Viola Davis is using her voice to inspire a new league of college graduates.

On Saturday (May 18), the EGOT winner delivered a powerful commencement address to the 2024 College of Arts and Sciences class at the University of Rhode Island. Moments before her speech, she was also recognized with an honorary Doctor of Letters from the school. 

"Call me Dr. Davis! That's right! Uhh....you can still call me "Viola" after you call me Doctor!" she said in her post on Instagram. 

"HONORED 🥹💙🙏🏿."

After receiving the honor, she delivered a stirring speech to the school's 2024 graduates.

"I stand here, and in each of you, I see the sacred, an ember. You know, that ember that when agitated, woken up becomes a glorious wild flame," she said while wearing a robe of the school's colors during the commencement address.

"And that flame is your story. It's your passion. It's your life force. That flame is you."

She continued, "You can either leave something for people, or you can leave something in people. And when you leave it in, you are planting embers, eternal flames."

"And that is a boss move!" she said which garnered cheers from the audience.