"It's awesome. I'm so excited!" Gwen, who is 13, said by phone Tuesday.
She is not just the only graduate this year. She is the last student enrolled for the time being at the island's one-room schoolhouse, built in 1873.
Before the actress signed on for the job, Gwen sent letters to Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey asking if they would deliver remarks.
However, word soon came down that the speaker would be Slate, who is best known for playing Mona-Lisa Saperstein in 10 episodes of the NBC sitcom. (Her character's catchphrase was "Money, please!")
"At first I was a little confused," Gwen said. "I couldn't put a name to a face. And then I looked her up, and I was like 'Oh my God! This lady's actually coming to talk to me.' I was kind of blown away."
Last year's speaker was secured by a former Social Security Administration commissioner, Michael Astrue, who lives on the island a third of the year. In January, he agreed to search for another notable name. The stakes were high, he said.
"I've sort of become the speaker-getter," Astrue said Tuesday. "It's hard because they don't pay anything. It's hard to get to, and there's only one student." The island can be reached only by boat or plane.
After some reflection, Astrue remembered he knew Slate's father, Ron Slate, a poet, and sent him an email.
Jenny Slate feels honoured to be chosen. "I felt some pressure here," she said Wednesday, "For some reason I just felt like: 'Oh my God. This is really intense. This is really important. Are you sure they want me?' "
The actress grew up in Massachusetts and shares a connection to the island. Her boyfriend, Ben Shattuck, runs the Cuttyhunk Island Writer's Residency.
In the last few days, she and the graduate have bonded over email and in person.
"It was really important to me to try to get to know her a little bit," Slate said of Gwen, "so I could say something to her that's more than a cliche" or a "directive coming from an adult who's a stranger." She added, "I wanted to try to at least be her companion a little bit in this."
The comedian has given commencement speeches before. "You want to say something worthwhile to these very, very, young adults who are going into the world," she said. "But to give a full graduation speech to one girl, one young woman, it's an honor and something I take really seriously."
Gwen, who dreams of becoming a mechanical engineer and is a big fan of pop-punk band Panic! at the Disco, is also prepping a speech of her own.
"I'm kind of talking about how I grew up here and how the years have been and everything," she said. "How my schooling has changed over the years. Just like a big thank you to everyone who's been here to support me."
The pair won't be alone, of course. This year's ceremony is expected to draw close to 100 people and will end with a community potluck.
In September, Gwen will leave the island to attend the Tilton School, a private boarding school in New Hampshire.
Slate offered some words of advice about that next chapter.
"Her confidence is something that I hope she continues to shine out with brightly," she said. "And she's really one of those rare people that you say, 'Man, I hope you really go out there and grow, but I hope essentially that you don't change. Because you are already firmly, firmly, in your own success story just by being who you are.' "
Written by: Derrick Bryson Taylor
© 2019 THE NEW YORK TIMES
