A visibly moved Jimmy Fallon showed up at senior graduation at Marjory Stoneman Douglas to be the surprise speaker this past weekend. The Tonight Show host praised the graduates, who just months ago suffered the loss of 17 fellow students and teachers in a mass shooting.
‘Keep changing the world,’ he cheered the students, saying ‘You should feel incredibly proud of yourselves. That doesn’t mean you should rest on your laurels — or your yannys.’
Though the high school presented diplomas to the families of Nicholas Dworet, Joaquin Oliver, Meadow Pollack and Carmen Schentrup, many of the families of the slain students found it too difficult to attend.
In traditional form, Fallon offered advice to the young students, saying ‘The first thing is this: when something feels hard, remember that it gets better. Choose to move forward. Don’t let anything stop you.’
Fallon also praised many of the students for mobilizing the March for Our Lives event a month after shootings.
Fallon said the event was ‘an amazing day.’
‘Thank you for your courage and your bravery,’ he said