After dropping out of high school at age 15 to pursue an acting job in "Degrassi: The Next Generation", 26-year-old Drake finally became a high school graduate last week.

The ceremony at Jarvis Collegiate Institute in Toronto was so important to Drake that he traded in the mic he usually used for singing to instead deliver a speech to all of the students, and spoke of his struggles to get to where he is now.

Dedicating the speech to his mom, Sandi, Drake explained why he went back to school. "I reached a point in my life where I realized that there aren't material things that can give me the excitement that I'm looking for," he said. "There's a void, there's a gap in my life that I need to fill and I needed to sit and think long and hard what that was."

The singer reportedly hired a private tutor over the summer and worked for five months to finish up his studies.

The day was extra special to his mom, Drake's biggest support system. "She's a retired teacher and always wanted me to graduate," he shared. "I think I'll sleep a little better tonight knowing that I found a way to follow through."

Watch the video of Drake's graduation speech below.

Watch Drake Graduation Speech Video



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