But to take on that burden as a formative experience is extraordinary. You should all feel proud. Finding the bright side to the past 17 months is not easy, but the crisis has given us a unique opportunity to see the big picture and consider our place in it.
This is a historical inflection point, and this generation of students is in a position to turn its lessons into profound tools of change. And I hope some of you will use those tools in public service. The students here today are the policymakers and legislators of the future. Your teachers are the ones with the daunting task of preparing you for that future.