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Write and Deliver An Inspiring Graduation Speech

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Writing Inspirational 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.

Photo credit: iStock Photo

Graduation Speech Contents:

Creating Memorable Graduation Speeches
The Crucial Opening
The importance of using every day language
Primary Message
Think back to your high school graduation ceremony
Memorable Delivery
Upbeat and Inspirational Speeches
Remarkable Conclusion
Your Opinion, Please!
Graduation Keepsakes
Blessed by the Following Lensmaster/s
Graduation Speech Guestbook

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.

Photo credit: Humboldt Herald

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 the next day?

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.

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Think back to your high school graduation ceremony

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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.

Photo credit: Flickr

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.

Photo credit: Flickr

Your Opinion, 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?

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Yes, if they need to save money first.

laureenr says:

Yes, if the person is undecided about what to study, a year's travelling and working could give that person a greater insight into life and into finding their real passion and inspiration.

Posted July 02, 2011

MattJoyce says:

Yes, practical work and life experience are essential for a successful future.

Posted June 17, 2011

Andrew says:

Yes, but only of one does something does meaningful in that time. Travel the world, volunteer in another country. The time away will help you focus what you want to achieve in life

Posted June 06, 2011

kimmanleyort says:

Well, I think it is such an individual decision. Sometimes,it can make all the difference in the world. I had a 17 year old niece, who took the year off to work across the country in Whistler, BC, then is doing service work in Kenya. I think she wil be so ready for University.

Posted June 05, 2011

skiesgreen says:

It depends on whether ot not passion flows for their chosen career. Sometimes the break can be too distracting. In other cases it can help them make up their mind on what they want to do

Posted June 02, 2011

No, it should never be considered.

hadijah says:

Posted August 23, 2011

melinda says:

no .....becaue alot can happen in that one year. I know from experience .....i am just now graduating at the age of 30........i did it and i encourage everyone who either droppped out of school or is thinking about dropping out dont ....please your education is very important nowadays ...

Posted April 21, 2011

distancelearningcourses says:

I will just say NO. You will loose interest if you will take 1 year break from continuity. So, continual process has to go without any break.

Posted March 23, 2011

graduation messages says:

no ,not at all,if u waste 1 year,there after you r not interested to go to college.

graduation messages

Posted June 18, 2010

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

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Graduation Keepsakes

Write and Deliver An Inspiring Graduation Speech by Norma Budden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

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