The COVID-19 crisis has taken the world by storm, forcing many schools and colleges to close their doors and cancel their in-person graduation ceremonies. Social media giants Facebook and Instagram recently hosted a virtual graduation event in honor of students around the world.

The virtual ceremony was headlined by Oprah Winfrey and involved a wide list of artists including Latin singer and actress Selena Gomez.

Gomez made a guest appearance at the Facebook and Instagram joint graduation event where she honored graduates who are bound inside their home. The 27-year-old Rare singer shared a special message and some honest advice to students. She also empathized with the people's disappointment over having to transition to remote learning and canceling much-awaited prom and post-graduation plans.

In her speech, she urged viewers to persevere in the face of the health crisis. When asked if she has a message to convey to a younger version of herself, Gomez said she would push herself to continue moving forward despite the hardships.

"You all have worked incredibly hard to get to this point, and I know it's not exactly how you'd imagine your graduations would look like," she said.

Gomez reminded her viewers not to panic if they don't know what they want to do with the rest of their life. "It's okay," she said. "It's a journey to find your direction or passion."

She told the viewers not to get frustrated by their mistakes and setbacks, claiming 'they happen to all of us.'

She also used her speech to honor Oprah by sharing a quote the famous American talk show host and television host said: 'You don't become what you want, you become what you believe.'

Gomez said the message resonates with her, saying "If you don't believe in yourself, don't expect others to believe in your abilities."

Gomez encouraged the graduation attendees to celebrate their achievement when bans on large gatherings are lifted. She ended her speech bu reminding the viewers to stay safe and connected while waiting for the crisis to pass.

The multi-hour live event was streamed on Facebook and Instagram on May 15. The event is available for replay on Facebook Watch. The individual segment will be made available on Facebook's official Instagram page. Many of the celebrity guests have also streamed and posted their portion of the broadcast on their Instagram accounts.

Other stars also joined the momentous live virtual event. Variety released a list of guests which included TikTok star AdamRayOkay (as Rosa), Fab5 member Antoni Porowski, beauty influencer Bretman Rock, Press rapper Cardi B, Cuban singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan, Despacito singer Luis Fonci, and Venezuelan actor Wilmer Valderrama.

Mindy Kaling and B.J Novak co-hosted the multi-hour event where the stars as well as Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg shared words of wisdom and performed hit singles from their tracks.

Watch Selena Gomez's segment here:

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