How to Write a Graduation Speech

Memorable Commencement Speaking for High School & College Graduation

© Naomi Rockler-Gladen

Jan 24, 2007

So, you've been assigned to give a graduation speech for your graduating college or high school class. Maybe you're the valedictorian or the class president, or an invited guest speaker, or maybe you're just lucky. Or perhaps you need to write a graduation speech for your public speaking class.

Most graduation speeches aren't very good. You know why? Because they're too generic. They talk about the future and "spreading your wings" and all kinds of cliche things that can apply to any graduating class. A good graduation speech should be tailored only for your graduating class. The speech should be unusable by other classes because it is filled with details and stories specific to these students' experiences.

Here are some tips to writing an unforgettable graduation speech:

• Tell lots of stories. The stories should be about the students in the graduating class, the teachers, and other important people in the school. The stories can be funny, or touching, or just descriptive. The audience is filled with parents and people who are not part of the graduating class, so what you want to do is make that graduating class come alive for the people who aren't a part of it.
• Talk about major events. What are some important things that happened in the world, your community, or at your school in the last four years? Include them in your speech, especially if these events evoke emotion. If a teacher or student died, mention them and say how much everyone misses them. If your football team won the state championship, mention this (and expect enthusiastic applause from the audience).
• Talk about meaningful activities your class did together. Here's where you talk about the prom, Spirit Week, a successful charity event, the awesome school play, etc. If your school has some traditional events, mention them. Some of the audience members will be alumni and will appreciate this.
• Talk about values that are important to the students and the audience.If this is a Christian school, talk about God. If this is a liberal arts college, talk about the value of a liberal arts education. Don't dwell on these kinds of topics or you risk sounding corny, but mentioning them will make your speech feel more inclusive to everyone.
• Be inclusive. Talk about everyone in the class: the jocks, the band geeks, the Honor Society kids, and everyone else. This speech is for everybody.
• Use popular culture references. This is a popular culture era, so including popular culture references is another thing you can do to make your speech more personal. Work in references to popular TV shows, movies, and songs. Just don't mention that Green Day song (see below).
• Don't talk about yourself. Well, you can talk about yourself a little bit, but only a little. This speech is for everyone, and it isn't very classy to steal the focus.
• Don't speak badly of anyone. This is not the time to make fun of that nasty English teacher, nor is it time to get even with that kid who bullied you from grades 3 through 10. Be nice. You can gently poke fun of quirky things, like that weird green stuff they serve every Thursday at the school cafeteria, or the fact that your dorms were voted worst in the country. But do this sparingly, and be careful not to offend anyone.
• Be appropriate. Use common sense. This is not the forum to discuss the drunken antics of your classmates or other indiscretions. Don't swear.
• Use inside jokes sparingly. Your classmates might appreciate inside jokes, but the audience won't know what you're talking about.
• Avoid cliches. The phrases "spread your wings and fly," "new chapter in our lives," and "be true to yourself" should not appear in your speech, and neither should other cliches.
• Give advice sparingly. Graduation speeches do not have to contain advice, and if you're part of the graduating class, you may not have much advice to give.
• Thank the parents. Ask everyone in the graduating class to give them a round of applause. This will mean the world to them. Make your mom cry.
• Thank the teachers. Lord knows teachers don't get enough praise. Thank the principal or the dean too.
• Do not reference that Green Day song. Thousands of graduation speeches have included lyrics from "Time of Your Life." Give it a rest. And actually, the real name of the song is "Good Riddance." It's an angry breakup song. Green Day intended the lyrics to be sarcastic, not sentimental. (Here's some better graduation songs to reference.)

Related articles:

• Public speaking class resources
• College graduation gift ideas
• Graduation gifts for college bound high school seniors
• How to write a wedding toast

What do you think makes a graduation speech great? Leave your comments in the discussion!

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