tough life-changing decisions. you will face disappointments, challenges, losses. sometimeso, know that , the best is yet to come. we will come out of this. we will be stronger. our scientists and business people, among them many of today's graduates, will be the ones to find new treatments and vaccines and create economic solutions. things i think will change. we will value personal relationships more. we will value family more. we will understand better how we all truly are tied together. 2020, we wishf you the very best. you are miami. each of you has so much to give that will help others. to love and honor, you will make edition -- difference in this world. thank you and good luck.

house speaker nancy pelosi urged this year's graduates of smith college to be leaders. she also talked about women's rights and graduating in an extraordinary time of uncertainty. graduates, thank you for the immense honor of addressing you, the smith college of 2020 on this very special occasion. i'm pleased to convey the congratulations of the congress of the united states and to bring special greetings on behalf of the house democratic caucus, which i'm proud to say is more than 60% people of color and lgbt members. i want to extend my warmest congratulations to the parents and grandparents, families and friends all sharing in the celebratory moment. thank you president mccartney for the honor of addressing this storied institution that you

lead so effectively. , ank you for your leadership leading killer of educational achievement in the world. i think every member of this fine institution, it's on -- faculty, the dedication that made this day possible in this remarkable time. this is your moment. your success, your achievement. byr degrees have been carved hard work and doubled response abilities. the diplomas are not simply recognition of completed coursework. they are the fruit of your faith in yourself, testimony to your drive, your determination, and your dreams to build a better tomorrow. as you know, you are beginning the next chapter in a time of extraordinary uncertainty. one thing is certain. you have the advantage of a good education, measured not only by

gpa and test scores but by the resilience, courage, and perseverance you have shown these past four years. is that you certain have become links and an extra merry legacy of trailblazers, ground breakers, and history makers. you graduate in the year that schools celebrate 100 years since winning the right to vote. we have all carried with us the courage of suffragettes and you carry the courage of your founder, sophia smith. she was a highly divisional woman with an untraditional vision who had the courage and generosity to expand opportunities for women, generations before we could vote, run for office, or truly participate in our democracy. she understood the importance of founding this institution so that women's power for good could be encapsulated.

good,ve been a force for define discrimination and blazing new trails for women of color. she went on to become the first woman of color [inaudible] smith's early recognition of the importance of diversity brings lester to its legacy. [inaudible] i've had the privilege of serving in the house with three smith students. washingtonin came to to take her rightful seat of the decision-making table. and the daysrisis

and years that will follow, the world needs your leadership. our goal as leaders is to shorten the distance between what is inconceivable to some" to us. i'm confident in your ability to do so. when the president launched to the track [inaudible] when you saw bias in policing on campus last year, you demanded more sensitive campus policing practices. when you decided your campus wasn't green and i've -- green enough, you fought to convince your trustees to develop from fossil fuels. and succeeded. you got to work the very next in socially and environmentally responsible companies. as you begin the next task in

this time of uncertainty, it is more necessary that you make your own environment. in the tradition of these iconic visionaries who came before, i urge you to know your power. leadership is about having confidence in your vision, your knowledge, your strategic thinking, how that connects to the expectations of others. recognize that you are the unique person that you are with your own special power to shape the future for yourself and our country. you never know what opportunities will approach. we must be ready. i had no intention of running for office for leadership. when the opportunity presented itself, i was ready. my strength came from my love of my family and the comfort of good friends. my closing advice is to stay close and to treasure your family and friends. when i became the first woman speaker of the house, i said,

this is a historic moment for the congress and the ruling of the country. it's a moment for which we have waited more than 200 years. we waited through the many years of struggle to achieve our rights. women are not waiting. women are working. never losing faith. regaining the promise of america. for our daughters and granddaughters, we have broken the marble ceiling. we have made history, let us make progress for a new america. at smith, you have made history. you have made progress. now it's up to you to make progress for america. doesorld urgent it urgently needs your leadership. every aspect of our society. speaking with great certainty, i can say, nothing is more wholesome than the increase participation and leadership of

women. follow theorth and legacy of those came before you, know your purpose and your power. thank you for this honorary degree that makes me part of this extra merry class. remember, you have the classmate in the capital. come visit. the graduatingld class to protect the foundations of democracy. he also references his granddaughter who is among the 700 graduates. >> [inaudible] you, theations to entire class of 2020, and your families. like you, we wish we could be together and in person. my granddaughter is also graduating. what anys talks about incredible time she's had. the university asked me to be part of this special occasion.