Writing Inspiring Graduation Speeches
Graduation is a momentous occasion to be remembered for a lifetime: a milestone has been achieved in the lives of students.
It seems like overnight, young men and women have become responsible for their futures. The world of opportunity has opened before them as they had only dreamed or imagined.
However, being blessed with various opportunities will likely bring forth some of the greatest challenges in graduates' lives. They will have many important decisions to make in a short period of time in relation to where they will live, what school they will attend or which job they will apply for, and so on.
While being a graduate can be exciting, it can be overwhelming for some students who have always lived close to home or have had the same friends most of their lives and now must leave their home and friends.
Graduation can also seem frightening for graduates who are ready to embrace the work force only to learn that much competition awaits them in finding jobs.
A successful graduation speech will inspire all graduates to look forward to the future - to embrace it as a wonderful opportunity in which to grow and learn, despite the challenges which come their way.
Lens Contents:
- Creating Memorable Graduation Speeches
- The Crucial Opening
- The importance of using every day language
- Primary Message
- Memorable Delivery
- Upbeat and Inspirational Speeches
- Remarkable Conclusion
- Graduation Gifts from CafePress
- Graduation Gifts from Amazon
- Your impressions, please!
- Your opinions, please!
Creating Memorable Graduation Speeches
Graduation is a momentous occasion. As such, a grad speech should involve the following key points:
- Engage the listeners/audience
- Make use of every day language
- Have a primary message
- Have a memorable delivery
- Have a remarkable conclusion
The Crucial Opening
Engaging your listeners
An inspiring graduation speech - whether given by the valedictorian, a graduate's parent, or a special speaker invited by the graduation class - should engage listeners and be entertaining. Like any speech, the first sentence will either gain the attention of the audience or will cause them to lose interest.
Many speakers begin with a story from their own experiences. Even popular writers, musicians, singers, and so on, are regular people with events happening to them which prove they are just as human as anyone else. When speakers bring themselves to the level of their audience, they will gain their respect and attention and, providing their speech continues to be engaging and entertaining, everyone should be in for an enjoyable evening.
The importance of using every day language
Even world renown scholars appreciate the opportunity to sit, relax, and listen to a speech during which they don't require use of their built-in mental dictionaries. Speaking in every day language will be more interesting for everyone. Also, it will enable graduates to remember what was said long after graduation day is over, which is what speakers aim to do. After all, what speaker wants to pour his or her heart into a graduation speech which won't be remembered?
Primary Message
The sky is the limit!
A graduation speech needs to have a primary message. Often, graduation speeches encourage graduates to pursue their goals in life - that the sky is the limit to what they can achieve if they set their minds to it. The message may even encourage other people in attendance to work at achieving personal goals they had set aside for too many years.
However, a word of caution: don't focus an entire speech on personal definitions of success because people view success differently. Some measure it by the amount of money in their portfolios while others measure it by the amount of time they spend with their families. Some graduates may feel their level of success would be to work with non-profit organizations - working with underprivileged children - while others feel they need to be at the top of a corporate ladder. Thus, motivate an audience to be the best they can be and they will decide what personal success means. In time, success may be defined differently, but that can only be gained through life experience.
Memorable Delivery
Let your speech live on in the minds of your audience
After the message has been delivered, it should live on in the minds of graduates. As such, if it's delivered in the same manner as a classroom lecture, graduates may soon turn a deaf ear. If delivered without passion, graduates and their guests will become bored. If it drags on, everyone will wish they could escape.
Upbeat and Inspirational Speeches
The speech has to be upbeat and inspirational. When delivered as though the speaker is talking directly to each person present, it gains many points. Graduates become motivated to be the best they can be, as individuals and professionals, and even the remainder of people attending become inspired.
Remarkable Conclusion
Leave a lasting impression
While the opening of a speech is designed to captivate the attention of the audience, the conclusion is designed to leave a lasting impression. Often people will remember bits and pieces of what a speaker has said but the conclusion, if written and delivered properly, will stand out.
The conclusion can be a famous quote to be reiterated to the graduation class and their guests. However, it could simply be a point which has directed the life of the speaker on many occasions. Whatever the speaker chooses to share should be delivered in a manner to catch everyone's attention. For example, a quiet natured man who concludes his speech by shouting, "Reach for the stars, and don't quit in the face of adversity," will catch attention.
Furthermore, it will be a moment everyone will remember for years to come. They will talk about it and, perhaps, laugh about it. However, throughout the course of peoples' lives, these words will come back as a source of inspiration when life gets rough. It can be the fuel that lights the torch in others taking action to reach their goals despite the obstacles involved.
Graduation Gifts from CafePress
Looking for the perfect gift for a graduate in your life. Go no further! Check out these fabulous items!
Funny Graduation Retirement T Large Mug
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Wise Owl Journal
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Tassle Worth Hassle Male Messenger Bag
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Graduation/"Class of" - Throw Pillow
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REACH OUT AND GRAB IT.. Hooded Sweatshirt
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Graduation Gifts from Amazon
Looking for the perfect gift for a graduate in your life. Go no further! Check out these fabulous books!
So You Graduated College: A Financial Guide to Life After Graduation by Daniel Franklin
So You Graduated College is a book written specifi more...1 point
For the Graduate by Zondervan
Everywhere they go, graduates are bombarded with t more...0 points
Words to Live By: A Journal of Wisdom for Someone You Love by Emily Marshall, Kate Marshall
Give a one-of-a-kind gift that will be cherished f more...0 points
Wisdom For A High School Grad by Doug Barry
Following his hit title, "Wisdom for a Young more...0 points
How to Survive the Real World: Life After College Graduation: Advice from 774 Graduates Who Did (Hundreds of Heads Survival Guides)
After the parties, the frat rushes, the Big Test a more...0 points
Grad to Great by Anne Brown, Beth Zefo
Whether you are searching for your first job, or a more...0 points
Your impressions, please!
I'd love to hear your comments about my lens, and any other ideas you may have on how to prepare inpiring graduation speeches. Thanks!
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Reply
- jebb jebb Mar 29, 2009 @ 1:34 pm
- this is excellent! you might also want to check out 30 day challenge (for online businesses). I am halfway through it and can't speak highly enough of it.
also this is an excellent resource for graduates making their way in their careers:
Graduate Programs
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Reply
- James Burney James Burney Feb 24, 2009 @ 5:44 am
- This is a great site with some very, very useful information for putting togeather a brilliant speech.
Thanks
[=urlhttp://www.scribd.com/doc/12189805/Inspirational-speeches]Inspirational Speeches[/url]
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Reply
- Search Perfect Gifts Search Perfect Gifts Jun 11, 2008 @ 11:41 pm
- hi,
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Your opinions, please!
High school graduates sometimes feel it's best to take a break before going on to post-secondary education.
Do you think it's a good idea for high school graduates to take a year off before going to college or university?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes
No
youhavegottobekidding says:
It is really important that they must proceed to college immediately, coz sometimes when they take a 1 year break they would not proceed to college anymore.
Posted August 25, 2008
by Norma_Budden
Whenever time permits, I love to rea... (more)
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