LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti shared a message for the high school seniors graduating this spring across Los Angeles.

In a special video created for Spectrum News 1 viewers, he congratulated the Class of 2020 and talked about the traditions that seniors missed out on due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Trust me, I know it's been painful to miss out on all of that," Garcetti said.

While it's a difficult time, the mayor said the circumstances don't take anything away from everyone's hard work.

"We cannot, we will not let this virus defer your dreams," Garcetti said. "We cannot, and we will not let it throw you off course."

Watch his full speech in the video player above and join us for a Class of 2020 virtual graduation celebration for SoCal seniors, starting at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 6 on Spectrum News 1.