how to write a high school graduation speech

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How to Write a High School Graduation Speech (+ Examples)

Amanda Green was born in a small town in the west of Scotland, where everyone knows everyone. I joined the Toastmasters 15 years ago, and I served in nearly every office in the club since then. I love helping others gain confidence and skills they can apply in every day life.

I was in several clubs in high school, I was the valedictorian, and I happened to be the youngest in our graduating class. Needless to say, I had to write and give more than one speech at our graduation.

Being asked to give a graduation speech in high school is a tremendous honor and responsibility. It takes a lot of preparation, from planning to writing and editing your speech.

My guide should show you how to write a graduation speech for high school, especially with the examples I’ve included. Follow the template and tips, and you’re sure to receive a standing ovation from your audience.

How Long Is a High School Graduation Speech?

how to write a high school graduation speech

The best high school graduation speeches aren’t long and boring since the ceremonies already take hours. Aim for an address that doesn’t exceed 10 minutes. Keep your audience’s attention and save some for other people’s speeches.

Your graduation speech should only be around 500 to 600 words. You have to read it slowly and articulate the words clearly. One way to keep it shorter is by removing cliches and other unnecessary content.

High School Graduation Speech Template

Essays and speeches usually have three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Here is a structure you can follow for a memorable high school graduation speech.

Introduction

Thank people for attending. Acknowledge the presence of your teachers, parents, and fellow graduates.
Introduce yourself. Not everyone in the room knows you, even if you’re the class valedictorian.
Catch the audience’s attention by sharing a motivational quote or saying. Your personal narratives and advice will later be based on this saying.
Recall memorable high school experiences. Anything is worth sharing, whether it’s a simple day in class or your debate competition.
Encourage classmates not to forget these beautiful memories.
Share helpful advice for this new chapter of their lives.
Restate the quote or saying you mentioned in the introduction.
End with a call to action that will encourage the graduates to make a difference.
Thank the audience for hearing you out.

How to Write a Graduation Speech for High School

Public speaking takes a lot of preparation. Here are some tips you should follow when writing and delivering a graduation speech for high school.

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Pick a Theme

Inspirational high school graduation speeches leave a mark on people. If you want to create one, try building it around a central message.

Think about everything you experienced in high school and look for patterns. Was high school about learning from mistakes? Or was it about achieving big dreams with small steps? Consider not only what is essential to you but also what is important for your fellow graduates.

Once you have picked a theme, selecting a quote, including advice, and recalling high school memories will be much easier. Here are some popular themes you can consider using for yours, but make sure to choose ones that are relevant to you and/or your class.

Embracing failure
Big things take time
Achieving big dreams with small steps
Facing change with grace
Overcoming adversity
Becoming a lifelong learner
Being more intentional and responsible for your future

Begin With Gratitude and a Self-Introduction

Once you step on stage, you must start with a few formalities. Know the name of the previous speakers and acknowledge their excellent speeches. Then, thank everyone in attendance, including the teachers, parents, and fellow students.

Say it’s a privilege to speak before the audience on this special day. This is also the best time to introduce yourself.

Don’t assume that everyone in the room knows who you are. State your name and why you were tasked to create the speech. Below is an example.

“Thank you, Mr. Jones, for the wonderful speech. And thank you to the parents, teachers, staff, and fellow graduates in this room who have made the past four years unforgettable. It’s a pleasure to stand in front of everyone and represent the class of 2022 at this address. I am [name], your class valedictorian.”

Make It About Everybody But You

Your graduation speech is not a mini-biography of your accomplishments. Only sprinkle a few personal anecdotes, then include what the four years of high school have been like for the other students. Below is an example.

“Four years ago, we were freshmen walking through the doors of [school name]. While some of us want to be doctors, artists, engineers, and singers in the future, we all had one goal in mind during that time: to leave a mark on the school in the next four years.”

Recall High School Memories

Tap the ceremony’s nostalgia by recalling important events from the past four years. You can include prom, school fairs, and even mundane scenarios. Include hardships, such as the sudden shift to online classes during the pandemic.

If you are a valedictorian , you should know which memories everyone treasures. Try interviewing some of your peers about their best high school memories. Below is an example.

“Every batch of graduates from [school] has a common core memory. For us, it was probably prom 2022. Instead of getting our beauty sleep the night before the dance, everyone stayed in school until 8 PM because of the last-minute changes. While that experience was full of pressure and chaos, we look back on that memory remembering teamwork and dedication.”

Share Advice

Your advice is the most crucial part of the speech. It serves as a call to action the students will follow in the future.

Make sure to keep it positive and remind everyone that anything is possible. You can also advise them to advocate for others and treat everyone equally.

Here’s an example showing what I mean.

“The future is uncertain, and the only thing we can do is be optimistic about it. We learned to stay determined in the past four years, so we can do it again throughout college or our careers.”

Incorporate Your Personality

Just because you’re speaking for the rest of the class and following an outline doesn’t mean your speech should be boring. You can still infuse your personality through humor, anecdotes , and life experiences.

You can also open your address with something funny, as long as it’s appropriate and timely. If you’re a valedictorian, self-deprecating humor will be a hit. Try adding quirky memories from classes that will immerse your audience.

Leave Your Audience Inspired

You are not at the graduation to merely receive your diploma. As a speaker, you need to leave your audience inspired on the next chapter of their lives. Encourage them to find their purpose and make a difference in the world.

Some speakers end their speeches with another quote. Here is the one I used in my high school speech, but there are tons to be found on the internet you can use that might better suit your needs.

“All our dreams can come true… if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney

Finally, thank everyone for taking the time to listen to your speech. Express gratitude toward your classmates for the memories over the last four years.

Proofread Your Work

Read your writing out loud and fix parts that don’t sound pleasing. Doing so will make your writing more powerful and precise. Look out for flowery language, excessive adjectives, and lengthy sentences.

When editing, make sure to remove cliches from your writing. These are words and phrases that have been overused in speech and writing. These include phrases like “all walks of life,” “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and “two wrongs don’t make a right.”

Try sharing more personal anecdotes and collective memories than tired pieces of advice. This will make the speech more interesting and customized for the audience. Find out what your fellow high school graduates and the rest of the audience want to hear and know, then write it concisely and effectively.

Once you’re done fixing clarity issues, it’s time to fix structural errors. Perform several edits on your speech to remove all spelling and grammar mistakes.

Practice Your High School Graduation Speech

There’s no exact formula for the perfect valedictorian or commencement speech. But if you follow my tips and examples and speak from the heart, your fellow graduates will live by your words as they go about their futures.

Remember to keep your engaging speech positive and inspiring. Recall memories from high school, then make them look forward to creating new ones in their careers or college.

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How to Write and Deliver a Memorable Graduation Speech: Tips, Examples, and Techniques

The Speaker Lab
March 7, 2024

The goal of any graduation speech is to find words that capture the essence of years spent learning and growing. Today, we’ll guide you through that process and help you craft a memorable graduation speech . You’ll learn to weave gratitude with shared experiences, and balance humor with wisdom. We’ll even help you find quotes that strike a chord and deliver them in a way that resonates.

But that’s not all! Dive into proven strategies for public speaking, managing stage fright, and drawing inspiration from iconic commencement speeches. Discover how personal growth stories add depth to your message and explore themes that leave a lasting impact on your peers as they step forward into new beginnings.

Crafting Your Graduation Speech: A Step-by-Step Guide

When it comes to marking the end of your high school or university journey, a graduation speech can capture the essence of this pivotal moment. But how do you start such an important address?

Opening with Impact

The first words of your graduation speech are crucial. They set the stage for what’s to come and grab your audience’s attention. Think about starting strong by sharing a personal anecdote that ties into the broader experience of your class or drawing from Steve Jobs’ Stanford University commencement speech , where he began with, “Today I want to tell you three stories from my life.” This technique instantly piques interest because it promises narratives that have shaped who you are.

An impactful opening also acknowledges shared experiences. Perhaps you could reflect on how moments in classrooms turned strangers into lifelong friends. Or for university commencements, consider touching upon those late-night study sessions that tested perseverance but ultimately led to academic achievements worth celebrating today.

Building the Body of Your Graduation Speech

In crafting the body content, intertwine lessons learned throughout high school years or during university courses with aspirations for what lies ahead. For instance, share how overcoming obstacles like balancing extracurricular activities and academics taught valuable time management skills.

To add depth, incorporate quotes from luminaries like Oprah Winfrey or draw parallels between classroom learnings and real-world applications. Dive deeper by discussing milestones achieved together as a graduating class and recognizing the hard work everyone put in to make it to this monumental occasion.

Concluding with Inspiration

Your conclusion should leave fellow graduates feeling inspired while helping them celebrate high school memories one last time—or honor those unforgettable college years if addressing higher education grads.

Closing remarks could include heartfelt gratitude towards teachers’ support and parental guidance. You might even crack a joke or two. It’s these personalized touches paired with universal truths that resonate most deeply as students step forward into new chapters post-graduation.

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Delivery Techniques for Confident Speaking

Standing in front of a crowd can turn even the most composed student into a bundle of nerves. But fear not, with some smart strategies, you’ll be able to channel your inner orator and deliver your graduation speech with confidence.

Practicing Your Graduation Speech

Becoming familiar with every word of your speech is key. Rehearse it out loud until the words feel like second nature. This practice does more than just help you remember what comes next; it lets you find the natural rhythm and pace of your delivery. Consider recording yourself to catch any quirks or stumbling blocks—you might be surprised at how much this helps refine your presentation.

A trick often overlooked is practicing in different environments. If possible, stand on the actual stage where you will deliver your commencement address. Familiarity breeds comfort, making that once daunting podium seem like an old friend when graduation day arrives.

Overcoming Nervousness and Stage Fright

Nervousness is normal but doesn’t let it dictate your performance. Before stepping up to speak, take deep breaths to steady yourself—a calm body encourages a calm mind. An effective method for easing anxiety is visualization. Imagine delivering each line perfectly and receiving an enthusiastic response from listeners—envisioning success can make it so.

Maintaining Eye Contact

The power of eye contact cannot be overstated. It connects speaker and listener on a personal level that amplifies engagement significantly. Scan across different sections of the audience periodically without lingering too long on any one individual.

Incorporate these techniques diligently when preparing for the big day. In doing so, they become part of muscle memory and help build confidence. With confidence and plenty of practice on your side, your graduation speech is sure to conclude to applause leaving you to celebrate yet another milestone achieved.

Analyzing Renowned Graduation Speeches for Inspiration

When crafting a commencement speech, it’s often helpful to look at the giants whose words have echoed through auditoriums and across campuses. Steve Jobs’ Stanford University Commencement Speech is a classic example of weaving life lessons into an address that connects deeply with graduates. Similarly, Oprah Winfrey’s Harvard University Commencement Address showed how stumbling blocks can become stepping stones if we learn from them.

Steve Jobs’ Storytelling Mastery

Jobs had a knack for turning personal anecdotes into universal truths. In his Stanford address, he shared three stories from his own life without sounding self-indulgent. These stories worked because each one carried a broader message relevant to every graduate: finding what you love, dealing with loss, and facing death head-on. Jobs famously urged students to “stay hungry, stay foolish,” encouraging them not just to pursue success but remain curious about life despite challenges. This advice is especially poignant for today’s graduating class.

Like Jobs, you too can craft narratives around moments that speak volumes about perseverance and passion.

Oprah’s Unflinching Honesty

Much like her television persona suggests, Oprah did not shy away from discussing her setbacks in front of Harvard’s graduating class. Instead, she confidently laid bare the challenges faced by anyone who dares greatly because failure is part of achieving greatness. As she reminded students, “It doesn’t matter how far you might rise… At some point you are bound to stumble.”

In doing so she forged an instant connection with listeners grappling with their fears about what the future holds post-graduation. It was a powerful reminder that even icons like Oprah are not immune to trials but emerge stronger through them.

The power behind these speeches lies not just in their content but also in their delivery. These speakers mastered the art of speaking confidently before crowds, maintaining eye contact, and conveying authenticity—techniques any speaker should aspire to replicate on graduation day.

Themes and Messages That Resonate with Graduates

Facing a sea of caps and gowns, the right words can turn a graduation ceremony from mundane to memorable. When crafting your commencement speech, focusing on themes like overcoming obstacles and perseverance connects deeply with graduates who have hurdled high school or college challenges.

Overcoming Obstacles

Talking about stumbling blocks is not just relatable; it’s inspirational. Think Steve Jobs at Stanford University or Oprah Winfrey at Harvard—both shared personal tales of setbacks turned into comebacks. Beyond simply telling their stories, they showed how those hurdles were stepping stones to success.

Weave your narrative around the potholes you’ve navigated during your high school years. This doesn’t mean airing every bit of dirty laundry, just highlighting that one significant moment where everything seemed against you yet failed to defeat you.

The Power of Perseverance

Perseverance is more than sticking to something—it’s pushing forward when every fiber wants to quit. It resonates because everyone, including your fellow graduates, has felt that urge to give up but chose to persevere instead.

Incorporate this theme by using vivid examples that mirror collective experiences—the all-nighters before exams or balancing sports stars ambitions with academics—to illustrate perseverance isn’t just an idea but lived reality for many students.

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Life Lessons Shared During Graduation Speeches

In addition to sharing content that fellow graduates will find relatable and inspirational, you should also consider sharing life lessons with your audience. Whether young or old, everyone has a unique perspective on life and sharing your wisdom can steer graduates toward a fulfilling path.

The Power of Kindness

Making a positive impact doesn’t require grand gestures; sometimes it’s found in small acts of kindness or an innovative idea that simplifies lives. This message sticks because everyone wants their work to mean something—to know they’ve left footprints on society’s vast canvas.

True Grit and Tenacity

Embracing failure and resilience is another powerful theme echoed by commencement speakers across podiums. Let’s face it; not all endeavors lead straight to success. But as Oprah Winfrey once said during her Harvard University commencement address, “It doesn’t matter how far you might rise… At some point, you are bound to stumble.” Her words remind us: How we pick ourselves up matters more than how we fall.

Making a Positive Impact

A graduating class stands poised on tomorrow’s threshold ready to mold history—and speeches should fuel this transformative fire within them. Memorable graduation speeches show individuals that ovation-worthy achievements are possible if you believe your actions count.

As you prepare your graduation speech, consider including one of these life lessons or one of your own. Don’t be afraid to share your hard-won insights to your fellow graduates—you just might inspire them to make history.

Celebrating Achievements and Acknowledging Contributions

Graduation is not just a ceremony. It’s a tribute to the academic achievements and extracurricular activities that have shaped students into who they are. The acknowledgment of teacher support and parental guidance also plays a pivotal role in these speeches, as they’re the scaffolding upon which student successes are built.

Academic Achievements, Extracurricular Activities

Acknowledging academic prowess goes beyond GPA scores or honor societies; it’s about highlighting unique intellectual journeys. Similarly, shining a light on extracurricular triumphs—be it sports stars setting records or artists winning competitions—adds depth to your speech. Remembering these moments isn’t merely recounting victories but celebrating the relentless spirit of your fellow graduates.

Diving deeper into personal anecdotes helps you connect with peers by reminding them of their growth through challenges faced together—from late-night study sessions to championship games. It’s these stories that make graduation memories stick with classmates long after commencement ends.

Teacher Support, Parental Guidance

The unsung heroes behind every graduate deserve their moment in your address too. Teachers’ dedication can turn classrooms into launch pads for dreams, while parents’ unwavering belief often fuels aspirations during tumultuous times like the pandemic.

In weaving tales of mentorship from teachers or wisdom imparted by parents, you remind everyone that success is rarely a solo act—it’s supported by many hands and hearts along the way. Celebrate this collective effort because each person has contributed uniquely to shaping graduating classes across America, including yours.

Common Issues in Writing and Delivering Graduation Speeches

Staring at a blank page as the clock ticks down to graduation day can rattle even the most seasoned speech writers. Overcoming writer’s block is about finding your message stick—the core idea that you want to leave with your peers. Remember, this isn’t just any talk; it’s one that marks a significant transition for both you and your audience.

Overcoming Writer’s Block

Finding yourself stumped on how to write a speech ? Don’t sweat it. Start by jotting down memories from school years or powerful life lessons that resonate. Think of Steve Jobs’ Stanford University commencement speech where he shared personal stories, which became an inspirational backbone for many other speeches.

If inspiration doesn’t strike immediately, step away from the computer. Take a walk and reflect on high school experiences or browse through commencement speeches archives—like Lin-Manuel Miranda’s address at the University of Pennsylvania. They might spark ideas you hadn’t considered yet.

Navigating Technical Troubles

A great speech can stumble over technical hiccups. To avoid glitches, check all equipment beforehand—a simple but crucial task often overlooked due to nerves or excitement about graduating class celebrations.

Prior rehearsals will also let you handle these issues like a pro should they pop up during delivery. Make sure any videos or slides complement rather than overshadow what you’re saying. After all, graduates aren’t there for bells and whistles—they’re there for meaningful words.

Handling Stage Fright

Your knees may shake thinking delivering in front of proud parents and peers—it’s no small feat, after all. Before you step on stage, visual your success until it feels more real and attainable.

And don’t forget to watch your body language. During your speech, maintain eye contact—not stare-downs—to connect genuinely with fellow students. And if anxiety creeps up despite practice sessions? Take deep breaths to steady yourself and keep going. You’ve handled high school—you can handle this.

FAQs on Writing and Delivering a Graduation Speech

What do i say in my graduation speech.

Share heartfelt stories, acknowledge support from others, and inspire your classmates to chase their dreams boldly.

How do you write a 3 minute graduation speech?

Keep it tight: hit the high notes with gratitude, shared memories, a dash of humor, and wrap up with punchy inspiration.

How do I start a graduation speech?

Kick off with thanks. Give props to family and mentors. Set the stage for reflecting on past adventures together.

What is the most important message of a graduation speech?

The core should spark hope—urge peers to leap into tomorrow equipped with lessons learned during these formative years.

Master your moment with a graduation speech that turns heads and warms hearts. Remember the power of gratitude and connect with your audience through stories, those shared adventures that bind you to your classmates. Don’t be afraid to add a few jokes and quotes to your speech either, as well as personal growth stories to inspire.

When you hit the stage, stand tall, make eye contact, and speak from your heart—the podium’s yours. If butterflies invade, breathe deep and know everyone’s rooting for you. Writer’s block didn’t stop you and neither will this.

Your graduation speech is not just words—it’s a battle cry for your graduating class as you prepare to conquer what lies ahead!

Last Updated: March 5, 2024

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How to Write a Graduation Speech (Graduation Speech Examples)

Have you been asked to deliver a commencement speech? Or have you worked your butt off to become valedictorian or salutatorian, and now you have to deliver a graduation speech? In this post, we will cover one of the more challenging types of presentation creation: How to Write a Graduation Speech . (By the way, I have also included a few popular graduation speech examples as a guide for you.)

This post is a continuation of our How to Create a Presentation series. We are going to break this post down into three parts, though. We will show you how to create a commencement speech in this post. Next week, I’ll show you how to write a valedictorian speech and how to deliver a salutatorian speech. Each of these graduation speeches has a slightly different purpose, but all of them need to be inspirational and funny.

How to Write a Commencement Speech

The commencement speech is often the keynote speech of the graduation ceremony. This presentation should be uplifting and entertaining, but this graduation speech should also teach a life lesson to the graduating students. If you do a search on YouTube of the best graduation speeches, many of these speakers will be famous comedians. When a comedian delivers a commencement speech, and the speech is posted on YouTube, it will always get a ton of views. The humor alone will make people want to watch the video. Three of the most popular of these speeches are by Conan O’Brien, Will Ferrell, and Ellen DeGeneres. The interesting thing about the speeches from these famous comedians is that, yes, they are funny, but the inspiration comes from what they learned from their failures.

“There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life life trying to push you in another direction.” Oprah Winfrey, Harvard University Commencement Speech

A Good Structure When You Write a Commencement Address

Thank the crowd.

https://www.fearlesspresentations.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/The-first-step-to-writing-a-graduation-speech

Start with Something Funny

Be Inspirational

The inspirational part of your commencement speech will come from the theme of the graduation speech . (For Sample Graduation Speech Themes , see the section below.) The easiest way to develop a theme is to look for an inspirational famous quote about success. You can do this by just going to Google and type in “success quotes”. Once you come up with a great quote, you can either paraphrase the quote and make it your own or quote the original speaker.

Tell Stories from Your Own Experience Related to Your Quote (Theme).

This the most important part of how to write a graduation speech. The stories and examples are what the audience will remember. These stories add emotion and inspiration to your graduation speech. They also help you build rapport with the audience. Finally, these stories make your delivery much easier. You don’t have to memorize a lot of material. Instead, just play the video in your head of what happened and describe the incident to the graduates.

For a great example of this, watch the YouTube video on Stanford University’s channel where Steve Jobs gives the commencement speech. I love this speech, because Jobs skips the introduction and the funny stuff and starts his speech with the following. “I’m going to tell you three stories.” It’s simple, and the crowd loves him.

End with an Inspirational Call to Action.

So as you go on to the next stage in your life and you experience failure… because you will experience failure, use that as a stepping stone to your next success. Persevere. Don’t rest on that success. Use it as a stepping stone to your next success. Persevere, and you will experience a series of successes and failures that will allow you to accomplish something great!”

Use this outline to create a simple 20 to 30 minute speech. (The shorter the better… No one gets a diploma until you finish.)

Sample Graduation Speech Themes

If you are having trouble coming up with a theme for your graduation speech, here are a few Sample Commencement Speech Themes. As you read through them, think about which them or quote has been most applicable in your career? Once you choose a graduation speech them, use the outline above to create your speech.

Hard Work Leads to Success

“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” — Coleman Cox

Create Your Own Path.

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” — Herman Melville

Make Things Happen.

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” — Henry David Thoreau

Don’t Settle for Average. Strive for Greatness.

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” –John D. Rockefeller

Don’t Wait for the Perfect Opportunity. Look for a Way to Create Your Own Opportunity.

“Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” — Chris Grosser/blockquote> The Road Ahead is Hard, But It Leads to Success. “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.” — Jim Rohn

Focus on Your Dream.

“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.” — Bruce Lee

Learn from Every Mistake to Move Toward Success.

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” — Conrad Hilton

When Your Why is Big Enough, Your How Will Appear.

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” — Jim Rohn

Happiness is the Key to Success.

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” — Albert Schweitzer

Use the Speech Creator as a Guide to How to Create a Graduation Speech

Once you have chosen a them, and you have a few stories to inspire your audience, use our Online Speech Writer to help you organize your thoughts. (It’s free.)

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Graduation Speech

Crafting the Perfect Graduation Speech: A Guide with Examples

10 min read

What is a Graduation Speech?

A graduation speech is the heart of your big day, bringing together all your experiences and achievements.

It's more than just talking – it's a way to inspire and celebrate. It's not just a tradition. This type of speech is a chance to share what you've learned and dream about the future.

Your graduation speech should include everyone – your friends, the tough times you all faced, and the good times you shared.

Elements of Graduation Speech

Creating a memorable graduation speech involves several key elements that can help you connect with your audience and make a lasting impression.

Here are the crucial elements you should consider:

All these elements make a strong and memorable speech and help make your graduation successful.

How to Write a Graduation Speech?

Writing an inspirational graduation speech that stands out isn't as daunting as it may seem.

With a structured approach and a dash of creativity, you can deliver the best special occasion speech that leaves a lasting impact on your audience.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to start a graduation speech and create an inspiring address:

Begin with a Memorable Opening

Start with an attention-grabbing quote, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question.

This sets the tone for your speech and captures your audience's interest right from the beginning.

Express Gratitude

Show appreciation to your teachers, parents, and fellow students.

Express how their support and contributions have been instrumental in your academic journey. This sets a positive and grateful tone for your speech.

Reflect on Meaningful Moments

Share personal stories and school experiences that have had a significant impact on your life and the lives of your classmates.

Use these anecdotes to connect with your audience emotionally.

Offer Words of Inspiration

Provide words of inspiration and motivation. Encourage your fellow graduates to embrace the future with confidence and courage.

Use stories or quotes to illustrate your points.

Share Practical Advice

Share life lessons and any advice you've learned during your academic journey.

Offer insights related to pursuing goals, overcoming challenges, and maintaining a positive outlook on life.

Emphasize Unity and Shared Experiences

Highlight the importance of unity and the bonds formed with your classmates.

Emphasize the strength of collective experiences and friendships that have been a significant part of your school life.

Discuss Hopes and Dreams

Talk about your hopes and dreams for the future, both for yourself and your fellow graduates. Paint a vivid picture of the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.

End with an Inspiring Conclusion

Conclude your speech with a memorable message that resonates with your audience.

Leave them with a lasting impression or a call to action that inspires them to take on the future with enthusiasm.

Graduation Speeches From Notable Figures

Notable figures, from celebrities to accomplished professionals, often deliver inspiring graduation speeches, sharing their wisdom, experiences, and advice with the graduates.

In this section, we explore some remarkable graduation speeches that have left a lasting impact on audiences worldwide.

Taylor Swift Graduation Speech

Taylor Swift, the renowned singer-songwriter, delivered an inspiring graduation speech that emphasized embracing change and authenticity.

Her words have motivated graduates worldwide, making her speech a source of valuable life lessons.

“The times I was told no or wasn’t included, wasn’t chosen, didn’t win, didn’t make the cut…looking back, it really feels like those moments were as important, if not more crucial, than the moments I was told ‘yes.’ …”

Watch complete graduation speech here:

Rory Gilmore Graduation Speech

Rory Gilmore, a beloved fictional character from the TV series "Gilmore Girls," delivered a heartwarming graduation speech that celebrated the value of hard work, ambition, and the pursuit of dreams.

Her speech remains an iconic moment in the series and a testament to the power of perseverance and ambition.

Watch her graduation speech here:

Ree Drummond - Oklahoma State University

Ree Drummond, known as "The Pioneer Woman," shared her insights and wisdom in a graduation speech delivered in 2022.

Her address offers a unique perspective on life, success, and the pursuit of dreams, making it a valuable resource for graduates seeking inspiration and guidance as they set out on their own paths.

Listen to the complete speech in this video:

Steve Jobs - 2005

Steve Jobs' iconic 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University delivered invaluable life lessons and inspiration.

His words continue to resonate with graduates and individuals worldwide, offering timeless guidance on pursuing one's passions and creating a meaningful life.

Check out his complete speech in this video:

Graduation Speech Examples for Students

Looking for inspiration for your own graduation speech? Here is a short graduation speech:

Read some more diverse graduation speech samples to spark your creativity:

Graduation Speech for Kindergarten - Example

Short Graduation Speech

Graduation Speech for Kids

Graduation Speech For Primary 6

8th Grade Graduation Speech

High School Graduation Speech

Explore a collection of inspiring graduation speeches, each offering a unique perspective on this momentous occasion.

Graduation Speech by Students - Example

Graduation Speech for Parents - Example

Graduation Speech by Teacher - Example

Graduation Speech by Principal- Example

Graduation Speech Thanking Teachers

Graduation Speech Ideas - 2023

Here are some interesting and fun graduation speech ideas.

Talk about a current school event.
Try something new like poetry or metaphors to make your speech interesting.
Tell a story about your class, for example, ‘what was the driving force of the class of 2021?’
Use quotes from famous and classic books.
Use lyrics from the class anthem.
Be inspirational and share an inspirational story.
Share a humorous experience.
Convey a memorable message.
If appropriate, add a song with meaning.
Appreciate a fellow classmate or a teacher.
Connect your speech with your 1st day at school.
Significant events that took place in the school.
A professor that made you fall in love with a major subject.
The long time you spent in the school library and how it impacted your interactions with other students.
Tell me about who inspired you the most in your life.

Graduation Speech Writing Tips

Crafting a memorable graduation speech can be a rewarding yet challenging task. Here are some essential tips to help you write an impactful and engaging speech for your big day:

Know Your Audience: Understanding your audience is crucial to tailor your speech effectively.
Start Strong: An attention-grabbing beginning sets the tone for your speech.
Tell Personal Stories: Personal anecdotes and experiences create a meaningful connection.
Inspire and Motivate: Your speech should encourage confidence about the future.
Share Practical Advice: Offering practical life advice adds value to your speech.
Embrace Humor: Appropriately used humor can engage your audience.
Be Concise: Keeping your speech at an appropriate length is essential to maintain interest.
Practice and Rehearse: Preparation ensures confidence in your delivery.
End on a High Note: A memorable conclusion leaves a lasting impression.

As you take that first step forward, congratulations on your graduation, and we wish you the best of luck in whatever comes next. We hope this graduation speech guide has given you some pointers for what to say in your speech.

If you need further help, you can avail of our assistance and get your speech before the big day.

At MyPerfectWords.com , one of the best " write my essay services ", we help new graduates make their day memorable by delivering quality speeches.

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Sample Highschool Graduation Speeches & Tips | SpeechPaths

Highschool graduation speeches: examples & writing tips.

High school graduation is one of the most important moments in life. And, if you were chosen to speak to your classmates at the graduation ceremony, you can make this day even more memorable for your peers and everyone present. If you have never written speeches before, worry no more. Read this article to find out:

how to write a memorable high school graduation speech,
how to choose a theme that resonates with your audience, and
sample speeches to get inspired to write.

Do you need a good graduation speech but have no time to write? The experts of SpeechPaths have written hundreds of student speeches and can prepare a great inspiring text for your graduation day. You will receive a 100% original graduation speech written according to your requirements. Plus, we offer unlimited free revisions until you are satisfied! Email us today to get a free quote and a 20% special student discount.

High school graduation speech example

Source: https://www.sampletemplates.com/business-templates/graduation-speech-example-template.html

Why is this a good commencement speech? Firstly, this sample speech starts with a note of gratitude for being chosen to speak in front of fellow graduates, teachers, and parents. It uses a humble and appreciative tone that draws attention.

Secondly, the speech focuses on many opportunities that every graduate has in life, encouraging those present to embark on any path they wish in life and be open to what the future holds. And finally, the speaker uses an inspirational quote by J.K. Rowling, encouraging the students to embrace failure and take risks as they open the next chapter in their lives.

You can also use that the speech uses simple sentences and has some inspiring statements, which makes it easy to comprehend for a graduating class and guests. Below, we'll talk about how to compose your graduation speech that will impress other students and ignite emotions.

More examples of graduation speeches

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRiV4KZBoIY

This speech taps into shared memories, inspires students to achieve great things in life after high school years, and also uses quotes by Shakespeare. It is motivating, yet the student also uses a bit of humor to make their speech engaging and interesting to listen to. Plus, they use pop culture references to make the speech more relatable to their friends and classmates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

Schools often invite famous people to give a commencement speech. This famous commencement speech by Steve Jobs includes some pivotal stories from his life. On this big day, he basically gives students life lessons about finding their professional passion, love, and death through engaging stories. Storytelling techniques work well in graduation speeches, so you might want to share a story or two in your speech.

How to write a powerful high school graduation speech?

Start with a hearty welcome and gratitude.

Begin your speech by showing appreciation for the opportunity to give a high school graduation speech. You may start with "Congratulations class" or use a different salutation. Greet everyone present, including your peers, teachers, parents, and friends, and thank everyone who helped you graduate and become who you are now. Let gratitude and humility be the key elements of your speech.

Pick a theme for your speech

Every professional writer will tell you that a good graduation speech always has a main theme that sets the tone and defines what to include. You may choose one central theme or briefly cover two or three. The major themes for graduation speeches are:

overcoming obstacles in life
embracing failure and learning from it
looking back to school years and shared memories
the importance of dreaming big and taking responsibility for your future
the value of friends and friendship
setting high expectations and making a difference, etc.

Follow the rules of writing ceremonial speeches

Writing ceremonial speeches isn't the same as composing essays. Your speech will benefit if you use such specific techniques as identification (your audience needs to feel that you consider their needs and they become a part of the speech) and magnification (emphasizing positive attributes of someone, for example, your classmates).

Telling a story also works great - everyone loves stories. Be sure to use vivid, imaginative language, add anecdotes, metaphors, and figures of speech. Inventive, bright speeches are more memorable and spark emotions in those present.

Look back on the journey

You've spent many years with your classmates, and you don't know if you'll ever cross paths in the future. So, use your speech to recall shared experiences. You may tell a story about a person in your class that everyone knows, share a curious anecdote about your first day in high school, or recollect the big goal you've achieved with classmates.

High school is not only for education, it's the time when you make friends, learn to overcome obstacles and understand what matters most in life, so share some elements of this journey with others.

Add inspirational quotes

Quotes by famous people work excellently on any graduation speech. A right motivational quote will inspire the audience, help convey your main message, and draw the attention of the audience. Here's an example of a quote by J.K.Rawling that you can use in your commencement speech:

"You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more than any qualification I ever earned."

Motivate and look ahead

After you have recollected things from your past in your graduation speech, it's time to look at the future with confidence and a sense of anticipation. No matter what path they choose, wish other students well in the future and express hope that they will achieve their goals and turn their dreams into reality. End on a positive note, wish your classmates luck both in college and in the big world in general, and add an inspiring call to action.

Be concise

Even if you have a lot of things to say to graduates, teachers, and parents, an overly long speech can bore the audience. Since there are several speeches during the graduation ceremony, writing a long speech is not the best idea. Try to keep your speech under 10 minutes, and the optimal word count is 800 words.

Edit the first draft

After you have completed the first draft of your graduation speech, look through it multiple times to make sure it sounds engaging, delivers your point clearly, and is free from any mistakes. Ask your friends, family, or a teacher to give you feedback. For an even better result, show it to a professional speech writer who can share in-depth suggestions on content, structure, and writing style.

Here's what to look at when revising your speech:

make sure that it meets the recommended word count and takes less than 10 minutes;
the speech should have an introduction that sets your theme and expresses gratitude, the body section that expands on your point, and an inspiring conclusion;
check the accuracy of all facts, details, and quotes you use in your speech;
make sure there is no inappropriate content, such as insults to some groups, racist jokes, or anything that can be misinterpreted;
check grammar, syntax, and word choice.

Prepare visual aids

For a truly memorable impression, consider using visual aids, such as photos or videos. You can create a slideshow using images of your class, teachers, or pictures taken at some important events (i.e. winning a contest). Use pictures of all students, and avoid including those that can embarrass someone.

With these hands-on strategies, you will write a good graduation speech that will touch the hearts of the audience and maybe even get a standing ovation. Rehearse your speech so that you don't read it from paper. And don't be afraid to share genuine emotions, as in this big day everyone will share them and relate to your words.

Get expert help with your high school graduation speech

If you have too little time or simply want your graduation speech to be perfect, you can rely on our experts. At SpeechPaths, we prepare custom speeches for any occasion, including college and high school graduation. Our speechwriter will recall the experiences from your school days and use a motivational tone to inspire your audience. Contact us today to discuss the details of your speech and get a free quote!

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10 Steps For Writing An Unforgettable Graduation Speech

Pick A Theme
Begin With Gratitude
Motivational Quotes
Get Personal
Add Your Personality
Avoid Cliches
Create A Call To Action

School is almost out, but for many students, there’s one more major task to complete before summer: graduation. Whether you’re graduating from high school or earning a college degree, a graduation ceremony is a huge milestone. And, if you’ve been asked to speak at graduation, you might be feeling the pressure right now.

Graduation speeches of all kinds date back to at least the 1600s, and though a lot has changed since then, these kinds of speeches still contain similar key elements that help make them effective, inspiring, and something every graduating student and their loved ones look forward to.

Public speaking can be nerve-racking in any setting, particularly when you know the audience is filled with people’s cousins and grandparents who are likely to remember this day forever, but fear not! We’re here to help with these 10 key steps to follow to write and deliver a truly unforgettable graduation speech.

1. Pick a theme.

If you want the audience to feel moved and inspired by your speech (Who doesn’t, right?), then it helps to build your speech around a central theme or message. Think about what’s important to you as the speaker and what you’d like others to take away from your words. Once you have a theme, it will be easier to select the quotes and anecdotes that tie back to that central idea and create a speech that leaves your audience in awe.

🎓 Here are some popular themes to consider:

Embracing failure.
Overcoming adversity.
The importance of having big dreams.
Facing change with grace.
Taking responsibility for your future.
Learning from past mistakes.
The importance of friendship.
Becoming a lifelong learner.

2. Begin with gratitude.

When you step up to the mic on graduation day, you’ll need to begin with a few formalities. First, thank the previous speakers, as well as everyone in attendance. Then, express your feelings about the privilege of being asked to address the audience on this momentous occasion. Go ahead and write this part down so you don’t forget to do it on the big day. Here are some examples:

Thank you, [name of previous speaker], and thank you, friends, family, faculty, and fellow graduates for being here today. It’s an honor to celebrate this milestone with you as your valedictorian.

Thank you, [name of previous speaker]. Graduates, loved ones, and distinguished faculty members, it is an honor to be here with you today. I’m so grateful to [name of school or university] for the privilege of being your [type of speaker].

3. Use a motivational quote.

The greatest commencement speeches typically include a motivational quote, whether it’s from a famous person, a beloved teacher, or something your grandfather taught you. The right motivational quote will tie into your theme and serve as a thesis statement for the message you hope the audience will take from your words. Consider these celebrity quotes from other powerful commencement speeches:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” — Steve Jobs , Stanford University, 2005

“You must lead. You’re never too young to lead. You’re never too old to lead. We need your leadership now more than ever before.” — John Lewis , Harvard, 2018

“The day you graduate, you do not arrive. This is not the end. This is the beginning for you. To graduate is to change gradually.” — Rita Moreno , Northeastern Illinois University, 2015

“Ultimately, your life is made up of moments. So don’t miss them by being lost in the past or anticipating the future.” — Jessica Lange , Sarah Lawrence College, 2008

“You are full of complexities and wonders that haven’t even begun to surface. Life’s unpredictability will draw these out and what defines you now will be mere shades and hues of a more vibrant you over the next five, 10, 50 years. Honestly, I can’t think of anything more liberating than that, knowing that life will look differently than you think it will.” — Octavia Spencer , Kent State University, 2017

4. Get personal.

When Conan O’Brien delivered the commencement speech at Dartmouth University in 2011, he talked about being fired from his dream job and what that failure taught him. Some lauded it as one of the best graduation speeches of all time.

Sharing personal anecdotes, even ones that mention failures or humiliations, is a powerful way to connect with your audience and drive your message home in a personal way. When writing your speech, draw on your experiences as a student and be clear about how those experiences shaped and prepared you for what lies ahead.

Learn how to a sensational graduation card here.

5. Infuse your personality.

Graduation speeches may follow a formula, but that doesn’t mean they need to be boring! Use your personal sense of humor, unique story, and life experiences to give the speech character and charm. What does this look like in action?

In 2016, author John Green brought levity to his commencement speech when shared with the graduating class at Kenyon College that the best life advice he ever got was, “You’re a good kid, but you need to learn when to stop talking.”

At the University of Virginia in 2016, late night host Stephen Colbert joked that people should leave their cell phones on because “I wouldn’t want you to miss a text or a tweet while I’m giving my speech.”

You may not be a famous comedian or author, but being uniquely yourself can help your speech shine.

6. Reflect, then look ahead.

You and the rest of your graduating class are sharing a major life milestone, and you’ve all worked hard to get to this point. What has life been like during your years in school? What experiences have you shared, and how have those shaped you as people moving forward into the next phase of your life?

In your speech, include real-life examples of the things you’ve faced in your time as students. Put those events in context in your life, and remind your audience that you have all learned so much more than just what was on the course syllabi.

7. Avoid clichés

The tricky part of writing a graduation speech is being inspiring without resorting to clichés. If you use personal anecdotes and weave personality into your speech, it’s unlikely that you’ll fall back on tired, overused statements. But, sometimes they still sneak in. If that’s the case, try to swap them out with a fresher take.

Here are some ideas:

Instead of talking about the “real world” as a future destination, talk about how you already live there and you’re ready for whatever life throws at you.
Instead of defining a typical graduation word (like courage or future ), talk about the words that come to mind when you think about school and what they mean to you.
Instead of talking about what you’re “leaving behind,” talk about what lessons and people you’re taking with you.

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8. Create a call to action.

Graduation speeches serve two important purposes: celebrating everything that came before graduation day and building excitement for everything that will come after it. The easiest way to leave people inspired is to include a call to action. This doesn’t mean providing strict instructions for some task they must complete. Think of it more as broad instructions for how to meet the challenges ahead.

Your call to action should restate the theme of your speech and give the audience a clear takeaway message to carry with them. Need some examples? We have a few:

“Whatever you want to do, do it now. For life is time, and time is all there is.” — Gloria Steinem , Tufts University, 1987

“Let excellence be your brand.” — Oprah Winfrey , Spelman College, 2012

“Fight for the job you want, fight for the people who mean the most to you and fight for the kind of world you want to live in.” — Elizabeth Warren , Suffolk University, 2016

9. Keep it brief.

While you surely have a lot of great things to say, no one wants to sit through a 12-page speech. Graduation ceremonies are already long, and the audience is usually asked to listen to multiple speeches. Keep this in mind, and say what you’d like to say in the briefest way possible. Aim for a speech that falls between 500 and 750 words, and time yourself to make sure you don’t exceed 10 minutes during delivery.

10. Practice, practice, practice.

The only way to ensure your speech flows, makes sense, and holds people’s attention is to practice reading it out loud. Practice by yourself in front of a mirror, being careful to notice and edit any places where you trip over words or have awkward pauses. Once you’ve perfected the solo read-aloud, ask a parent or friend to serve as an audience. This will help you test out your jokes and polish your anecdotes based on their reactions. By graduation day, you’ll be ready to take to the stage like a pro.

Need more inspiration? These graduation quotes should do the trick.

Ways To Say

Synonym of the day

How to Write a Memorable Graduation Speech

by Sue Weems | 0 comments

If you're lucky enough to be asked to speak at a commencement ceremony, at any level, you know the pressure of writing a memorable speech with broad appeal that fits within the time constraints. But how to write a graduation speech that doesn't bore, drag, or flop? Here's a secret: use your storytelling skills to write a great graduation speech.

As a teacher, I have probably heard close to a hundred commencement speeches—those five to twenty minute addresses full of life lessons, inspirational quotes and if we're lucky, funny stories. But more often than not, they fall pieced together clichés and motivational quotes. Forgettable.

The secret to writing a memorable graduation speech? Storytelling. Today let's look at how to use storytelling to write a memorable graduation speech.

A Speech to Remember

Out of all those school graduation speeches I've heard, I can honestly say I only remember one or two. One in particular always leaps to my mind.

A few years ago, a high school senior who had been selected by his peers as a graduation speaker told a story about playing a game with a childhood friend—a game where they pretended to be construction workers. A game they called “builders.”

He recounted their exploits in the sand box: moving dirt, building small stick structures, and working together to make something new. We laughed at his vivid imagery, each remembering our own toy trucks and shovels and play.

He shifted from that childhood game to the class memories they had built together as students through the years, continuing to develop the theme of building a life.

And then he revealed that his childhood friend—his fellow builder—should have been sitting with their graduating class that day. He'd died in an accident a year before. The speaker closed with a challenge to his fellow students to remember their peer and to be builders—people who create things that outlast them.

The entire stadium went wild as the student graduation speech ended. I couldn't stop the tears flowing down my cheeks. When I saw the student speaker later, I thanked him for his speech, for sharing his love for his friend, for his story that struck such a hopeful note.

It reminded me that human experience is best related not in quippy inspirational quotes strung together, but in stories. If you're asked to be a commencement speaker, here are a few storytelling principles that will help you write a great graduation speech.

5 Steps to Write a Memorable Graduation Speech

1. consider the occasion and audience.

A speech for an elementary promotion ceremony has a much different focus and audience than one for a post-graduate ceremony. Just like when you write a story, take time to think about the target audience.

Who are they? What are they celebrating? How can you meet their expectations for the day and commemorate them in a special way?

When my student gave his speech about his builder friend, he knew he was speaking to his peers, but he had an awareness that their families and teachers were also present.

2. Choose a story

Here's where most speeches go wrong: they don't ground the remarks in a story. Sure, a lot of speeches rely on favorite quotes, but those are easily forgettable. Stories are how the human brain makes sense of the world; we're hardwired to remember stories.

Dig into your personal experiences, school memories, or other life experience. Usually, you want a true story, a personal story for this kind of speech.

How do you choose?

When I help students with speeches or any kind of personal narrative writing, I always ask them to make a list of moments where they made a choice that changed their lives for better or worse.

If you can't think of one, consider a time you watched first-hand as someone else made a significant choice and what it taught you.

A story depends on a goal and a tough choice (remember dilemma ?)—that's what creates the significance. But you'll also want to choose a story that will emotionally connect with the audience.

What story can you tell using vivid images that left you changed or taught you something valuable that would resonate with this audience? That's the story to choose.

3. Build a structure and tell the story

Once you know the story you want to tell, use what you know about premise to structure and tell the story first and then build out the rest of the speech around it.

A premise outlines a character with a goal who meets conflict and has to act until they reach a crisis point and must make a tough decision creating a resolution.

The length of the story will depend on the time constraints, but you won't be able to delve deeply into backstory or give a prologue. You're going to have to set the scene quickly and get the story in motion.

An example: I once gave a speech to a group of students (and their families) who were being honored for their resilience and hard work. Most had found themselves with failing grades and low confidence at one point in the year, but with their hard work and the help of their families and teachers, they had turned it around. I told the story of a time my daughter was in middle school taking a challenging math class. We would sit at the kitchen table while she insisted she couldn't do the work, it was too hard, etc. It went on for a couple weeks, and we were both so frustrated. I realized I had a choice: I needed to remind her that this was her challenge and that SHE had a couple of different routes (or choices) to solve it. She could drop the class. She could spend all year crying at the table, slogging through the work and pass it somehow. Or, she could remember that anytime something is new, it's hard, and she could do her best, knowing it would get easier with time—just like riding her bike.

Once I had told the story, I connected it to their experience. I congratulated them on learning so early that they could do far more than they first believed and that hard work and practice makes new tasks easier.

At the end, I told them I hoped they would remember this moment of recognition the next time they thought something was hard.

Once you know the story you want to tell your audience, build a simple intro to connect it to their experience. After the story, draw out the insight and connect to the event (in this case, their graduation).

4. Lean into theme

The student who gave the memorable builder speech I shared above leaned into a key theme : building something that lasts. It was the point of his story and he used it as an illustration across different ages to show how the childhood lessons they learned had staying power.

You can choose a common theme , but know that your story will make the application unique. Also, don't feel like you have to state the theme over and over. If the story and insight are strong, stating the theme once might be enough.

5. Revise to get clear and concise

To revise a speech, I look at two things: the time it takes to deliver and the clarity of the story. I always try to err on the side of speaking for LESS time than I am allotted. This gives space in the speech for audience reaction.

I typically write speeches out in short chunks of text, and I go through and group them:

connection or insight
call to action and close

Then, look at every sentence and get brutal with the cuts. Where have I spent too much time describing something? Where have I fallen into unnecessary details? Which sentences are not needed?

I look at verbs and sentence length too, making sure that the sentences read aloud in a natural and even musical way. Try to vary sentence length and choose the most precise, coherent language.

Run through the speech a few times aloud, noting where you have to stop and reread to revise.

A speech doesn't have to be perfect to meet the audience where they are and show both respect for the moment and joy in the celebration.

Writing a graduation speech that inspires and remains with the audience long after the event doesn't have to be a daunting task. Use these storytelling tips to write and deliver a great speech on that special day.

Have you ever heard a graduation speech that stayed with you? What did the speaker say that was especially memorable? Share your best tips in the comments.

For today's practice, write a graduation speech. It might be for a real graduation, or you could also use it as a way to develop a character for a work in progress, since their voice and backstory will be different from your own.

Set the timer for fifteen minutes . Write the speech and then share a draft in the Pro Practice Workshop , offering feedback to a few others writers.

Sue Weems is a writer, teacher, and traveler with an advanced degree in (mostly fictional) revenge. When she’s not rationalizing her love for parentheses (and dramatic asides), she follows a sailor around the globe with their four children, two dogs, and an impossibly tall stack of books to read. You can read more of her writing tips on her website .

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High School Graduation Speech Samples

Kelly has more than 12 years experience as a professional writer and editor.

Learn about our Editorial Policy .

Writing a speech for a high school graduation is a big responsibility, and the task can be a little intimidating. With a few tips and some sample graduation speeches to look at, you could quickly be on your way to writing a very engaging speech of your own.

Sample Speeches for High School Graduation

The following speeches are samples meant to help inspire your own creativity. You can click to download them and edit for your own use. If you like the style or sentiment of a particular speech, think of how it applies to your own high school experience, and use that as the basis for an original speech of your own. If you have any trouble downloading, please review the troubleshooting guide .

Graduation Mottos & Slogans to Celebrate Your Class
7 Senior Bio Examples to Help You Craft Your Own
Graduation Announcement Wording Examples & Ideas

Sample One: How We'll Measure These Years

The first sample is a speech that talks about how things have changed over the high school years.

Sample Two: The Future Is in Our Hands

The second example focuses more on what the future holds for a high school graduate.

Sample Three: A Debt of Gratitude

The third sample is about giving thanks and recognizing those who have helped everyone successfully graduate from high school.

Sample Four: Inspirational Moments for Life

This last sample speech is an inspirational high school graduation speech that asks each student to look back on some of the moments from high school that will inspire them forever.

Example of a Humorous Valedictorian Speech

The following video offers a great example of a graduation speech that really speaks to the graduates while being humorous, appropriate and entertaining. If you have a natural gift for humor, a funny speech like this will be remembered long after other graduation memories have begun to fade.

Tips for Writing a Graduation Speech

Whether you're writing a speech for your homeschool graduation, as the class Valedictorian, or a graduation thank you speech , there are a few tips for speech writing that can make your talk meaningful and memorable.

Know Your Audience

Even though parents, faculty, and members of the community will be on hand, the focus of your speech should be your classmates. Speak to them!

Grab Their Attention

A good speech grabs the audience's attention and never lets that attention go. Start off with an attention grabbing question, or make a strong statement that provokes curiosity about where the speech is going. Don't be afraid to use humor in your speech. Having a theme for the speech is also helpful.

Tell Stories

Don't just read your speech. Tell your speech by interspersing emotional stories that tug at the heartstrings or inspire positive actions for the future. You might even want to include an original poem to help express your feelings.

Include Everyone

Don't just speak to the academic achievers, the sports stars, or the popular crowd. Your topic should be all inclusive of your graduating class.

Keep It Short, But Not Too Short

Knowing how long a high school graduation speech should be is important before you start writing. Student speeches at high school graduations are generally between five and 10 minutes long, but closer to five is ideal.

End With a Memorable Message

High school graduation speeches by students and special guests often end with a memorable, and actionable sentence that encourages the audience to do something great. It is customary to end by saying "Thank you" in your graduation speech , which you can do after your memorable one-liner.

Don't Wear Out Your Welcome

A really great commencement speech is enjoyed, not simply endured. Put some serious thought into your speech, say something meaningful, and stick to your topic so your message doesn't get lost. Above all, don't talk too long. Remember that everyone wants to receive their diplomas, shed those caps and gowns , and get on with the celebration.

A-Z Guide on Writing a Breathtaking Graduation Speech

Hrideep barot.

Public Speaking , Speech Topics , Speech Writing

A graduation speech is delivered with the intent to honour past successes and failures, as well as future hopes. The style of this type of speech should be brief and entertaining.

A graduation speech or a graduation address is delivered by a graduating student from high school, college or university. A student speaker may talk in place of or in cooperation with a prominent outside figure. Student commencement speakers are frequently valedictorians or are otherwise elected to represent the student body by their peers.

It is quite a difficult job to speak confidently in front of a large crowd, especially on such an important event, like graduation day. However, if you want to become an effective speaker in from of your peers, you have selected the right article. So, READ ON.

Major constituents of a graduation speech

The primary components of crafting an effective graduation speech are to express gratitude for the opportunities and successes received, as well as future expectations.

Make sure that the speech stays on schedule. It should not exceed the set time duration which could cause boredom and exasperation amongst the audience.

“Be truthful, be brief, be seated” Franklin D. Roosevelt

2. Short and sweet

Avoid boring your audience by giving a lengthy and monotonous speech. It should be to the point and contain relevant incidents.

“Always be shorter than anyone dared to hope!” Lord Reading

3. Memories

A graduation speech should be a blend of laughter, tears and triumphs.

4. Achievements

Highlight your achievements while also jokingly mentioning your failures.

Include achievements in a graduation speech

5. Reflection

Consider current events which provide an opportunity to express your serious viewpoints to an adult.

6. The Aftermath

Acquired abilities and skills that will help you succeed in the future.

What to say in a graduation speech?

A graduation speech has a standard outline that a speaker must follow to become an effective orator in front of their peers and teachers. It is not necessary to adhere to all the steps, however, the speaker could modify the outline as per his or her style.

1. Start by expressing gratitude

When you are invited to the podium for delivering your speech, always remember to commence it by giving a note of gratitude to the previous speaker who introduced you, for the introduction as well as for the work they perform at the school or university.

2. Make an introduction

Do not take it for granted that everyone in the audience knows you. Hence, it is significant to introduce yourself briefly to the audience and inform them of the purpose of you giving the speech. However, usually, the host or the anchor introduces you before inviting you to speak. In this case, you can ignore introducing yourself again.

3. Remember the beautiful memories

The whole purpose of a graduation speech is to recall and reminisce the memories which you have created in your school or university days. Hence, you should create an atmosphere that forces your peers to remember the good times they have spent with each other and they cherish them forever.

For example,

Memorable event in which you all participated together
Your discussions about the teachers who supported you
The mischievous actions and punishments during your time in the institution
Your actions to fulfil your ambitions
The joyful and sorrowful moments with your friends

4. Encourage your peers to action

Inspire your classmates to take action as well as encourage them by sharing your experiences to step up and go change the world. Demonstrate how, as a result, it relates to your class’s educational experiences. This will make a chance of creating a strong bond between you and your peers and make them enthusiastic about the future. You should also tell your peers that they have the skills and abilities that are required to be successful in the future with an optimistic tone.

5. End the speech

The last important aspect of a graduation speech is to thank the audience for their valuable time. On the other hand, in the end, you should also thank your classmates or peers for the wonderful memories you had created with them.

Go through this article for more useful insights: Your guide to writing the perfect valedictorian speech with sample speech

How to start a graduating speech?

The opening statement of your graduation speech offers the audience a decent indication of the whole content of your speech. Consequently, it is significant to choose a memorable opening for your speech which could be useful in conveying your message. Some beneficial and effective ways to start your graduating speech are:

1. Ask rhetorical questions

A rhetorical question is a figure of speech or literary device which is posed to create an emphasis or potency without anticipating a response or answer. Though, it is sometimes possible for the questioner to state the answer immediately. Moreover, t is used to convince the audience and determine the way they perceive a particular subject.

For example,

What if I didn’t like high school or college?
Where would life take me?
What kind of person would I be in 5, 10, or 15 years?

2. Begin with a story

As I have stated, any speech should include stories and experiences. Furthermore, it is a better way to incorporate them into your speech right at the start. Stories will hook your audience from the start, increasing the likelihood that they will stay with you until the finish.

For instance, in Grade 12, one of my classmates pranked me by connecting my computer to the projector…

Several other examples include:

Describe a strong relationship
Narrate a lousy experience
Talk about the notorious activities

3. Make Use Of Objects

Another excellent technique to begin your speech is by using certain objects or props. They are alluring, and when used appropriately, they can tell your audience a whole tale. However, one thing to bear in mind when employing props is that they must be related to the issue at hand. Do not merely use a prop because it is present but not required.

Several examples of props are:

A yearbook from school or college
Photographs
An account of a well-known school incident
A meal to remember

Read this article for more useful insights: 10 of the best things to say in opening remarks

How to end a graduating speech?

As your closing words have a lasting impact, hence, you must leave an impression on the audience. The conclusion of your speech is your last chance to restate the main point, excite the audience, encourage a group to act, shift someone’s perspective, or leave a lasting impression.

The audience tends to remember what a speaker just said due to the “Recency effect” in learning. As a result, the ending of your speech makes the audience aware that it is approaching the end, aiding them in recalling the main elements of the entire issue.

1. Restate the central idea

To begin with, it is important to restate the major point of your speech at the starting of your conclusion. You should make it unique and interesting for the listeners. Moreover, you do not give them the impression that you’re just doing it again.

2. Encapsulate the points

In the conclusion, it is always a good idea to summarise the main points. Instead of simply repeating the points, you should explain to the audience how those points strengthened your assertion or statement. In addition, draw them all into an exceptional force to support your main idea.

3. End by creating an impact

Your conclusion should be such that it makes the audience happy and contented as well as inquisitive to hear more. Consider ending on a captivating note when writing your conclusion. You might end your speech with a rhetorical question, a quotation or a noteworthy statement or phrase. Connecting your main point to a more detailed situation is another way to give your audience a good ending. Also, keep in mind that the last sentence of your speech requires extra effort.

Go through this article for more information: 10 of the best things to say in closing remarks

Themes for a graduation speech

Sometimes, it becomes an arduous job to select or choose a topic for the speech. Nevertheless, the following are a few ideas for a graduation speech which would help in attracting the audience and impressing them.

1. Events of school/college

Investing several years in an institution creates a strong relationship between the student and the organisation. You can take this time to reflect on earlier events at school, such as a win over a competitor, a minor accident in one of the scientific laboratories, or a prank on a senior or junior. It will undoubtedly be a hit with the students.

2. Step up from unconventional methods

Break out from the standard format of a graduation speech. Attempt employing distinctive methods and metaphors in your speech, or experiment with spoken word poetry. Some other unconventional methods could also include singing a few lines, narrating a story, doing mimicry etc.

3. Storytelling

We are always open to hearing new and fascinating stories. What distinguishes your experience from others? What have you learned from it? You can convey it to the audience for their constant attention.

4. Showing gratitude

Use the opportunity to give the graduation address to express your gratitude to your peers, friends, parents and teachers in the audience who helped and supported you and made your graduation possible.

5. Setting high goals

“If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough” Anonymous

Choosing this topic for your graduation speech is a good idea to keep reminding yourself of your goals and dreams as you prepare to enter a crucial new period of your life. Moreover, you can also discuss your inspiration for dreaming big, such as a teacher, a book you read, a movie you saw, or a life turning point.

Examples of graduation speeches

Some speeches are good however some are excellent. Let’s take a look at some of the excellent graduation speeches by students and also by some famous personalities at the graduation ceremonies.

1. Chase Dahl

Chase Dahl was the student speaker at the Weber High School graduation for the class of 2015.

Takeaway – This speech is a perfect example of blending confidence, humour, and motivation in a graduation speech. Furthermore, the way of its delivery should be noted.

2. Henry Goddard

Henry Goddard delivered his valedictorian speech at the Prince Edward Collegiate Institute in 2010.

Takeaway – This speech summed up the speaker’s high school experiences in a great way using humour , wherever required, as well as ending it on an inspiring note.

3. Kyle Martin

Kyle Martin delivered his valedictorian speech at The King’s Academy in 2019.

Takeaway – This speech is an excellent example of organising your graduation speech around a key theme which makes it more enticing and eye-catching. In addition, it allows you to choose and organise your own speech.

How long should be the graduation speech?

A graduation speech ought to be concise so that they do not become monotonous and boring for the audience. Furthermore, it should cover only the relevant points related to the theme or subject matter with brief examples.

A graduation speech delivered by a student, like a valedictorian, should not last more than 5 – 12 minutes . Consequently, the speech should contain 600 – 1450 words .

On the other hand, a graduation speech delivered by the principal or a guest, such as a famous personality, should not be of more than 15 – 20 minutes. Consequently, it should contain 1800 – 2400 words .

Sample Graduation Speech

My fellow graduates and friends, it is an honor to speak to all of you today. We’ve just been here for (number) years and it’s already time to depart. How did everything happen so quickly? Many individuals believe that today is the first day of our journey. I don’t agree. It all started a long time ago. Today happens to be the day when the road we’ve been on breaks into (number of students) different roads. Until now, we’ve been a team that has walked as one. We’ve done everything, and we’ve done everything together. Many of us have been members of our school system since kindergarten, thirteen years ago, and I’d want to take us all back to (date). This was our first day of school and the start of our adventure. Parents and grandparents escorted us to the bus stop, where we took over a thousand photographs. We are now at the point where four highways are merging into one, and four schools are merging into one. Middle School -- I believe I can speak for all of us when I say that these were the most awkward three years of our lives. I’m sure every student had the same idea when we stepped into freshman orientation “Oh my goodness! Those lockers are monstrous!” In the end, we didn’t use them at all. And now, we have arrived. Everyone should be proud of their accomplishments. These past few years have been nothing short of a triumph. However, it was not a simple task. Take a peek at the previous year. Because of a record-breaking snowstorm that made February break last forever, and not to mention Covid 19, I honestly didn’t believe we’d graduate this year. We’ve arrived. It was a success! Our guidance through high school was the tradition of adulthood. As a result of our journey, we have arrived at today, (date). This is the point in our journey where we take a break to rest and reflect on everything we’ve accomplished. What we’ve accomplished together over the last few years is simply amazing. We stayed together and matured together, and I couldn’t have asked for a better class to be in. I believe in each and every one of you, that no matter which path you pick, you will make it your own and achieve your goals. As I look out at all of you, I know I’ll be measuring my time here in a different way. I’ll gauge it by the friendships I’ve developed over the last four years. Some were casual, while others were more intimate, but I’ll remember them all warmly, as I’m sure you will. And as many of our high school memories fade, that’ll be how we’ll remember our time here, not in terms of periods, semesters, or years, but in terms of the friendships we formed and the moments we spent together. Congratulations to my classmates from the class of (year). May we always be friends when we meet again, no matter where we go or what we do.

Final words

A graduation speech delivered by a student is only a one time opportunity. Hence, it is important to take this chance worthwhile and become an effective public speaker. Consequently, it is significant to deliver the graduation speech in such a way that it does not look monotonous and boring to the audience. Moreover, it should grab the audience’s attention and should be thought-provoking and inspirational.

In addition, the selection of the speech topic should be done meticulously. It is the theme that either makes or breaks the impression of the speaker. Furthermore, a graduation speech should be a blend of humour and intellectuality in which past experiences and future hopes are discussed.

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Crafting a Memorable High School Graduation Speech

As a recent high school graduate myself, I know the pressure of having to give a memorable graduation speech. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leave your mark on your peers and inspire them for the future. However, it can be overwhelming to know where to start and how to craft a speech that will truly resonate with your audience.

In this section, we will explore some graduation speech ideas and discuss the importance of creating a well-crafted speech that will leave a lasting impact on your audience.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways:

Writing a graduation speech is an opportunity to inspire and motivate your peers for the future.
Brainstorming ideas and outlining your speech is a crucial first step in crafting a memorable speech.
Don’t be afraid to inject humor and wit into your speech to engage your audience.

Understanding the Purpose of a High School Graduation Speech

Ah, the graduation speech. A rite of passage for every high school senior. But do you really understand the purpose of this speech? As someone who recently went through the process of writing and delivering a graduation speech myself, allow me to shed some light.

First and foremost, a graduation speech is an opportunity to reflect on your high school experience and share your thoughts and feelings with your peers. It’s a chance to celebrate your achievements, express gratitude to those who have helped you along the way, and inspire your classmates as you all embark on the next chapter of your lives.

But let’s be real – not all graduation speeches are created equal. Some are forgettable, while others are downright cringe-worthy. So, how can you ensure that your speech stands out from the crowd and leaves a memorable impression on your audience? Here are a few tips on how to write a graduation speech that will be remembered for years to come.

Memorable Graduation Speeches

Start strong: Your opening line can set the tone for your entire speech. Consider starting with a thought-provoking question, a humorous anecdote, or a powerful quote.
Be authentic: Your classmates want to hear from the real you, not a watered-down version of yourself. Be vulnerable, share personal stories, and speak from the heart.
Keep it concise: While it may be tempting to ramble on, remember that your audience has a limited attention span. Aim for a speech that is no longer than 5-7 minutes.
Use humor wisely: A well-timed joke can lighten the mood and make your speech more engaging. However, be careful not to overdo it or use inappropriate humor.
End on a high note: Your final words should leave a lasting impact on your audience. Consider ending with a call to action, a memorable quote, or a heartfelt thank you.

By following these tips, you can craft a graduation speech that not only entertains and inspires, but also reflects the unique qualities that make you who you are. So go forth, graduates, and deliver a speech that will be remembered for years to come.

Adding Humor and Wit to Your Graduation Speech

Let’s face it, high school graduation speeches can be dull affairs. Long-winded speeches that drone on and on about the future and following your dreams can cause your audience to nod off. So, how can you keep your peers engaged? By adding humor and wit, of course!

Injecting some laughs into your speech can help break up the monotony and keep your audience focused. But how do you do it, you may be asking yourself?

As you can see from the graduation speech example above, self-deprecating humor can be a great way to engage your audience. Poke fun at yourself and some of the silly things that happened throughout high school. Just be sure not to offend anyone or make jokes that are inappropriate.

Another way to add some humor to your speech is to include some funny anecdotes or stories. Recall a funny moment from a class or an event that happened during your time in high school. It’s always great to reminisce with your peers and share a laugh.

Whatever humor you decide to add to your speech, make sure it ties into your overall message. You don’t want to come off as just trying to be funny for the sake of it. Your speech should have a purpose and the humor should enhance it.

So go ahead and start brainstorming some ideas for your graduation speech that will have your peers rolling in the aisles. Remember, a little humor can go a long way!

Inspiring and Motivating Your Audience

As I prepared for my high school graduation speech , I knew that I wanted to inspire and motivate my peers. After all, this was a significant milestone in our lives, and it was essential to leave a lasting impact on everyone in attendance.

When choosing a graduation speech topic, I considered the various challenges that we had faced throughout our high school journey. I wanted to create a speech that not only acknowledged those challenges but also provided hope and inspiration for the future.

One idea that I found particularly effective was discussing the power of perseverance. I shared stories of individuals who had faced setbacks and failures, yet continued to push forward towards their goals. I reminded my peers that setbacks are a natural part of life, and that it’s essential to learn from them and grow stronger.

Another topic that I explored was the impact that we could make in the world. I reminded my peers that we had the power to create positive change, no matter how small. I encouraged them to think beyond their high school years and to consider how they could contribute to the world in meaningful ways.

Ultimately, the key to crafting an inspirational graduation speech is to speak from the heart. Share your personal experiences and lessons learned, and connect with your audience on an emotional level. By doing so, you can create a speech that inspires, motivates, and leaves a lasting impact on your peers.

Delivering an Impactful Graduation Speech

As I mentioned earlier, delivering a graduation speech is not an easy feat. It takes a lot of courage, practice, and perfect delivery to ensure your message resonates with your peers. Here are some tips that can help.

Practice Makes Perfect

As with any public speaking event, practice is crucial. Practice your speech repeatedly, in front of a mirror, to friends, or family. This will help you get used to the rhythm, pacing, and intonation of your speech. It will also help you identify any awkward pauses, or phrases that need to be reworked.

Show Confidence on Stage

Even if you’re feeling nervous, it’s important to show confidence on stage. Stand tall and make eye contact with your audience as you speak. Speak slowly and with authority, to ensure your message comes across loud and clear. Remember, you’re the expert in your speech, and your peers are excited to hear what you have to say.

Inject Emotion and Passion into Your Speech

To ensure that your speech has an impact, it’s important to inject emotion and passion into your words. Speak from the heart, and use your own experiences to inspire and motivate your peers. Talk about the challenges you’ve faced, and how you overcame them. This will help your peers relate to you on a personal level.

Engage Your Audience

No one likes to sit through a boring speech. To keep your audience engaged, try to create a connection with them from the start. Open with a joke, a personal anecdote, or share a fun fact that will get your audience’s attention. You can also try to ask your audience a question, or get them to participate in a small activity. This will help them feel included in your speech, and keep them invested in what you have to say.

End with a Bang

Your closing remarks are just as crucial as your opening remarks. End your speech with a strong and memorable message that will leave a lasting impression on your audience. You can use a quote, a personal story, or any other inspiring message that sums up the theme of your speech.

Remember, delivering a graduation speech is a privilege, not a chore. Embrace the opportunity to inspire and motivate your peers, and use these tips to ensure your speech makes a lasting impact.

Q: What is the importance of a well-crafted high school graduation speech?

A: A well-crafted graduation speech is important because it allows you to leave a lasting impression on your peers and provides an opportunity to reflect on your high school journey and inspire others.

Q: How can I write a graduation speech that resonates with my peers?

A: To write a graduation speech that resonates with your peers, it’s important to share personal anecdotes, speak from the heart, and address common experiences and emotions that your classmates can relate to.

Q: Can you provide examples of memorable graduation speeches?

A: Some memorable graduation speeches include Steve Jobs’ Stanford University commencement speech and Oprah Winfrey’s USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism commencement speech. These speeches are known for their authenticity and powerful messages.

Q: How can I add humor and wit to my graduation speech?

A: Adding humor and wit to your graduation speech can be done through funny anecdotes, clever wordplay, and relatable jokes. It’s important to strike a balance between humor and sincerity to keep your audience engaged.

Q: What are some tips for inspiring and motivating my audience through my graduation speech?

A: To inspire and motivate your audience, choose speech topics that resonate with your peers and address their hopes, dreams, and challenges. Use powerful storytelling techniques and offer practical advice to create an impactful speech.

Q: How can I deliver an impactful graduation speech?

A: To deliver an impactful graduation speech, practice your speech multiple times, use confident body language, project your voice, and maintain eye contact with your audience. It’s also important to speak with passion and enthusiasm to captivate your listeners.

How to Write a Graduation Speech as Valedictorian

A good valedictory speech takes preparation and practice

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The valedictory speech is a staple of graduation ceremonies. It is usually delivered by the valedictorian (the student with the highest grades in the graduating class), although some colleges and high schools have abandoned the practice of naming a valedictorian. The terms "valedictory" and "valedictorian" come from the Latin valedicere , meaning a formal farewell, and this is core to what a valedictory speech should be.

Understand the Goal

The valedictorian speech should fulfill two goals: It should convey a "sending off" message to the members of a graduating class, and it should inspire them to leave school ready to embark on an exciting new adventure. You likely have been chosen to deliver this speech because you've proven you are an excellent student who can live up to adult responsibilities. Now it's time to make every student in your class feel special.

As you prepare your speech , think about your shared experiences with the class and the people with whom you shared them. This should include popular and quiet students, class clowns and brains, teachers, principals, professors, deans, and other school employees. It's important to make everyone feel as if they played an important role in this shared experience.

If you have limited experience in certain aspects of school life, ask for help in collecting important names and events you might not know about. Are there clubs or teams that won prizes? Students who volunteered in the community?

Compile a List of Highlights

Make a list of highlights of your time in school, putting more emphasis on the current year. Start with these brainstorming questions:

Who received awards or scholarships?
Were any sports records broken?
Is a teacher retiring after this year?
Did your class have a reputation with teachers , good or bad?
How many students remain from freshman year?
Was there a dramatic event in the world this year?
Was there a dramatic event at your school?
Was there a funny moment everyone enjoyed?

You might need to conduct personal interviews to learn about these benchmarks.

Write the Speech

Valedictory speeches often combine humorous and serious elements. Start by greeting your audience with a "hook" that grabs their attention. For example, you could say, "Senior year has been full of surprises," or "We're leaving the faculty with lots of interesting memories," or "This senior class has set records in some unusual ways."

Organize your speech into topics describing these elements. You might want to start with an event that's on everyone's mind, such as a championship basketball season, a student featured on a television show, or a tragic event in the community. Then focus on the other highlights, putting them into context and explaining their importance. For example:

"This year, Jane Smith won a National Merit Scholarship. This may not seem like a big deal, but Jane overcame a year of illness to achieve this goal. Her strength and perseverance are an inspiration to our whole class."

Use Anecdotes and Quotes

Come up with anecdotes to illustrate your shared experiences. These brief stories can be funny or poignant. You could say, "When the student newspaper printed a story about the family who lost their home to a fire, our classmates rallied and organized a series of fundraisers."

You can sprinkle in quotes from famous people as well. These quotes work best in the introduction or conclusion and should reflect the theme of your speech. For example:

"The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again." (Charles Dickens)
"You will find the key to success under the alarm clock." (Benjamin Franklin)
"There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way." (Christopher Morley)

Plan for Time

Be mindful of the appropriate length of your speech. Most people speak about 175 words per minute, so a 10-minute speech should contain about 1,750 words. You can fit about 250 words onto a double-spaced page, so that translates to seven pages of double-spaced text for 10 minutes of speaking time.

Tips for Preparing to Speak

It's important to practice your valedictory speech before giving it. This will help you troubleshoot problem spots, cut boring parts, and add elements if you're running short. You should:

Practice reading your speech aloud to see how it sounds
Time yourself, but remember you may speak faster when you're nervous
Focus on remaining calm
Put aside comedy if it feels unnatural
Be tactful if broaching a tragic topic you feel needs to be included. Consult a teacher or adviser if you have any doubts.

If possible, practice your speech using the microphone in the location where you'll be graduating—your best chance might be just before the event. This will give you an opportunity to experience the sound of your magnified voice, figure out how to stand, and get past any butterflies in your stomach .

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How to Write a Graduation Speech

Last Updated: July 24, 2021 References

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 40,611 times.

If you are giving a graduation speech you should take your time to write a speech with your specific audience in mind that conveys a message you care about and that shows your personality! Making a worthwhile speech takes time researching, writing, editing and rehearsing, but if you put in the right effort your work will pay off and make your graduation all the more memorable. Above all, care about what you say. For example, David Foster Wallace deeply believed that school should not teach you what to think. He thought that school should teach you the freedom to decide how to think, and he gave an inspirational speech to Kenyon College in 2007 that is still being written about and talk about today. [1] X Research source

Considering the Practical Things

Step 1 Ask about the details of the program.

It is often important that you thank certain individuals in your speech. This may mean the dean and special faculty, for example, so ask about how to address these individuals, including how to say their names.

Step 2 Write a speech that appeals to everyone in your audience.

For example, David Foster Wallace's speech he chose to talk about not getting involved in the rat race but deciding to ignore the pressure of the world that tells you you must make lots of money and buy lots of things. Even though this speech is for the students, anyone can relate to the rat race and high expectations from the world to succeed to make lots of money just to spend it all.
Write down a list of the different groups of students you might want to consider: honors students, athletes, students who know what they are doing after graduation, students who do not know what they are doing, etc. Make sure in your speech that you aren't assuming that all the students in attendance are attending college, if that is note the case.
You don’t have to make your speech generic or overly general because you are writing for to a wide audience. Pick a universal theme, and you can consider adding parts to your speech that will speak to the different groups, if you like. If your theme is broad enough, like overcoming adversity through perseverance, you don't need to worry about making it appeal to different audiences. Everyone can relate to overcoming hard times.
Make sure that your vocabulary is varied and diverse. Try not to alienate anyone in your audience. For example, if you use the word ¨benevolent" to describe your teacher, as in ¨Mr. Garcia was such a benevolent teacher¨, you can follow it up with a description that will show the meaning of the word, ¨he was always so good to us, he let us play card games in his classroom at lunch¨. [2] X Research source

Step 3 Ask about how long your speech should be.

If your speech is for a smaller audience or for a less formal affair, you may want to ask about how long the past graduation speeches have gone. Perhaps the speech should be shorter, around five minutes or less.
Remember, too, that your speech may feel a lot longer or shorter than it actually is. If you want communicate effectively, try slowing down your speech. This might mean you will have less time to say what you want to say.

Step 4 Find out if there are other rules for graduation speeches.

Some schools may ask you to send your graduation speech to someone who will read it first to make sure it is well developed and/or appropriate for the graduation ceremony. Additionally, you may have to practice your speech with one of the staff before the ceremony.

Step 5 Ask about the speeches that went over well in the past.

For example, perhaps they dedicated a lot of time and effort as a class when they decorated a float that won a prize in a parade. You could consider incorporating that piece of information into your speech, like ¨It took me a lot of persistence and grit to get through that final term paper. However, it wasn't nearly as much work, or as much fun, as decorating that float with this class the night before the parade.¨
Do not feel compelled to replicate that speech. You can, however, use that information to help you decide what you should write about based on your own life, values and experiences.

Step 6 Give yourself plenty of time to write, edit and rehearse your speech.

Start working at least two to three weeks before you have to give your speech.
Rehearse your speech in the place where you plan on giving it, if possible. Being familiar with the surroundings should dampen any unease or nerves.

Deciding What to Talk About

Step 1 Brainstorm before you get started writing your speech.

Once you have ideas from talking to your friends or family or thinking about what you want to say start writing down experiences that match those ideas.
For example, if you were driving toward the theme that David Foster Wallace used of learning how to think instead of what to think. You might have brainstorm about a time that you decided to learn how to knit to make all of your friends and family gifts for Christmas instead of buying them gifts. Talk about how much your grandmother loved the scarf you made her and how that ended up bonding you two together. When you think back to why you care so much about making gifts instead of buying them you realize that you want to question the pressure that is put on you to spend a lot of money to buy everyone Christmas presents. That is your theme.

Step 2 Decide on a message for your speech.

For example, you may want to talk about how giving your time to volunteer work will end up making you a happier and healthier person.
Write out your most important life experiences and lessons learned, and decide what a main take away from those stories/lessons could be. For example, after working at the soup kitchen every weekend during my senior year, I learned life lessons from people I never expected to learn from. Homeless people who I saw freely give others some of their prized possessions ended up teaching me how to give freely.
Some examples of common themes in graduation speeches are: believing in/liking yourself, taking risks/putting yourself out there, failing is necessary for success, giving back helps you as an individual, being persistent pays off, being okay with not being perfect, overcoming adversity, good friendships save, and there are different paths to take through life/there is no one right answer. [7] X Research source
Giving thanks and congratulations is another style of graduation speech you can choose to write. In these graduation speeches individuals talk about all that they have come through as a class to get to graduation. They also might take more time to talk about and thank the individuals who helped them along the way.
These speeches tend to be less focused on giving advice and the individual giving the speech and more focused on the group as a whole. Listed here is a wikiHow article on writing a graduation thank you speech. [8] X Research source

Step 3 Read and watch really good graduation speeches to get ideas for your graduation speech.

See if you can pick out a few main themes in the graduation speech, usually it will not be very difficult to find because it will be repeated several times. Writing those down will help you see how they craft their speech around those ideas.
For example, you could take note that David Foster Wallace uses a simple metaphor to get across his main idea. He uses the metaphor of a fish being aware that he is in water as compared to a person who realizes that he is in a society that influences us to think and act. This metaphor shows us how important it is to be aware of the obvious realities of being in society that others might miss. It also how shows us how isolating it can be to be aware.
Likewise, think about using a similar convention, for example, a short joke or a metaphor that illustrates your main point.

Step 4 Choose a speech structure that will help you communicate your message.

In the first speech structure, you highlight a few, typically one to four, main take-aways, or themes. You show address those ideas through personal anecdotes or nonfiction stories to impart some wisdom to the graduating class. The people who choose this structure generally feel that they have simple, yet important wisdom that might help the graduates succeed in life. For example, Steve Jobs used this structure and told just three stories about his life. The first story he told was about how he “connected the dots” in his life. [10] X Research source
In the second structure, make a list of five to ten tips that you have acquired that you give as advice to the graduating class. If you had trouble honing in on one to three themes or take-aways, this might be a good option for you. You can highlight important things that are both big and small in this kind of speech. For example, an admiral gave a speech about the ten essential life tips he learned from the Navy that including tips to both make your bed, and never, ever give up. [11] X Research source
In the third, you tell a condensed version of your life story. Go for this option if you feel like you have a very powerful personal story that illustrates some important ideas about how to be successful or how to overcome adversity. You don’t have to start with the beginning of your life, instead talk about the important things that have made you who you are. For example, music producer Jimmy Iovine used this structure and started his speech by talking about a rebuke John Landau gave him. Jon said, ¨this is not about you¨, and that advise gave Jimmy the courage to keep working when his ego was fed up. [12] X Research source
In the last speech structure, you develop one main idea as an argument and use observations from life, your personal history, etc., to support this main idea. This option is good if you are really passionate about conveying one central idea to your audience that you are entirely convinced needs to be heard by everyone. This is perhaps the most difficult speech to write because it is much like writing an argument; your ideas need to be logical and well organized. For example, David Foster Wallace follows this structure. He makes a claim that the real value of education isn’t learning what to think but gaining the freedom to choose how to think. He stays with this theme and develops his ideas like an argument. [13] X Research source

Step 5 Show your personality in your speech.

You can use humor to convey your personality. For example, Sumner Redstone, giving a speech to DeVry University, starts his speech with some self-deprecating humor that points out that people won't enjoy sitting through his speech. Redstone says that he is glad to go first in the program, and he quotes Mark Twain who recommends swallowing a frog at the start of the day to get the worst thing out of the way. Here Redstone makes himself the toad to make his audience laugh.

Step 6 Don’t give a speech about something unless you really believe in it.

Being passionate about what you are talking about will show in your delivery, as long as you practice. Speeches involve much more than the words you say, and oftentimes much more can be said through the emotions you convey when you deliver your speech. Think about all of the ways you can put emotion into a simple phrase like ¨I would die for you." A lot of meaning balances on the way you say those words.
Practice putting emotion into your speech to give it meaning. Rehearse what you will say in front of a mirror several times to see how you look, and don't be afraid to use gestures.

Step 7 Consider the enthusiastic mood of the occasion.

Because everyone has gone through a lot to get to this point, you may want to take a minute to genuinely congratulate them on their accomplishments.

You should avoid these cliches because they have been overused, and the people in your audience will most likely not be inspired by these topics. [15] X Research source
Do not confuse universal themes for cliches. Some of the best, most powerful speeches have very simple messages. For example, giving back helps you grow as an individual. Even though this theme that has been explored before and will be explored again, the theme still rings true and bears repeating.

Going Through the Steps in the Speech Making Process

Step 1 Organize and develop your writing into an introduction, body and conclusion.

After your speech you want people to be able to easily remember what you talked about so they can discuss what you said.

Step 3 Have someone else edit your speech and give you feedback.

Send the same person your revisions each time you make a major edit.

Step 4 Practice your speech out loud in front of others.

Make sure to practice your pacing, and slow down if you have a tendency to read quickly through your speech. Use a timer when you practice giving your speech in front a mirror or your family/friends.
Practice enough times so that you have the things you want to say internalized. This means that when you go into autopilot mode in front of an audience you will be more likely to remember because of your muscle memory. [20] X Research source
If you get stuck, look at someone you trust in the audience and breath deeply for a couple of seconds to calm yourself down while you try to collect your thoughts.

Expert Q&A

Practice out loud until you have internalized the essential parts of your speech. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
Remember to write a speech that will speak to everyone in your audience. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
Find someone who knows about writing or speech making to help you edit your speech. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-mcguinness/david-foster-wallaces-bri_b_3239411.html
↑ http://blog.oup.com/2015/05/how-to-write-graduation-speech/
↑ http://www.graduationwisdom.com/speeches/how-to-write-a-graduation-speech.htm
↑ Patrick Muñoz. Voice & Speech Coach. Expert Interview. 12 November 2019.
↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/brainstorming/
↑ https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Graduation-Thank-You-Speech
↑ http://www.graduationwisdom.com/speeches/0014-jobs.htm
↑ http://www.graduationwisdom.com/speeches/0149-Admiral-McRaven-Best-Commencement-Speeches-2014.htm
↑ http://www.graduationwisdom.com/speeches/0140-Jimmy-Iovine-Commencement-Speech-at-University-of-Southern-California-2013.htm
↑ http://www.graduationwisdom.com/speeches/0015-wallace.htm
↑ http://www.jostens.com/grad/grad_cp_hs_grad_guide_graduation_speech.html

About this article

To write a graduation speech, choose a structure that will help to communicate your message. For example, you could highlight a few main themes through personal anecdotes or nonfiction stories. Alternatively, you could make a list of 5 to 10 tips that you want to advise the graduating class about. If you have an interesting or powerful personal story, you can use it to illustrate important ideas, such as overcoming adversity or becoming successful. To learn how to show your personality in your speech, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to write a graduation speech .

Writing a graduation speech can be daunting. It’s natural to want to give the best speech possible to commemorate such an important milestone in your life. But How to write a graduation speech that is worthy of the day?

This page will be a comprehensive step-by-step guide for how to write a graduation speech that inspires and motivates. It will walk you through everything you need to know, how to write a graduation speech that leaves your audience teary-eyed.

At the end of this page, I have written a sample graduation speech using this guide.

I have spent days asking how to write the perfect graduation speech. I remember the banging of my head on my desk in frustration when I was preparing for my graduation speech. The reason for this paranoia was that I too, just like everyone else, wanted to give the best speech possible to commemorate such an important milestone of my life.

The amount of time and energy I had spent in preparation for my graduation speech prompted me to put up this page.

So here it is:

LET’S UNPACK with the No. 1 problem in How to write a graduation speech?

The number 1 problem which everyone faces when setting out to write a graduation speech is where to start?

Well naturally before you start preparing your speech you will need to know what you want to talk about. You can call this a theme, a topic, an idea, or the subject of your speech. At this stage, it can be a one-liner or even a word that describes what you want to talk about.

Again I know it is easier said than done. That’s why I have listed some approaches to help you figure out the topic of your graduation speech.

There are different approaches you can go by, but I will write a few which helped me.

How to find the subject of your graduation speech?

How to write a graduation speech around your core beliefs..

The first place I will recommend you to look for inspiration is your core beliefs. If you very strongly believe in something then talk about it. This could be what you stand for. Or what you will always stand for? Or what do you advocate? Maybe these beliefs are human rights protection, prevention of female objectification, and child labor, or maybe you believe in socialism or the importance of family structure.

The idea behind talking about your core beliefs is that you are genuinely passionate about them, and you will most likely have enough to talk about them.

How to write a graduation speech based on Timeline.

I like to call this a timeline-based approach in deciding what to talk about during your graduation speech. Evident by the name you will pick up a moment or time and will talk about that time and how great or challenging that period was in your life.

You can pick a period from your past to describe a challenge or a beauty of it and how it impacted your life and what lesson it has for others as well.

You can pick a goal in the future which you want to accomplish and what motivates you in selecting this goal and how it will impact your life or people at large.

To help you better understand, I have listed some examples. These examples sound generic but the actual events which happened to you will be unique for your audience.

For the past based graduation speech, some ideas are:

• A problem you faced to get to this position

• You had a certain difficulty, but you didn’t give up

• You faced trauma but still, you graduated or accomplished a goal.

• What drove you, who motivated you, who built your passion, who never lost hope in you, who built your character and gave you confidence?

• What was your journey to get to this point?

• What took you to get here?

• What were your expectations?

Remember: The purpose is not to tell your biography or how great you are. The purpose is to inspire with the underlying qualities which kept you going.

If you don’t want your speech to be sentimental you can always talk about:

• How fun your experience was

• How you will miss partying

• How greatly have you lived your life here

• How amazing your friends, teachers, and institute were.

• How helpful everyone’s contribution was in your graduation.

• You can go with funny events or can make very light fun at the expense of the audience. (Never insult.)

• How has this time here changed you into a better person?

• How do you overcome your shortfalls

These are some past-based graduation theme approaches. Similarly, you can decide to talk about the future:

• Your goals

• Your optimism and how you plan to change the world.

• You always dream to follow your passion, and now you are one step closer

• You have an ideal personality who inspired you; now you can follow the lead.

• How you will miss this time, place, and people.

• How you have learned to dream big and now explore

• No one is perfect, how you make mistakes, you will keep making mistakes, but this place taught you how to learn lessons from mistakes.

• You look forward to stepping into the world.

• How guest of honor is your ideal and why do you appreciate them and want to follow the lead?

These are some of the examples I call a time-based approach in deciding how to write your graduation speech.

Note: you don’t have to pick only one. You can relate a past event to achieve a future goal.

How to write a graduation speech based on characteristics of value.

This one is simple really. When I was deciding how to write my graduation speech I came across this approach. In this approach of deciding your graduation speech theme, you can pick a characteristic and talk about it. In this case, you pick a characteristic value, and you start building your thoughts around it.

• Value of Truth

• Importance of love

• Need of Courage

• Humbleness in sacrifice

• Lessons in failures

• Struggle for passion

• Never giving up

How to write a graduation speech on the beauty of your passion.

Here you find anything you are good at. It doesn’t have to be some sophisticated idea or any well-praised concept. It can be anything you are good at.

It could be:

• Any creative idea

• Participation in social causes

• Spirituality

• Gardening

Maybe you are passionate about gaming, or you have an interest in building stuff, or you like to experiment, or you have a sense of empathy and want to participate in social causes, or you have a knack for health and well-being.

The point is it could be anything you like to do, which gives you happiness or a sense of fulfillment. You have to find out the good sides of this passion and talk about it. Link your source of happiness to real-world scenarios.

I mean there is a legendary speech about making a bed every day and how this one task is so great.

How to write a graduation speech on delivering a point or argument.

The last approach I would recommend is delivering a point approach. Here you decide an end goal of your speech first then you build your argument around that goal. You have seen something wrong, or you would like some practice to change. Or in your view, a certain thing is not value-added but time-consuming or a method is not creative but laborious, and you would like it to change.

You get the idea of what I am talking about. You may want to talk about human rights, and freedom of speech, you want to sound an alarm and talk about the environment, or you want to talk about any other modern-day problem.

Here you have a point which you want to make. You will build your speech around that point. For example, you believe that home assignments are a waste of time.

These are some approaches you can use to decide what you want to talk about. You can be creative and mix them or stick to one area.

Now that you have your main idea, let’s start planning your graduation speech.

The planning stage of how to write a graduation speech.

Before you start writing your graduation speech there are some factors you need to know and understand when you are planning to write your graduation speech. We will figure those out during the planning process of the graduation speech together.

Time and place

What time is your speech.

The first thing you need to know is which day, and where you will be delivering your speech. Usually the place of your graduation ceremony. It may be on campus grounds or in any other venue.

But you need to know the time in a different context as well.

Here you formally need to know at least three times for your graduation speech. Write that down for your reference.

• First: Obviously what time is the speech?

• Second: how much time is allotted to your speech?

• Third: how much time do you have until your speech?

How much time is allotted to you?

You need to know how much time is allotted to your speech. You need to know that to prepare your speech. You need to know to create enough material to cover that time slot. Not too short, not too long.

My rule of thumb is at the planning stage when you are writing a rough draft for your speech your draft should have enough material to cover at least double the allotted time. You will need to consult with the organizers or graduation committee about how much time is allocated to you?

How long should a graduation speech be?

Ideally, a graduation speech should be between 5 and 7 minutes long. That’s just enough time to deliver some inspiring words without dragging on (or putting your audience to sleep!).

Of course, each situation is different. If you’re the valedictorian or salutatorian, you may have a little more time to speak. And if you’re speaking at a smaller graduation ceremony, your speech may be shorter.

No matter how long your speech is, make sure you spend some time thinking about what you want to say. A well-written and well-delivered speech can be a memorable way to end your time as a student and start your new chapter as a graduate!

How much time do you have to prepare for your graduation speech?

The third and most important one is to know how much time you have for planning. You know this by allocating your time to your daily most important tasks.

Know the Audience

This is tricky and an important factor to know before you write your graduation speech. Audiences come in all shapes and sizes. Know your audience before you start talking so that they feel welcome at the ceremony. You need to know who you will be addressing during your graduation speech.

The common attendees are:

• Graduates

• Top students

• Faculty

• And special guests

But keep in mind that among the audience all these people can also be

• Media Personalities

• Influencers

• Potential employers

• Govt. officials

• Ethnic or minority groups

Beware of those who are attending, You don’t want to sound insensitive or hurt someone or a group of people’s feelings. For example, with a religious audience, you don’t want to talk against religion. Or might want to omit any jokes about physical features, or people with disability conditions if you have the same people in your audience.

The second important thing to know about your audience is that you do not want to be specific to a small group of people. People of all ages and beliefs can be there, so avoid making specific cultural references to target only a small group of people. Instead, talk in broad general terms.

There could be potential employers among the audience. You don’t want to sound cocky or to be remembered as arrogant. I mean it is entirely possible that a month later you are attending an interview and find out that the interviewer knows you already from your graduation speech with a bad impression.

Tone when delivering your graduation speech.

This is important to know and decide. What will be your tone of speech? Do you want to sound formal or informal? Passive or assertive? Passionate or optimistic? Humorous or serious or do you want to keep it conservative or motivating?

This might sound overwhelming but it is not. A lot of this has to do with the theme of the speech. What I suggest is to choose according to your personality. Do you like to convey your message through humor or are you an optimistic person? But whatever you choose please keep it consistent.

Having said that When practicing your graduation speech, it is a good suggestion to keep the tone upbeat. This is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduates, so the speech should be motivating and inspirational.

However, it is also important to be respectful and sincere. The graduation speech is an opportunity to thank the teachers, staff, and administrators who have helped the graduates along the way. It is also a chance to offer some advice and words of wisdom to the graduating class or future graduates. Whatever tone is used, it should be genuine and reflect the speaker’s excitement for the future of the graduates.

Avoid Cliches during your graduation speech

The Next thing in your planning stage is to avoid cliche. Everything has a place and time. Not everything should be said at all sittings. You might want to go political, or you might want to go activist. Even Though nothing is wrong with it, you don’t want your whole speech blaming others.

In my opinion, if you can avoid it please do avoid it. The reason is not to discourage you from speaking up regarding social issues, but the reason is you just “graduated”. You have a diverse, more senior audience in front of you. Do, if you have to, refer to a certain issue or show your commitment towards it. But please do not give a lecture to your audience and make them feel responsible. You just freshly graduated and most likely you have not done anything substantial to change the problem you are talking about.

Some other cliches are:

1. “This is the best day of my life!”

While it’s certainly an exciting time, your graduation isn’t necessarily the best day of your life. There are many other great days ahead, so try to avoid this clichéd line.

2. “Follow your dreams!”

This is another well-meaning but overused piece of advice. While it’s important to have dreams and goals, be realistic about what you can achieve.

3. “You’re the future!”

This may be true, but it’s also a bit daunting. Instead of putting pressure on yourself, try to focus on enjoying the present moment.

4. “It’s not goodbye, see you later!”

This may be the case for some people, but others are moving on to new chapters in their lives. Don’t try to force a sentimental moment if it doesn’t feel genuine.

5. “You’re going to change the world!”

This is a lot of pressure to put on someone. Instead, encourage your fellow graduates to focus on making a positive impact in their communities.

By avoiding these clichés, you can make your graduation speech more unique and personal. Instead of giving empty platitudes, focus on sharing your own experiences and lessons learned. This will make your speech more meaningful and memorable for both you and your audience.

Distribution of your graduation speech

One thing which you need to consider is that your speech will be part of the record. It might be printed in a college journal, yearbook, or newspaper and will most definitely be recorded. It will be part of the internet or your collection. It is such a prestigious opportunity that you would want these words to be simple but memorable. You don’t want to waste this opportunity just for being funny or by roasting your friends or school.

Be very careful if you are using facts and quotes in your graduation speech.

Make sure that you know your facts and stats if you are using them in your speech. Make sure you know the authenticity and origin of quotes if you are using them. Make sure you attribute the quotes and facts to the right person or institute.

Start your graduation speech With a hook statement.

You only have a few minutes to make an impression, so you’ll want to start strong! Grab your audience’s attention with a compelling story, quote, or statistic related to the topic of your speech. Idea is to use bait to hook your audience with you throughout your speech. They would want to know how your story will relate to what you are saying.

P.S – Hook statements are super fun, super engaging and can really turn the mood of the audience. This is a quality everyone should know regardless of this particular context of graduation speech. This article of American express explains it beautifully with examples.

A video example of using a hook statement.

An excellent example of this is this speech. 2015 World Champion: ‘The Power of Words’ Mohammed Qahtani, Toastmasters International

Note how the speaker’s first words and actions hooked the audience before he said a single word.

Write your graduation speech as You Talk

One of the biggest mistakes people make when writing speeches is trying to sound overly formal or ‘preachy’. Remember, this is YOUR graduation speech—it should reflect YOUR unique voice and perspective. It should bring out your persona.

Use Personal anecdotes in your graduation speech.

A great way to connect with your audience is by sharing personal stories or anecdotes that illustrate the main point of your speech. For example, if you’re giving a speech about resilience, you could share a story about a time when you faced adversity and how you ultimately overcame it. Just be sure not to make your stories too long—remember, you want to keep things concise!

A video example of using personal anecdotes.

Watch this video for a brilliant speech and notice how the speaker used little personal experiences to draw conclusions and delivered his speech brilliantly.

End your graduation speech on a High Note

Just like you want to start strong, you’ll also want to end strong! Leave your audience with something memorable—a call-to-action, inspirational quote, or final thought that sums up the main point of your speech perfectly.

Edit, Edit, Edit!

Once you have a draft of your speech written out, take some time to edit it for grammar errors and clarity issues. Then, ask a friend or family member to read it aloud, so you can get feedback on how it flows and sounds before delivering it on graduation day!

Alternate the source of information

The fact is you are not the first person to give the graduation speech and most likely will not be the last person ever. Hundreds before you have been to the place where you are now. They had to prepare for their graduation speech and where did they go for inspiration or to get the idea?

The same place where you are, The Internet.

The point is most of the things which are on the internet have been said and done. Most of the stories have been told, and most of the quotes have been said. So what should you do?

Change the source.

Get your inspiration from another source. From a real event, an incident, a book you like, a poem you used to sing, or a song stuck in your head. Anything which no one has thought about.

One of the great sources of inspiration for me is my older relatives, Grandparents, or uncle. Take a break, sit with them, and listen to their stories. They have lived years of more life than you. You can simply let them talk about their golden days or ask them specifically about an idea.

The good news is that there are plenty of places to look for inspiration when it comes to writing a graduation speech. Here are just a few of them:

Your life up to this point:

One of the best places to start when it comes to writing a graduation speech is by looking back at your life up to this point. What have been some of the biggest highlights? What lessons have you learned along the way?

Your future goals:

Another great source of inspiration for your graduation speech is to look ahead at your future goals. What do you hope to accomplish in the next phase of your life? How can you inspire others to pursue their dreams?

Your favorite quotes:

Another great way to get inspiration for your graduation speech is to look at some of your favorite quotes. Whether it’s a motivational saying or something more lighthearted, a great quote can often capture the essence of what you want to say in your speech.

Your favorite books:

If you’re a reader, then one of the best places to look for inspiration for your graduation speech is in your favorite books. What messages do they convey that you feel are significant for your fellow graduates to hear?

Your favorite movies:

Like books, movies can also be a great source of inspiration for your graduation speech. What scenes or dialogue from your favorite films can you use, to illustrate the points you want to make in your speech?

These are just a few of the many places you can turn to when you’re looking for inspiration.

So here we are. We have our main theme. We have the necessary attributes for our speech. It is time to brainstorm and put words on paper.

The way I recommend is that I divide the speech into a set formatted structure.

Structure of Graduation speech

Just like any speech, I divide the speech into three main parts.

1. Introduction

· Acknowledgement

· Hook statement

· Transition

· Main Point/ Passion statement/ Struggle/ achievement/ Goal/ Issues of Society etc. (depending on your topic)

· Supportive argument/ Outcome/ process of achievement/ Benefits/ suggestions etc.

· Supportive argument/ your future goal based on main point/ plea for change etc.

3. Conclusion

· Reaffirmation/ wrap up your speech around the main point.

· Thanks and best wishes

Let’s write an actual graduation speech using this guide

As I mentioned at the start of this page when writing a graduation speech our number 1 problem will be what to talk about. What will be our central idea or theme of speech?

To find a suitable theme for the speech let’s brainstorm for some inspiration. We will have to introspect :

Let’s see, some of the Ideas I believe in are as follows.

These are just some ideas. You can add as many boxes at the bottom and list all the brainstormed ideas. Now we have a list of ideas that we can go through with our friends, family, and peers. A Great way for some thoughts on your ideas is to discuss them with your parents. Remember this is not just your big day, it is a very proud day for your parents as well.

The key is to choose the topic in which you are comfortable speaking, and you have enough to speak about it.

As I’m a big fan of the Harry Potter books, let’s see if we can find some inspiration from the story of Harry Potter. The tale of Harry Potter is an instant classic. There can be so many points to talk about. This is a story of friendship, sacrifice, courage, redemption, hope, and good vs evil. I always believe in the one quote from the books. That is “love is the greatest magic”.

This is a good topic. It is not controversial, it’s not political and love truly is one of the key attributes to living a happy life.

Ok, Now we have a quote from our favorite book. Let’s turn that into a moving speech for our audience. My introduction will be something like this:

“Good evening/morning, Distinguished guests, faculty members, staff, families, friends, and fellow graduates. Today we stand here in our fancy gowns and caps to celebrate one of the precious chapters of our lives. It is barely over, and it is already becoming nostalgic but that’s the talk of later times.

Today I am here to tell you a very peculiar thing I have come to learn in recent years. I know you won’t believe it when I tell you, that in the past few years, I have met some magicians and have seen some real magic. I am saying this in every non-fictional sense. As for the past few years, We all have walked through the halls of this institute growing together, making memories but always under the protection of magic, rarely knowing about it.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am talking about “love”. As another headmaster Albus Dumbledore, somewhere else in another universe puts it, that love is the greatest magic of all. As we are one foot into the next chapter of our lives, I want to talk about the most powerful magic and how it shaped us.

Alright, this is our introduction paragraph. As you can see it has three distinct parts colored differently. There is a clear acknowledgment/ introduction, followed by a very important Hook statement, and then followed by a transition line into the body of the speech.

Let’s work on the body of the graduation speech.

Ladies and gentlemen, As I look back, I cannot help but agree that often taken for granted and almost always overlooked, this simple yet most magical emotion was always there. It was there when our families supported us, our friends encouraged us, or even when our mentors disciplined us. All of these great magicians capable of loving us in our lows, have provided us with a strong foundation to build on.

And that is just not it, Love was also there in us for our passion, love shaped our activities and the subjects we chose which in turn sparked our curiosity and allows us to grow our talents.

To be truthful I have been thinking a lot in recent weeks, and I concluded that love is not just a feeling, I mean it has to be a forceful action. The willingness I have seen in my parents to sacrifice their comforts for me was not just a feeling, they did act on it. The steadfast support of my friends in every hour of need was more than just a boastful announcement, they actually stood with me. The promise of my mentors to go above and beyond to help me was not just a promise, they actually put extra effort to share their wisdom with me. How can it be just a feeling when all these wonderful people went beyond and actually acted and actually helped me to be here where I am?

As we look ahead to the future, we can be confident that love will continue to guide us and will always help us to go through new opportunities and challenges. And I am 100% sure that we not only need the support of love to succeed in real life, but we also need love to get to the best version of ourselves.

In all of our life up until now, we have been at the receiving end of this magical spell. Having said that it is also paramount that we learn to cast this spell now. Let’s be there for our family and friends as they were. Let’s just not sit back and hope that things will work out. Let’s take action to make sure that things do work out. Let’s promise to go out of our way to support and care for them, even when it’s difficult or inconvenient. Let’s listen to them when they need to be heard and offer a shoulder when they need it.

Let’s cultivate a sense of love for ourselves as we strive to navigate through life and let’s extend the love to the precious people around us as we attempt to build a world that is more just, compassionate and beautiful. This is my resolution in life.

In conclusion, today is a day to celebrate the power of love, and a day to express our gratitude to the beautiful magicians around us. We have accomplished a great deal, but we could not have done it alone. It is the love of those around us that have supported and sustained us through this journey. We are truly indebted to our teachers, this prestigious institute, our parents and family, and our friends. Thank you for your unconditional Love. As we move forward, let us hold onto the truth that love is the greatest magic of all. Let us be guided by the power of love, as we seek to make a positive impact on the world and to live lives that are full of purpose and meaning.

Congratulations to every one of you on this incredible accomplishment, and may the magic of love continue to light our way into the future. Thank you

It is finally finished.

P. S: I cannot show the whole work which I did to write this speech. Just so you know, a lot of editing and back-and-forth re-writing went into it just in case you are struggling to write it and want to give up. Don’t worry this is part of the process.

Conclusion:

Writing a graduation speech may seem daunting at first, but following these simple steps will help ensure that yours is one that will be remembered long after the tassels have been turned! And remember: this is YOUR story—so don’t be afraid to let YOUR unique voice shine through!

Read Also: How to fast track your bachelor’s degree.

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High School Graduation Speech

Delivering a high school graduation speech is a special honor. After all, graduating from high school is a significant milestone in your life.

Nevertheless, preparing and delivering a speech at graduation can seem a daunting challenge! So here are some tips and a sample speech to help guide you.

A few simple pointers to keep in mind about giving a high school graduation speech are:

Keep it short
Make it personal (share a school-related story)
Leave your fellow students inspired

Use language that is comfortable and natural to you and your fellow students, but as the speaker remember that it's also important to keep your statement tasteful and in keeping with the formality of the occasion!

Below is an example of a high school graduation speech. Feel free to use it as a framework for your own, substituting the specifics of your school experience for the details given in the example.

If you would like to share your graduation speech with visitors to Best Speech Topics, scroll to the bottom of the page and submit it! If selected, I'll put it on the website so that your address can inspire and help others' to write their high school graduation speech.

Profound statements of others and notable passages from prose or poetry often provide an attention getter or foundation for a high school graduation address. BST provides a list with a variety of appropriate inspirational quotes for graduation speeches . A good quote can provide a topic to focus the content of a presentation.

BST encourages visitors who previously found a selection of favorite words to encourage students to share suggestions. Please submit quote suggestions in the submission form .

Start of a High school Graduation Speech

Principal Brown, members of the School Board, teachers, parents, friends, and fellow graduates, it is an honor to speak to all of you today.

A little over 12 years ago I was 6, and I remember my first day of school. I was excited with my new Power Rangers lunchbox. My parents were there with their camera, snapping pictures and wishing me well. And I met a cool kid named James. In some ways, not much has changed in 12 years.

Body of the High School Graduation Speech

Here I am today. OK, so I didn't bring my Power Rangers lunchbox but, my parents are here with their camera, snapping pictures and wishing me well. My best friend James is here, and he's still a really cool kid. And, I am excited.

But this is how things are different. Twelve years ago I was excited, but I had no idea about the implications of the journey I was about to begin. I had no idea that after 1st grade there would be 2nd grade and 3rd grade and so on. I was just excited to be in first grade.

Today, I know that I am standing on the brink of my future - the first day of the rest of my life. As a "computer geek" I am inspired by the words of one of our greatest American computer scientists, Alan Kay. He said, "The greatest way to predict the future is to invent it."

Some of us here today, including our parents, are wondering how our lives are going to turn out. It is OK to wonder but, I also think it is important to realize that our future is not just something that happens to us. It is up to us to create.

Conclusion of the Graduation Speech

So, fellow graduates, I urge you today to embrace the opportunity before you. Take what you have learned throughout the last 12 years and put it to good use.

Leave behind what isn't helpful (I'm leaving my Power Rangers lunchbox) and bring forward with you the lessons that will be the working parts of your greatest invention ever, YOUR LIFE! Congratulations!

End of High School Graduation Speech

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Back to Graduation

10 Tips for Writing the Best Graduation Speech

Good afternoon everybody….

We won’t sugar coat it. Writing a speech is tough. It’s why people get paid big bucks to do this as ghostwriters for others. It’s why great lines from great speeches get passed down from one generation to the next.

But relax. You’re not the President of the United States addressing the nation trying to keep things calm after alien spacecraft have just landed on the White House front lawn.

Odds are, instead, you’re one of two things. You’re either the valedictorian (congrats by the way) or you’re the person who submitted their name and speech idea to the graduation committee and was selected to speak at graduation as well (so congrats to you, too.)

Now, about the speech. While it’s certainly up to you what you can say, we just thought that we’d pass on a few tips on how to not make your speech the kind that doesn’t have lines getting passed from one generation to the next – because of how awful it was.

So, with that said here are our top 10 tips for writing a graduation speech. And, some bonus tips for giving a virtual graduation speech.

1: Start out by thanking someone. The fact is you probably didn’t make it through high school all by yourself. Very few people, if any, do anything without a lot of help from someone else. So, show a little humility.

It’s always good to recognize parents, teachers and friends. But what might be nice to do instead is to publicly thank a specific person. One person who helped you, who made a difference and believed in you. Maybe it’s a coach, a counselor, a teacher or your dad. Whoever. Thank them in front of everybody. And then encourage everyone else to find someone who was instrumental in helping them make it to graduation and tell them to thank them as well.

2: Don’t make it all about you. If you’re the valedictorian, then once again, congratulations. You did well. But nobody really just wants to hear about why you made it to the podium and they didn’t. That’s not to say you can’t infuse personal observations in your speech, just don’t turn this into a “My life in high school” speech.

Matter a fact, instead of just crafting your speech in the cold confines of your bedroom, why not instead go out and talk to your classmates. Find out what they’re interested in. What has inspired them and what they’ll remember most. Your class’ graduation should be about all of the students, not just you. It’d be nice if your speech recognized all their collective memories.

3: Google it. That’s what it’s there for. Looking up famous speeches online is a great way to get inspiration. Whether it’s a YouTube video of comedian Seth MacFarlane’s commencement speech at Harvard (hilarious!) Or reading Winston Churchill’s famous “We shall never surrender” speech (goosebumps!) Seeing how other people have done things well in the past is a good point of reference for how you should be doing it today.

4: Keep it short and sweet. Yes, your speech is important, or you wouldn’t have been asked to give it. But don’t go overboard. People aren’t there to see you drone on and on. They’re there to either celebrate their own accomplishments or the accomplishments of family and close friends. You don’t want people to be checking their watches during your speech or hoping you’ll hurry things up.

Therefore, don’t ramble on forever. Your speech should be no more than 10 minutes unless you’ve been given instructions otherwise. Think about how long do you usually sit still for a YouTube video? There’s a reason the more popular ones aren’t very long. Learn from that.

5: Don’t say anything you’ll regret in 20 years. Matter of fact, let’s amend this to, “Don’t say anything you’ll regret 10 minutes after saying it.” Most kids who are selected to be graduation speakers are the kind who have always set a good example. That said, every year, there’s always a few who want to take a controversial stand, call out a teacher or administrator, or make an inappropriate joke. Hint: Don’t be that kid . Instead, write a speech you can show to your own son or daughter 20 years from now and say, “See, that’s how it’s done.”

6: Inspire your fellow students. Commencement isn’t just about celebrating the fact that you finally earned your diploma. It’s also about looking forward to all the places life will take you after graduation. You want your fellow students to leave your speech feeling as though they’ve got the world by the tail and can do anything now that they’re graduates .

7: Don’t use famous quotes. Famous quotes are great for yearbook entries, not graduation speeches. So, put the famous quotes book away. You are the graduation speaker. People want to know what you have to say. The crowd doesn’t want to hear what Nietzsche or President Kennedy or King Ferdinand has to say.

8: Don’t write “what’s expected.” If you write a speech that’s expected, then what’s the point in anyone showing up? If it’s something we’re all expecting to hear, then the odds are we’ve already heard it and there’s no need to hear it again. Be original.

9: Be specific. Details make things interesting. There’s nothing particularly original or interesting when you say something like, “You know during our freshman year, we were somewhat unsure of ourselves, lost in this big school, and apprehensive about the future.”

But the details that can make it far more personal and relatable.

Example: “You know, it’s amazing how much we’ve all changed in the last four years. On my first day here at school, I could barely reach my locker. I remember thinking most of the senior football players probably were at least 28-years-old. And sadly, I got lost trying to find Freshman English and had to ask for directions – twice. Today, I’m proud to report that I can reach my locker, the football players don’t look older than I do, and I can find any class on this campus. And if all that’s true, just imagine how different will we all be two, four, or ten years from now.”

10: Make your final point your most important point. There’s a reason we’ve saved this for last. Obviously. But the contents of your speech should all along be leading up to the final point of the speech – which will be the most important part. This should be the line that people remember, and that people take away from your speech. You can end it with a quote (not someone else’s famous quote – we already discussed that), a memory, or words of wisdom to impart on your class, just as long as you end it with a punch. The punch can be a funny story. It can be a snappy re-cap, or a call to action. Such as Kennedy’s inauguration speech where he said, “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

BONUS TIPS! The Virtual Graduation Speech

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools have either cancelled their graduation plans, or postponed them. Others, however, have chosen to do them virtually . If that’s the case with your school, here are a few tips to help your virtual speech go as smoothly as possible.

First of all, you’ll probably want to change your speech to state the obvious. That it’s being given virtually. Whether or not that changes the rest of your speech will be up to you.

You’ll also want to make sure you look your best. Be sure your light source is in front of you or to your side. If the light is behind you it will make you look too dark. Keep the background clear of distractions. Look at your web cam when you speak, not the screen, and finally use the same gestures and mannerisms you would when normally speaking.

From a technical standpoint, be sure your microphone is turned on and, if it is at all possible, do a rehearsal to make sure your equipment is working properly. Also, place your camera (computer) on a level surface that’s not going to shake or wobble.

Whether you stand or sit down is up to you. However, this is one instance where YOU get to determine the atmosphere when giving a speech, so simply do what makes you feel the most comfortable.

In the end, your speech shouldn’t be overwhelming or daunting. Instead, just think of it as connecting with your graduating class one last time before you all go your separate ways. And, as a plus, if you’re planning a career which will involve public speaking, you can think of this as a great way to practice.

SHOP GRADUATION

Additional Resources

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COMMENTS

How to Write a High School Graduation Speech (+ Examples)
The best high school graduation speeches aren't long and boring since the ceremonies already take hours. Aim for an address that doesn't exceed 10 minutes. Keep your audience's attention and save some for other people's speeches. Your graduation speech should only be around 500 to 600 words. You have to read it slowly and articulate the ...
How to Write and Deliver a Memorable Graduation Speech: Tips, Examples
Conclusion. Master your moment with a graduation speech that turns heads and warms hearts. Remember the power of gratitude and connect with your audience through stories, those shared adventures that bind you to your classmates. Don't be afraid to add a few jokes and quotes to your speech either, as well as personal growth stories to inspire.
50 Top Graduation Speech Ideas (& Examples)
Most people wonder what to write for their graduation speech examples. Whether you need to compose a high school graduation speech example or a college graduation speech example, you must put a lot of careful thought and consideration into the contents of your speech. In the past, writing a graduation speech template wasn't that intimidating.
Writing a Graduation Speech is Easier Than You Think
Thank the principal/dean for the invitation to speak. Next, thank the administration. Then, thank the faculty. Thank the parents and distinguished alumni. And, finally, thank the class of [year]. Many speakers will add in a little humor here by poking fun at the typical words used in this thanks.
Crafting Memorable Graduation Speech: Examples & Tips
Emphasize the importance of shared experiences and friendships. Looking Forward. Discuss hopes and dreams for the exciting possibilities ahead. Conclusion. Wrap up with a memorable and inspiring closing message. All these elements make a strong and memorable speech and help make your graduation successful.
How To Write a Graduation Speech
Step 4: Rehearse. Rehearse frequently and out loud so that you internalize your message. Understand why you are speaking the words you have chosen and repeat them in rehearsal until you feel the essence of your message in your gut. If you go blank during your speech, don't panic.
Sample Highschool Graduation Speeches & Tips
Start with a hearty welcome and gratitude. Begin your speech by showing appreciation for the opportunity to give a high school graduation speech. You may start with "Congratulations class" or use a different salutation. Greet everyone present, including your peers, teachers, parents, and friends, and thank everyone who helped you graduate and ...
How to Write a Graduation Speech
Here are a couple of graduation speech examples: "Truth be told, I never graduated from college, and this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today, I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it, no big deal. Just three stories." -Steve Jobs, Stanford 2005. "Good morning graduates, families and friends ...
How To Write A Graduation Speech: 12 Practical Tips
Tip #1: Read Inspirational Quotes. Reading inspirational quotes is a great way to start brainstorming graduation speech ideas. The best quotes can pack a whole speech into only a sentence or two. Here are a few examples to get the fire of inspiration started: "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you ...
10 Steps To Writing A Graduation Speech
If you've been chosen to deliver a graduation speech, follow these steps to ensure you write a speech that inspires your fellow graduates and audience.
How to Write a Memorable Graduation Speech
3. Build a structure and tell the story. Once you know the story you want to tell, use what you know about premise to structure and tell the story first and then build out the rest of the speech around it. A premise outlines a character with a goal who meets conflict and has to act until they reach a crisis point and must make a tough decision ...
High School Graduation Speech Samples
Writing a speech for a high school graduation is a big responsibility, and the task can be a little intimidating. With a few tips and some sample graduation speeches to look at, you could quickly be on your way to writing a very engaging speech of your own. ... High school graduation speeches by students and special guests often end with a ...
A-Z Guide on Writing a Breathtaking Graduation Speech
A graduation speech or a graduation address is delivered by a graduating student from high school, college or university. A student speaker may talk in place of or in cooperation with a prominent outside figure. Student commencement speakers are frequently valedictorians or are otherwise elected to represent the student body by their peers.
Crafting a Memorable High School Graduation Speech
Understanding the Purpose of a High School Graduation Speech. Ah, the graduation speech. A rite of passage for every high school senior. But do you really understand the purpose of this speech? As someone who recently went through the process of writing and delivering a graduation speech myself, allow me to shed some light.
How to Write a Graduation Speech as Valedictorian
Practice reading your speech aloud to see how it sounds. Time yourself, but remember you may speak faster when you're nervous. Focus on remaining calm. Put aside comedy if it feels unnatural. Be tactful if broaching a tragic topic you feel needs to be included. Consult a teacher or adviser if you have any doubts.
3 Ways to Write a Graduation Speech
Additionally, make certain that you come back to your main idea in a way that sticks out in your conclusion. After your speech you want people to be able to easily remember what you talked about so they can discuss what you said. 3. Have someone else edit your speech and give you feedback.
Writing a Winning Graduation Speech: Outline and Tips
Trying to write a graduation speech that both inspires and keeps people listening can be a little tough. Learn how to write a great one with this outline! ... Illustrate how it connects with your class's experiences in the school. This will serve as an opportunity to bring everyone together and get your classmates excited about the future. 4 ...
From Start to Finish: A Comprehensive Guide On How To Write a
Writing a graduation speech can be daunting. It's natural to want to give the best speech possible to commemorate such an important milestone in your life. But How to write a graduation speech that is worthy of the day? This page will be a comprehensive step-by-step guide for how to write a graduation speech that inspires and motivates.
High School Graduation Speech
So here are some tips and a sample speech to help guide you. A few simple pointers to keep in mind about giving a high school graduation speech are: Keep it short. Make it personal (share a school-related story) Use humor. Leave your fellow students inspired. Use language that is comfortable and natural to you and your fellow students, but as ...
This writer analyzed 100 graduation speeches
Here are the four tips they all contain: 1. Dream big. "I think it is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. I know that sounds completely nuts. But, since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition. There are so few people this crazy that I feel like I know them all by first name.
Tips on Writing an Amazing Graduation Speech
And, some bonus tips for giving a virtual graduation speech. 1: Start out by thanking someone. The fact is you probably didn't make it through high school all by yourself. Very few people, if any, do anything without a lot of help from someone else. So, show a little humility.