirational message to get you through the next month or six of the coronavirus pandemic, go ahead and pretend Tom Hanks is addressing you specifically, and be uplifted yourself. The actor’s message was played for the Dayton, Ohio college’s virtual graduation on May 2 for students of the school’s Department of Theatre, Dance, and Motion Pictures.
“I am calling you ‘chosen ones’ because you have been chosen in many ways,†says Hanks. “First, by the temperament and discipline you’ve lived by. By the creative fires that are inside of you, and the instinctive lunges of your desires. There is something about you, all of you, in your upbringing and your background and your conscious memories and your ongoing mysteries. Something that has driven you to complete your courses and achieve your selected challenges and cross the rubicon of your time there.â€
Concludes the actor, “The future is always uncertain, but we who celebrate what you have done, who celebrate all of your achievements, we are certain of one thing on this day: you will not let us down. Thank you. Congratulations. Way to go.†You can watch (and hopefully be gladdened by) his full graduation message below.