Paul McCartney handed out the Honored Friend award to Nashville resident, and singer songwriter Suzahn Fiering at the graduation ceremony at his Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts (LIPA) in Liverpool, England on July 31.

Fiering has been instrumental in hosting fundraising events for the school in the U.S., one of which was a meet-and-greet with McCartney at last year's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.

LIPA, co-founded by Macca, offers degree courses in Acting, Community Drama, Dance, Music Theatre and Entertainment Management, Music, Sound Technology, Theatre and Performance Design and Theatre and Performance Technology.

On their site they claim to "forge a new approach to performing arts training."

During the graduation ceremony, Paul spoke, giving the graduates a positive message:

"I just love to come here and see this amount of talent, this amount of hopefulness, the spirit, about to be launched into the world.

Just go out there, be wonderful and be yourself."