How to Make a Commencement Speech as a Student

The commencement speech is a key part of any school's graduation ceremony.

Writing and delivering a commencement speech as a student gives you, the speaker, a wonderful opportunity to sum up your class's collective experiences and to rally everyone to embrace the possibilities of the future. Yet, this might be a stressful burden to place on one student's shoulders. Luckily, there are some tried and true tactics to writing a commencement speech, so you shouldn't feel left in the dark when starting to write. Millions of people have written these speeches, and so can you.

Instructions

1. Reminisce on the past and draw from the collective memory of the students. You likely spent several years with these fellow students, so recall any momentous events and use these to create a bond with your audience.

2. Think of the community's values and discuss these. Communities build themselves on common values, and a school is no different. Think of these values' successes and triumphs in your time.

3. Be courteous, appropriate and kind. Offending people with sour language, unkind remarks about a person or a rude attitude will leave bad taste in your audience's mouth. The commencement is about building positivity for the future and confirming positivity for the past.

4. Recognize your friends, but remember this speech is for the entire graduating class. You might want to treat this speech as an occasion to reminisce on your friend group, but this speech is for the whole school, so treat it as such.

5. Don't worry about advice. You're giving this speech to your peers and any advice you might have could appear as condescending. Use this as a gathering moment, not a teaching one.

References

• DIY Life: Write a Graduation Speech
• Tulsa World: With Graduation Speeches, You'll Never Know What You'll Get