narrative essay about graduation ceremony

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My College Graduation Experience: Essay Example

• My College Graduation Experience
• Narrative essay writing service for students

We have previously discussed everything you need to know on how to write a personal narrative essay . For it to be successful, your narrative essay should leave an emotional impact on the audience. Its goal is to make the reader experience the narrative through imagination and the use of emotional language. It should also be able to reference elements and things that the senses can experience, which is why using vivid descriptions and details is crucial. Below is an example of a narrative essay , which is about college graduation. As we all know, graduations are emotional because it celebrates one of the most important milestones in an individual's life. Receiving your diploma after decades of hard work is an event one cannot simply brush off. The essay was donated by an anonymous writer, who believes that recounting her college graduation experience can not only help you understand how to write a personal narrative essay better but also inspire you to reach your own graduation day.

Many people around the world consider their college graduation day as a milestone, and rightfully so. It is, after all, a consolidation of decades of hard work and sacrifice. To an extent, I thought of it as the beginning of the realization of my goals. We started out with learning our ABCs and additions and subtractions, which later morphed into the complex forms of writing essays of various kinds and tear-jerking quadratic formulas. My journey to college was not easy situation either - to get to college, you need to  prepare for the SAT exams . Grades needed to be presentable, and learning how to  write an effective personal statement  was crucial. 

The aroma of coffee wafting through a sleepless night came back to me as I picked out my graduation dress. My mom accompanied me to a nearby store right outside town, and by the end of the shopping trip, we have settled into a nice cafe. It is amazing how for the first time in years, I get to enjoy a cup of coffee without the weight of the finals week on my back.

Today, I am wearing that same dress that brought me so many realizations. I also wear my toga and graduation cap, which I decorated on top with a collage of photos my family and myself - we are one of the lucky few who were allowed to exercise our creative spirits. I entered the venue, and thousands of thundering claps welcomed us. Speeches were made by various figures: the guest of honor, the administration, and so on. Another round of applause echoes as each class were asked to line up along the corridor. We were to wait for our turn to go the stage, where we will receive our school souvenirs. Everyone was excited, and when it was our turn to receive the items, we were happy. 

A little tribute was made for our teachers after that. As the class monitor, I was tasked to collect the bouquet of flowers provided for by the student council. We all stood up and sang a special song for our dear professors, which we have been practicing in secret. I looked at my favorite history professor, Ms. Tanika, and she smiled at me. Becoming friends with your professor is no easy task, but I am glad I found a true friend and mentor in her. I smiled back, and after that, I felt the wave of unexplainable sadness take over me. Sad that I will leave my educational years forever, along with Ms. Tanika as my mentor. Happy, however, over the fact that it is now my turn to make a difference in the world. 

Soon, we were in line once more to receive our diplomas. Although the venue was packed, I found my family by the stage as my name was called. I happily received my college diploma, the proof of all the years of my hard work. I was all smiles for the photographs and videos being taken, and I can only hope that they all look good! I need to remember this graduation day well for the rest of my life. 

When all of the diplomas and special awards were given, the school’s chairman, Mr. Gary Turner, asked us to all stand. He gave everyone in the hall a special blessing for our upcoming licensure examinations, which will be happening in two month’s time. This is unlike preparing for the SAT exams; the licensure will determine if we have the capacity to practice our field or not, and the state of nervousness came back as people around me remembered. I became just as nervous, but it quickly left once the speech was over. 

After the blessing and speech, the lights were dimmed and the white projector screen rolled down from the ceiling of the stage. The projector was opened, and there, a video was played. To many enthusiastic reactions, it was a video containing many videos and photographs of our batch. We laughed at silly photos, nervous smiles, and sleepless morning looks. By the end of it, many of us were wiping tears away. I looked and caught the eye of my friends, who smiled at me sadly. A lot of things will change - life after college will definitely be different, especially when it comes to friendship. I hope we stay the same, though. 

As the lights went back up again, we stood up to sing the school song. It was the finale of the entire ceremony, and our very last time of singing the school song. For the first time since I got here, I heard my fellow students sing the school song with so much happiness and pride. I sang along with them, and I felt such fondness for my school and all the memories I have built here. After that, it was over. The host congratulated and thanked us. We were directed to the canteen after that for some refreshments, where I reunited my family. 

None of us touched those juice cocktails, however, as we began taking so many photos. I posed with each member of my family, and then posed for several more by myself holding my diploma. After that, my friends and I went on our way to find each other. After eating a few of those finger foods served in platters, like spring rolls and select chips, we began taking photos once more. We decided to leave the canteen and walk around the campus, clad in our heels and toga still. Our diplomas were safely tucked away in the bags of our mothers. 

Walking around the campus and chatting away brought back a sense of nostalgia, despite feeling elated that I have finally conquered the hell that is college. We decided to settle on our favorite spot, a little hidden garden behind the College of Law building. We talked about our upcoming exams, our plans, and of course, the reality of life catching up to our friendship.

Soon, we had to part ways - respective celebrations with our families needed to happen. On the way back, however, I felt something I have never felt before. It seemed like a fusion of feelings, different emotions attacking all at once. The feeling grew when I got ready for bed that night. I will miss my friends, my mentors, and my school. Things will never be the same again, and that part of my life is done and over. I looked back and realized so much. I hated those schooling days as it happened. I hated waking up early, I hated sorting through my homework trying to finish them in one night. I hated all the times I went through finals week and what really happens during it, and all the instant ramen I had to eat - I wished I had learned more college dorm meal recipes. But, even though I have been through one of the most challenging times of my life, I realized that I will miss all of that. 

I will never get those days back again, and although the thought is sad, I have my entire life facing me now. It is now time to make my mark in the world.

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Personal Narrative Essay: Graduation

It was the last quarter of my senior year at Hixson High School. During my baseball season in the month of March, I had fractured the left side of my orbital bone, along with some of my cheekbone, in a game, and had gotten Corona all at the same time. This was probably one of my lowest points in high school. I thought to myself that I wasn’t going to be able to finish the senior year of High School that I had wished for. This made me behind on my schoolwork and almost didn’t make me graduate. 

By the time of my injury to the graduation ceremony, my grades were starting to drop. I had not done a lot of the assignments from when I was absent, so in both my English and State Dual Credit Statistics class, I was failing. I was failing up until the week before graduation. I was so stressed and couldn’t figure out what to do. I turned in my assignments and my teachers helped me out and pushed me to turn them in, and as soon as I got every assignment in, my grades were barely passing. I finished with an 85 in English and a 78 in SDC Statistics. I was able to graduate and get my diploma.

I had arrived at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Along with my classmates and I, we were so excited and relieved to be able to be at graduation. My graduation ceremony took place at 7 pm, and if you could imagine how very humid it was on that day. I was sweating like a turkey on Thanksgiving. I wanted to take off my cap and gown as soon as I put it on and got in line to walk to the field of the stadium. All  graduating seniors, including me, looked super excited. So excited, in fact, that one girl even passed out for a brief moment. One of our nursing teachers helped get her up on her feet and moving again. After an hour or so, it was finally time to walk to our seats on the field. We walked onto the field and one side of the stadium was filled with proud families. The whole right side of the stadium was full of loud and cheering families who were so thrilled to see one of their own make it.  Then we all walked to our seats and sat down. After, our classmates talked, along with some of our teachers. They were talking about all the memories we made along the way, and all the memories they are going to miss. The teachers who spoke, praised all of us and were so happy that we had made it.  It was finally time to get our diploma. I waited a few minutes because my last name is Satterfield, and as you could tell, I was near the back. Finally they said it was my seating row's turn to go up to the stage. They called my name and my principal shook my hand and handed me my diploma. As soon as I held that diploma in my hand, I got a wave of goosebumps and a huge sigh of relief. I did it. I achieved a milestone that I will never forget for the rest of my life.

I interviewed my mother, Kathy Robinson. She was the main reason I was able to graduate high school and be successful in school. She is currently a Real Estate Agent for Keller-Williams Realty and joined the realty business when I was in 7th grade. My mother is my motivator in life. I am very thankful for her. 

Me: Can you describe to me your emotions as I cross the stage to get my diploma?

Mom: “I got really teary, I was so relieved that you were able to graduate. I was so relieved that I borrowed a whole stack of tissues from your aunt, that she had brought herself, and was crying so much.”

Me: Can you talk about my injury and taking care of me while I had covid?

Mom: “I knew that it was difficult for you. Missing out on school, baseball, and hanging out with your friends and all was tough. You slacked during this time,and you and I both know that. At the end, you were able to push through and finish. I was really proud of you, and I can’t wait to see what you are able to do in college.”

After I got my high school diploma, I immediately tried to look for my family in the stands. I tried to look for my mom, stepdad, my siblings, dad, grandparents, and my aunt. However; I could not find where they were until after the whole ceremony. The relief of stress and happiness I saw on my mother’s face when I finally did it, is something I will never forget for the rest of my life. The reason she looked so relieved was that I had been struggling with how to finish school. I would always get lazy and not want to do any of the school work. 

I think it is an important story because it shows that you shouldn’t think that it's the end for you. Persevere and push yourself to do better, and want better for yourself. Don’t just settle for mediocre. I’ve learned a lot of lessons along the way, and these lessons helped shape me and help become the person I am today. And if there is one message I would like to give to someone is never think you’ve hit rock bottom. There’s going to be times in your life where you think that things aren’t going to work out for you, or go your way, but don’t tap out and quit. I’ve learned the hard way that in life there is no quitting. There is always a better solution, or a better way, to figure things out.

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My graduation day essay 8 models

My graduation day essay ,the celebration of the graduation ceremony was through a beautiful party held by the school under the auspices of the principal of the school and attended by students and teachers and parents of the students and provided some entertainment shows.

My graduation day essay

Today, my school has held an annual graduation ceremony in which high school students are enrolled after passing the tests successfully and exceeding them and offering them certificates of appreciation and praise for their good conduct and discipline during the academic year.

The ceremony began by greeting the student who presented the ceremony to the principal of the school, the masters of the teachers, the masters of the parents and the dear students.

And a student with a beautiful voice read the Holy Quran, Then a third student introduced Hadith Sharif urging to seek knowledge, and then the acting group presented a short comedy play.

This play dealt with the difference between the diligent student who makes every effort to collect the science and the failed student who does not know the value of science and learning.

After that,  the principal of the school presented a speech in which he praised the students and praised the teachers for their great efforts to teach their students and encourage them to innovate and help them to solve the problems they experienced, whether academic or social problems. He wished the students more excellence and success

One of the teachers called the names of the first students and were honored by the principal of the school who gave them certificates of appreciation .

The students also gave each other a wish, hoping for success in the coming years. And everyone went away and each of the students carries a beautiful memory inside him about the years he spent in school and about his friends who spent the most beautiful time with them.

My graduation day

There is no doubt that every student dreams of his graduation day and is waiting for it impatiently. I can describe this last year before I moved to university as the most difficult. When you wait for time to pass, it becomes too long,

So I got up at 9 and get ready to go to prom, I am so excited this day is finally coming , I have been waiting for so long where I  can live more freely, move out of my parents’ house, live on my own and rely on myself, work and stay up late.  As well as entering the university that I always dreamed of and worked hard to reach.

Here I am getting up, getting dressed, and going to meet my friends before going to the party. I would very much like to go out today with my friends, and attend the dance, I would also like to give a simple speech to thank the principal, teachers and staff at the school, it has been a happy 11 years. I am very happy that they passed well, without any problems.

He is very excited to face tomorrow and learn more new experiences. On this day, when went down the stairs, I heard a surprise word, congratulations on graduation. Some cheers and small encouraging fireworks.

My family was very happy with my graduation and they wore their best clothes to attend the awards ceremony. They brought a camera to photograph me and take some other pictures for my friends for memory.

Of course everything was great at the party and I was very happy when I heard my name and got my graduation certificate.

Graduation essay

There is no doubt that graduation is the dream of every student who strived and struggled for this moment, until he moved to another stage of education, or in order to finish school education completely and move to learn from the real life and collide with life.

Of course, education does not end in a person’s life except with his death, as he can learn a lot through life and those around him.

Therefore, we see education as mere stages, we seek to finish it in schools and move to a larger stage, in which we find difficulties and challenges, which encourage us to learn again, and make us more challenging and determined to excel in it, so that we can benefit from it and rely on it in our next future, whether at work. or living.

Therefore, graduation day represents for us the satisfactory reward for the struggle and persistence we have achieved in education, from the first day of school until the last day.

Graduation day essay

Graduation day is one of the wonderful days that we are all impatiently waiting for, and we are trying to prepare for it, whether in preparing the appropriate clothes for this occasion, or knowing who we will accompany at the graduation ceremony, and preparing many things that we will do on this day, and how we will close a page and open a new page for a new stage of education, whether in an advanced stage of education or completion of studies, and learning from life and facing and merging with real life began.

Graduation day is always the biggest prize for hard work and continuous effort in education. It also represents a new  starting point, which helps us to remember that we were able to overcome the past, and we will certainly overcome what will come, and there will be no difficulties, and we have a new goal that we will strive to achieve.

This is my graduation day. A lot of joy at the end of a stage, and a new challenge with a lot of effort and fatigue, I will receive it without fear or hesitation, I will strive to achieve success in it, so that I can celebrate my success again.

Short essay about graduation

Graduation is a dream that many people are waiting for. Our goal from the beginning of our education is to reach the end of the educational stage, and to graduate so that we can begin our practical life and meet life and society with what we have learned. We prove to ourselves that we can excel and succeed.

Everyone has dreams and ambitions, which he postpones until he can succeed in the educational stages and graduate.

So today, we are witnessing our first goal and dream, which is graduation, at which we will stand a little without thinking about what will come next, and enjoy this moment, which represents our success and appreciation of our fatigue and continuous effort to reach this happy moment.

For me and for many friends, this is the beginning of success, through which we prove that we can go out for life and fight all difficulties.

Our graduation today proves that we are capable of patience, learning, diligence, and continuing to learn, no matter the circumstances, and not giving up on something we do no matter what difficulties we face.

Today we are honored and a graduation ceremony is held for us as proof of our excellence and success. It may not be the greatest success in the universe, but it is certainly the first step on the ladder of success, after which we will strive to achieve more successes and superiorities.

Therefore, I am grateful and appreciate the role of those in charge of the study, and the role of my father and mother who stood by me so that I could continue my studies and education, and my friends. I hope to be as good as they think and achieve the best for myself and them.

Short essay about graduation day

There is no doubt that the graduation day represents a great victory for all students, an overwhelming feeling of happiness and self-realization, and that we can succeed and overcome difficulties and obstacles, and most importantly, overcome our fears that always tell us that we cannot succeed.

Therefore, the graduation day represents a great celebration for all students, for their achievement and excellence throughout the year, and appreciation for their efforts, fatigue and perseverance they made in order to obtain the highest grades.

Therefore, the gathering of all students at the end of the year ceremony, during which they are honored for the end of the semester and their success, is a great victory, and a new starting point for another stage, they see themselves going to it and achieving excellence in what is to come.

Essay about graduation day in elementary

It is wonderful to feel accomplished since childhood and to have a graduation day celebration in the primary stage. This makes us feel energetic and ready to face the next stage, and we are ready to progress year after year until we reach the university and graduate from it.

Of course, the primary stage is important because it is where the student is founded on everything, from the beginning of teaching letters to reading, arithmetic, and learning other languages.

Therefore, the day of graduation in the primary stage represents a great victory, because in it the basics were dug that will remain permanent for the rest of life, and whatever we learned in childhood lasts for old age.

My graduation day short essay

The graduation day for me and a lot of friends and other people is a day of honor for the effort spent throughout the year. In addition to the motivation that helps us advance to the next stage with eagerness and love. We have hope and optimism that we will be able to pass this stage as well and graduate from it, until we completely finish our university studies.

Then we will begin in practical life, learning all the requirements of life and career, so that we integrate into society and benefit from what we have learned, and re-present it in new projects, ideas and innovations.

Also, the graduation day is another happiness, because of the gathering of friends and family, the celebration of this day, the costumes, the music, and the speech we give.

All of this makes us feel happy and optimistic, and makes us feel self-fulfilling, and we are happier if the parents are present and thank us for completing this stage and graduating from it. This gives a great feeling and appreciation from them for what we have achieved in the study.

In this way, we have given you a topic about My graduation day essay ,and you can read more through the following link:

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

• The Speaker Lab
• March 7, 2024

Table of Contents

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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Graduation Speech Essay

“ Honored guests , dear graduates, welcome. Congratulations to all graduates.” Have you ever in your life been told to make a graduation speech? If you have, how was it? If you haven’t but want to know how, this article is your go to help for that. A graduation speech essay is like any other type of essay that is only made for a specific type of event . Listed below are the following, tips, examples and definitions to help you make a good graduation speech essay for your next graduation ceremony .

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Defining Graduation

Defining the term graduation, we get the act of finishing a course you have undergone to study for years at an institution. The event of which you are officially done and complete.

Defining Speech

Speech is the act of expressing one’s own thoughts, ideas, suggestions and opinions. The ability to express something that we want to share in private and public like discourse.

Defining Essay

An essay is a piece of writing that is both formal and informal. This shows the author’s own ideas for discourse. However the author’s own ideas are often too vague as they overlap with those like articles, letters and stories.

Defining Graduation Speech

This type of speech is mostly given by a student, seldom a teacher, the principal of a high school, or the dean of a university, or a college graduating batch and to the guests. This type of speech is written to commemorate each student’s achievements, aspirations, dreams, goals, their past experiences and their future. This is also the type of speech given to honor outstanding students in the graduating class.

Importance of Graduation Speech

The main use of this type of speech is to give information to the audience about the graduates themselves. This speech is not trying to persuade the audience to agree or to disagree nor is it trying to start an argument. This speech is mainly to give ideas and information.

Tips to Make a Graduation Speech

You are about to make the biggest step of your life, to face new challenges. But before you are able to do so, the biggest challenge you are facing right now is making a graduation speech for your fellow graduates. Now you are wondering what are you going to write about as well as what tone of writing do you want to convey to your fellow graduates. Here are some tips on making that graduation speech that would move every student attending .

• Think about it : What do you want to say in your speech? Do you want to thank the people behind your success? You may do so in the speech.
• Make it Personal : When you write the graduation essay speech, the best thing is to make it as personal as it can. Also without making it all about you either. When writing that speech put yourself in your fellow graduates’ shoes. How does it feel for them to be a part of this event? Start from there.
• Motivation:  Put some motivational statements or phrases in your speech. This will also help make your fellow graduates feel good in pursuing their dreams.
• Familiarize your speech: As much as possible, do not memorize your speech . Be familiarize with it since you are not allowed to bring your speech in front to read it.
• Eye contact:  Make eye contact with your audience. Make them feel how you are feeling when you stand up on stage to make your speech.

Why am I not allowed to bring a copy of my speech?

Chances are you are more likely to read and not make eye contact with the audience. This must be avoided at all costs. Be familiar with your speech, you need not have to remember word by word.

Is it okay to put some of our triumphs and failures in the speech?

As long as it’s in a form of motivating and not in a way to bring someone down.

Why is a graduation speech so important?

This is the type of speech that caters to the graduates themselves. It is compared to a pep talk and an appreciation speech at the same time. It is to let the students know their efforts were not in vain. It is to show them that they did a good job and to keep excelling in their future endeavors.

A graduation speech can come in different lengths, depending on the one making the speech. But for you to remember, this type of speech is to show appreciation for the efforts done by students and their mentors. It is to give them a tap in the back for a job well done. When making the graduation speech, make it from the heart.

A good graduation speech gives out a lot of emotional messages as well as heartfelt thanks, as well as a motivational speech for those who need it. The next time you are told to make one, simply follow the tips, download the example templates found in this article. To all graduates, congratulations and good luck on your future endeavors!

Graduation Speech Essay Generator

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Graduation Speech: Complete Guide & Inspiring Graduation Speech Examples

Ready to toss your caps in the air and bid farewell to the hallowed halls of academia? 

Not so fast…There’s one final thing left to learn about: graduation speeches!

Sure, they might seem like just another routine part of commencement, but graduation speeches are much more than just a formality. 

From tear-jerking tales to laugh-out-loud lessons, the best graduation speeches can be vehicles to share wisdom, life lessons, and unforgettable memories. 

Maybe you’re feeling uncertain about how to craft a graduation speech that people actually want to hear… Or wondering what can turn a good one into a great one…Or, simply looking for inspiration on memorable graduation speech examples. 

Read on to explore all of the above and more in this comprehensive guide on graduation speeches. 

• What is a graduation speech?
• What is the purpose of a graduation speech?

What makes a great graduation speech?

• Steps to Write a Student Graduation Speech [7 Steps]
• Inspiring Graduation Speech Examples [8 Examples]

What is a graduation speech? 

First things first: Let’s define what a graduation speech is exactly. 

A graduation speech is more than just a ceremonial tradition —it’s a speech that combines a heartfelt send-off, a final farewell, and a celebration of achievement all rolled into one.

These speeches are typically delivered by a selected speaker, such as a notable figure, a faculty member, or a student representative, at the commencement, or graduation ceremony.

But what exactly is the purpose behind these speeches, and why do we place such importance on them?

A graduation speech serves as a symbolic bridge between the academic journey and the adventures that lie ahead. It’s a chance for speakers to reflect on the accomplishments, challenges, and growth experienced by graduates throughout their academic careers. And most importantly, it’s an opportunity to share some wisdom, inspiration, and encouragement as graduates embark on their next chapter.

What is the purpose of a graduation speech? 

The purpose of a graduation speech varies depending on the context and the goals of the speaker. But generally, it serves several key purposes:

Let’s break it down:

• Celebrate: Graduation is a big deal, right? So, the speech is a way to celebrate all the hard work and sweat equity that graduates have contributed towards their student experience. And its graduation is a huge achievement worth celebrating!
• Inspire and Motivate: Many graduates feel nervous and apprehensive about what comes next after graduation. As happy as they may be to finally be graduating, many students feel a sense of confusion and discouragement about the future. Graduation speeches are meant to motivate and encourage the graduating class as they wrap up their student experience. It’s all about making them feel inspired as they look towards their future.
• Reflect: Remember all those fun times you had in school? Even the monotonous and routine hustle of being in school will become times you can look back on, joke about, and reminisce on for the rest of your life. Graduation speeches offer a chance to look back on the graduating class memories and once-in-a-lifetime experience.
• Bringing Everyone Together: Graduation is a time for friends, family, and teachers to come together and cheer the graduating class on. The speech helps everyone feel connected and proud of what’s been achieved.
• Closure: Graduation speeches offer closure to the academic journey, providing a symbolic farewell and a sense of completion to graduates as they bid farewell to their alma mater. 
• Legacy: Graduation speeches leave a lasting legacy for graduates, offering timeless wisdom, inspiration, and guidance that they can carry with them as they embark on their future endeavors. They serve as a reminder of the values, lessons, and aspirations that define the graduate experience and shape the path forward.

Overall, the purpose of a graduation speech is to leave a lasting impact on the audience, imparting valuable insights, encouragement, and inspiration that resonate long after the ceremony has ended.

Great graduation speeches captivate audiences by weaving together universal themes, inspiring messages, and deep reflection to create a memorable and inspiring experience.

So what makes a graduation speech great ? While every speech is unique in itself, there are some common elements that all great speeches have.

Here are some key elements that contribute to a great graduation speech:

• Authenticity: A great graduation speech is authentic and genuine, reflecting the speaker’s personality, values, and experiences. 
• Personal Touch: Incorporating personal anecdotes, stories, and reflections adds depth and emotional resonance to a graduation speech. Sharing personal experiences allows the speaker to connect with the audience and make the speech more engaging.
• Inspiring Message: A great graduation speech delivers an inspiring and uplifting message that motivates graduates to embrace their potential, pursue their passions, and make a difference in the world. The message should be positive, empowering, and filled with hope for the future.
• Relevance: A great graduation speech is relevant to the occasion and the audience, addressing the unique challenges, triumphs, and experiences shared by graduates. It acknowledges the journey they’ve been on and offers guidance as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.
• Clear Structure: A well-structured graduation speech flows smoothly from one point to the next, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
• Engaging Delivery: A great graduation speech is delivered with passion, energy, and enthusiasm, capturing the attention and interest of the audience from start to finish. 
• Humor and Wit: Incorporating humor and wit into a graduation speech can lighten the mood, break the ice, and make the speech more enjoyable for the audience. Humorous anecdotes, clever wordplay, and well-timed jokes can add charm to the speech, making it more entertaining.
• Universal Themes: A great graduation speech explores universal truths that resonate with all graduates, regardless of their background or experiences. It touches on timeless values such as perseverance, resilience, gratitude, and the power of human connection, inspiring graduates to embrace these principles as they navigate life’s challenges.

By incorporating these elements into your own graduation speech, you can create memorable, inspiring, and impactful words that leave a lasting impression on everyone in attendance.

Steps to Write a Student Graduation Speech

Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of writing a graduation speech? That’s normal! 

Even for famous and/or notable figures, writing a commencement or graduation speech can be a nerve-wracking experience.

And while writing a commencement speech may seem like a daunting task, breaking it down into basic steps can make the process more manageable and enjoyable.

Here’s a simple guide to help you craft a memorable and inspiring graduation speech:

Step 1: Understand Your Audience

Before you begin writing your speech, take some time to understand your audience. That is, the graduating class, faculty and staff, and family and friends of everyone involved in the ceremony. 

Consider the demographics of the graduates, their interests, experiences, and the significance of the occasion.

Tailoring your speech to resonate with the audience will make it more relatable and impactful.

Step 2: Choose a Theme or Message

Every great speech has a central theme or message that ties everything together. 

Think about what you want to convey to the graduates—whether it’s words of wisdom, encouragement, or reflections on their journey.

Choose a theme that resonates with the occasion and reflects your personal values and experiences.

Step 3: Brainstorm Ideas and Stories

Once you have a theme in mind, brainstorm ideas, stories, and anecdotes that support your message.

Reflect on your own experiences, lessons learned, and moments of inspiration that you can share with the graduates.

Consider incorporating personal stories, quotes, or examples that illustrate your points and make them more memorable.

Step 4: Create an Outline

Organize your ideas into a clear and coherent outline for your speech.

Start with an introduction that grabs the audience’s attention and introduces your theme. Then, outline the main points you want to cover in the body of the speech. Use supporting stories and examples to illustrate each point.

Finally, conclude your speech with powerful closing remarks that reinforces your message and leaves a lasting impression.

Step 5: Write the Speech

With your outline as a guide, start writing your speech , focusing on clarity, conciseness, and authenticity.

Write in a conversational tone, as if you’re speaking directly to the graduates, and use concise language.

Be sure to include transitions between sections to help the speech flow smoothly and keep the audience engaged.

Step 6: Edit and Revise

Once you’ve written a draft of your speech, take time to edit and revise it for clarity, coherence, and impact.

Cut out any unnecessary or repetitive information, and refine your language to make it more concise and compelling.

Pay attention to pacing, tone, and rhythm, and make sure your speech is well-balanced and engaging from start to finish.

Step 7: Practice, Practice, Practice

Finally, practice delivering your speech aloud multiple times to ensure smooth delivery and confident presentation.

Pay attention to your pacing, timing, hand gestures , and body language, and make adjustments as needed. 

Practicing your speech will help you feel more comfortable and confident on the day of the graduation ceremony.

Here are some tips to help you write a memorable speech:

• Share Your Journey: Reflect on your time in school, highlighting challenges you overcame, lessons you learned, and accomplishments you achieved.
• Inspire with Stories: Share inspiring anecdotes or life lessons that have shaped you and can resonate with your peers.
• Express Gratitude: Thank teachers, family, and friends for their support and guidance throughout your academic journey.
• Offer Encouragement: Provide motivation and encouragement to your fellow graduates as they embark on their future endeavors.

By following these basic steps and tips, you can write a graduation speech that is memorable and impactful, leaving a lasting impression on graduates and audience members for years to come.

8 Inspiring Graduation Speech Examples

If you’re looking to get inspired or need some examples to work from, check out some of the most memorable graduation speeches delivered by today’s notable figures. 

These speeches showcase how some of the world’s most influential people have delivered impactful messages of change, hard work, success, and life lessons to graduating classes throughout the years.

By incorporating personal stories, motivational quotes, and heartfelt advice, these examples showcase the profound impact a well-crafted speech can have on any audience.

While we’ve only featured eight graduation speech examples here, please note that there are countless other inspiring speeches that you can learn from throughout history. A quick online search will help guide you in the direction of more examples if you don’t find what you’re looking for in this list. 

#1 – Steve Jobs’ Stanford University Graduation Speech (2005)

Jobs’s speech is a classic for a reason. He challenged graduates to “stay hungry, stay foolish,” and to never lose sight of their dreams. 

#2 – Oprah Winfrey’s Harvard University Graduation Speech (2013)

Oprah Winfrey reflects on her own journey to success, emphasizing the importance of finding purpose, serving others, and remaining true to oneself in the face of adversity.

#3 –  Chadwick Boseman’s Howard University Graduation Speech (2018)

The late Chadwick Boseman, shortly before his passing, delivered an inspiring speech about the power of purpose and never giving up on your dreams.

#4 – J.K. Rowling’s Harvard University Graduation Speech (2008)

J.K. Rowling shares insights on the benefits of failure and the importance of imagination, empathy, and resilience in overcoming life’s challenges and achieving success.

#5 – Michelle Obama’s CCNY Graduation Speech (2016)

Michelle Obama reflects on the power of education and the importance of resilience, determination, and hope in overcoming obstacles and achieving one’s dreams.

#6 – David Foster Wallace’s Kenyon College Graduation Speech (2005)

David Foster Wallace’s speech, titled “This is Water,” is a profound meditation on mindfulness and empathy. Wallace delivers a thought-provoking speech about the value of mindfulness, empathy, and perspective in leading a meaningful and fulfilling life.

#7 – Satya Nadella’s University of Chicago Graduation Speech (2018)

The CEO of Microsoft spoke about the future of technology and the need for human-centered innovation. Nadella shares insights on the role of empathy, curiosity, and continuous learning in driving innovation and success in today’s rapidly changing world.

#8 – Ken Burns’ Stanford University Graduation Speech (2016)

The documentarian urged graduates to be curious, to challenge themselves, and to fight for what they believe in.

Learn From Graduation Speech Examples From Notable Figures

As we’ve seen from speeches like the ones listed above, throughout history, famous individuals have delivered impactful speeches that resonate with audiences and offer valuable lessons for graduates.

So how do these notable figures inspire through their speeches?

• Emphasizing Change: Notable figures often highlight the importance of embracing change and adapting to new beginnings in their speeches.
• Hard Work and Success: Through personal anecdotes, they stress the significance of hard work and determination in achieving success.
• Life Lessons: Graduation speeches by renowned figures are filled with insightful life lessons that guide and motivate graduates on their journey ahead.
• Words of Encouragement: Notable graduation speeches give encouragement, confidence, and hope to the audience as they move ahead.

Throughout this guide, we’ve explored how these speeches are more than just a routine part of commencement—they’re opportunities to share wisdom, life lessons, and unforgettable memories.

Whether you were feeling uncertain about crafting a speech that resonates or curious about the secrets behind turning a good speech into a great one, we’ve covered it all.

As you step onto the stage to deliver your graduation speech, remember the power you hold. Inspire, uplift, and connect us all! 

Here’s to making your mark and leaving a lasting impression as you embark on the next chapter of your journey!

Whether you’re giving a graduation speech or a TEDx talk, this free guide will help expand your reach.

Check out more great articles from the Thought-Leader Blog covering TEDx Talks, success mindsets, and everything else in between

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Yale Daily News

PERSONAL ESSAY: On Graduating in a Pandemic

Contributing Reporter

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Four years ago, I entered Yale as part of the class of 2021, and now the year I both dreaded and anticipated is here. It’s 2021; my senior spring. What I imagined would be a victory lap after three and a half of the best years of my life looks a lot more like a slog to an ever-moving finish line. Almost every part of my imagined college experience has changed, and these changes due to COVID — multiplied over the thousands of seniors graduating this year and last — produce an impact that we will feel for years to come.

My former suitemates, whom I’ve spent many nights with imagining the future, are now in different cities across the U.S. When I first came to Yale, my idealized college experience was centered around our suite unit; I imagined that we would weather four years of Yale, then enter the rest of the world together. Instead, only three out of my six suitemates from sophomore year are still graduating in 2021, and all of us are headed to very different futures than we had imagined. What remains of our graduating class resembles my ex-suite: altered plans and changed people, staggering in unexpected new directions. 

I called those of my former suitemates who are still graduating — pseudonymized here as Paris, Maia and Luisa — and we discussed where we might be in the next couple years. The following are imagined futures loosely based upon these conversations.

In 2024, PARIS lives in a sun-soaked 15th-story apartment, the fourth or fifth she’s lived in since graduating, with a windowsill full of plants: philodendrons, African violets, basil, a Venus flytrap. Her dark hair is now short, shorter than it’s been since college, and her apartment-mates are what she would describe as “boss ladies.” Her phone beeps with a text from one of the teenage girls that she works with at her job as a community organizer; the sound wakes up her pitbull, who lazily flaps an ear and curls back up against the back of her desk chair.

It will be three years since Paris left New Haven and fled to new cities to escape a suffocating senior year spent in quarantine. Feeling that COVID catapulted her prematurely into adulthood, Paris ran in the opposite direction of a stable “adult” job. After graduating, she spent time backpacking in South America, teaching in Spain and organizing in Philadelphia. She went wherever there was movement and action and young people. The wanderer lifestyle she chose was in direct reaction to the sensation of being stuck.

Paris has switched therapists several times over the course of the three years because she always felt like progress wasn’t being made in sessions. Somehow, the pandemic never quite leaves the conversation. Her wanderlust and rejection of normal, “age-appropriate” behavior feels like the continuation of senior year: no demarcation between one chapter ending and another beginning; continual limbo. Her near-excessive accumulation of plants, pets, books, artwork, things , according to her newest therapist, Alicia, represents the anchors that Paris uses to prevent herself from floating away entirely. And her retreat from many of the friends she had made in college, Alicia tells her, may be the response to having grown disconnected from the emotional states of others — she feels alone, and has come to believe that she is alone in feeling alone. Everyone else is a monolith of unrelatable, happy people and she quickly falls away from them, feeling like there is little mutual ground for conversation left.

In 2023, MAIA has joined the consulting company that she has worked for since sophomore summer. She still keeps in touch with a handful of people from college, but she spends most of her time texting her cohort at work about the ever-changing demands of their entertainment industry clientele. Maia recently started seeing someone, but she realizes she doesn’t have a lot of patience for things like nights out. She occasionally does productions with a local theater group, but even that feels like work sometimes.

Graduation had been dampened by so many other competing demands. What once was celebratory and important, had become decidedly… not. Maia rationalized to herself that graduation mattered so little in the context of people losing their loved ones to a raging virus; she had herself so thoroughly convinced that by the time the virtual event came and went, it had long been classified as a forgettable memory. Pomp and circumstance, the commemoration of accomplishment — all foreign concepts. Change was dulled; the anticlimactic feeling of leaving college and starting work was further reinforced by having already spent six months at home, unable to see friends, with the only noticeable change in her day-to-day being a Zoom link with a corporate header instead of a Yale one. 

Now a full-fledged member of the workforce, Maia finds that there was no celebration there either. At a company that had once mailed their prospective employees cupcakes to woo them into signing, Maia has not yet tasted a single company-sponsored dessert nor attended a cheese-tasting event. There is no more wining and dining, much less company-sponsored recreation, and even a reduction in company merch. She tells herself, logically, they know you won’t reject a job during COVID, and they are right. And who am I to complain when others are unemployed? The work we do is the most important thing, anyway, she tells herself. The days of after-show parties and spontaneous happy hours are long gone.

Instead of fun with friends, the pleasures of life look a lot more like solitude at home. Since senior year, Maia has begun to enjoy the growth she notices in herself. She has learned more about how to be an adult — cooking recipes, paying rent, being able to decide when to start working and when to stop (the stopping is still hard sometimes). She feels gratitude for the friends that she still talks to from   time to time, and for the ordinary things like warm showers and cold drinks. She is getting better at being alone.

In 2022, LUISA, with her plaid backpack and teal Yeti rambler (the same one from sophomore year of Yale), is back to the books, spending most of her time exactly where she had planned for senior year: in libraries and coffee shops. The backdrop has changed, but the rhythms of academia remain a wonderful constant. She misses stability so much that her craving for certainty makes her return to school. The master’s degree wasn’t part of the plan, but neither was this virus, and school feels like the closest thing to normal, even if everything has to be from a laptop.

Luisa is impressed with herself for how well she deals with unmet expectations. Friendships were permanently fractured because of the distance created by the pandemic, and past Luisa would have been torn up every night. Instead, she feels a sense of emptiness where there once lived feelings like attachment. “ Maybe if we had been sophomores, the gaps would have slowly been closed again over time , but because of the lasting impression of people in masks keeping distance, dwindingly friendships a year out seem only natural,” she writes in her brand-new Moleskine — teal, like the rambler. The premature separation from her classmates by geographical location, by gap-year “1.5” graduating class divisions, by on- and off-campus, sucks. Luisa feels like they had been rushed into the next phase of their lives before even making it to the climax of the current one. All the more reason, she thinks, to tether herself to some semblance of normalcy: Her weekly course calendar is something she can rely on.

It’s 2021 and I sit in my off-campus apartment, daydreaming about the future and wondering where this spring season will take us. I stare outside the window, wondering when I’ll finally be free from this longing feeling for a chance to gather with my ex-suitemates, to be free of hypervigilance about safety and cleanliness, to just have a sleepover or meet a new friend without worry. I think about my plans to stay in the city next year, and about all the missed potential from an ideal senior year.

The only thing I appreciate is this: Right before we got sent home, I was hurtling toward disaster, going 100 miles per minute into the future, and COVID forced me to slow down. I was forced to recognize the beauty in the slow. Graduation has historically been all about projecting into the future — anticipating what’s to come, cherishing the bright spots within these precious college years, formation and self-discovery in an ever-accelerating landscape. Pandemic graduation seems to be about having the brakes thrown into our plans, and being forced to sit still and alone for a very long time. 

Every year, college grads bid goodbye to their family away from home. The difference, this year and the last, is that we did not see our goodbyes coming. Who knew that the last time we’d see Jimmy from Davenport was that final Friday in “Game Theory,” or that we should have hugged Collin from FOOT goodbye when we passed him on the street? Our plans changed; the people in our lives changed. Some of us who thought we would stay in New Haven exited this pandemic deciding it was time to go; and others who entered thinking it was a get-the-degree and get-out situation, found themselves wanting to stay just one more year in New Haven. One more normal year. Disparities and distance grew between the employed and the still-searching; our support systems, the ones that should have been solidified during these past four years, are flimsy at best as we get shuttled into the rest of our adult lives. And yet we persist. We try to bring back the dinners, the movie nights. We make plans once again. We gather as a suite on Zoom and dream out loud about the people we’ll meet, the things we’ll do and the places we’ll go once we graduate into this pandemic and out into the rest of the world. Each of us four departing seniors head in different directions, none of us knowing exactly where we will land. All we have to fuel us onward are some precious memories of the good old days, and faith that we are resilient enough to get through graduating, even in a pandemic.

Kalina Mladenova

Home — Essay Samples — Education — High School — My High School Graduation Speech

My High School Graduation Speech

• Categories: High School

About this sample

Words: 600 |

Published: Aug 15, 2021

Words: 600 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

High School Graduation Speech

Works cited.

• Jobs, S. (2005). Stanford Commencement Address. Retrieved from https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505/
• Ellison, M. (2019). The Power of Perseverance: True Success is Found in the Journey. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
• Carnegie, D. (2010). How to Win Friends and Influence People. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
• Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York, NY: Random House.
• Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The Story of Success. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
• Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
• Pink, D. H. (2009). Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.
• Duckworth, A. L. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. New York, NY: Scribner.
• Cain, S. (2013). Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. New York, NY: Crown Publishers.
• Brown, B. (2012). Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. New York, NY: Avery.

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FROM LATIN SPEECHES TO SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS: A Guide to Emory’s Evolving Commencement Traditions

No matter your role on that auspicious day in May — excited graduate, proud family member, engaged faculty, staff or alumni — Commencement ends too soon.

Cameras do their part , brought out in droves to record the moment, reminding us of all that Emory’s graduates have achieved. Still, during Commencement ceremonies, so much passes in a blur. It has always been thus, even in the earliest years when Emory graduations were marathons of speechifying (sometimes, painfully, in Latin).

Long-held anticipation of the big day gives way too soon to closing remarks. Caps are sent sailing, some bearing messages. The last notes of the recessional linger just a moment in the air. A new phase in the life of these extraordinary Emory alumni has begun.

 More than a few of us want the frames to move more slowly and the chance to take everything in. Here, then, is a guide to Emory Commencement traditions old and new — a hedge against forgetting this special scene on a day of joyful distractions.

Image captions

Academic dress got its start with the founding of European universities beginning in the 12 th century and then saw changes introduced in the 16 th century by Protestant reformers. In the U.S. in 1901, a convention of representatives from schools across the country voted to standardize academic costume. Eager to embrace the use of academic dress, which did not exist for graduations at Emory in the 19 th century, the Class of 1902 was the first to don the garb that is so familiar today.

Previous Dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences John Stephens Jr. congratulating a student

The bachelor’s gown features an embroidered Emory University seal in gold thread and long, pointed, open sleeves.

The master’s gown has longer sleeves, which are closed at the bottom with openings about midway for the hands. Beginning in 2014, the bachelor’s and master’s gowns have been made of fabric spun from the molten plastic pellets of recycled water bottles. As a symbol of the university’s commitment to sustainability, an average of 23 post-consumer plastic bottles are used to create each gown.

The doctor’s gown has full-length lapels of velvet and bell-shaped sleeves with three horizontal velvet bars.

The hood varies for the respective degrees, the doctor’s hood being longer and fuller than the master’s. Each field of study has a corresponding color scheme. The hood is lined with silk in the colors of the degree-granting institution. For Emory graduates, the lining is blue with a chevron of gold.

At Oxford University in 1565 , the square cap seen today became the norm, but something known as the Tudor bonnet is still worn by doctoral candidates. For tassels, black is the color for bachelor’s and master’s caps; gold thread may be worn by doctors.

Enjoying the cooler temperatures of spring? Until 1880, Commencement week fell in mid-July and senior exercises consumed an entire day.

Emory ’s Commencement begins with an iconic sound that calls everyone to order:

“From the back of the gathered crowd, a single bagpipe wails its first martial notes, followed by a roll of drums and a crashing skirl from the rest of the Atlanta Pipe Band . The chief marshal of the university steps out in stately time, followed by the bagpipers, then university trustees, officers and honorary degree recipients.” (From Emory historian emeritus Gary S. Hauk’s essay “The Feast of Reason and the Flow of Soul.” )

In 1967, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution photographed Emory student Henry Frantz (r) playing his instrument. A couple of other pipers saw the article and reached out. Word began to spread in Atlanta’s Scottish community that there was a new band forming. Others joined in, and by 1970, the Atlanta Pipe Band was established.

These days the mellow tones of the Atlanta Symphony Brass Quintet alternate with the stir of the Atlanta Pipe Band, led by Emory alumnus Henry D. Frantz Jr. 71C 74L . The pipers carry the colors of both Emory University and the University of St Andrews, Emory’s sister university in Scotland. In recognition of the significant relationship between the two institutions, Pipe Major Frantz composed “The Emory and Old St Andrews March” used in the processional.

The video captures those stirring sounds indicating that another Emory graduation is officially underway.

Many of the band’s members are prize-winning soloists. All, however, take special pride in ensemble performance, producing a technically challenging and musically satisfying experience for the listener.

The university mace is carried in the procession by the immediate past president of the Student Government Association in a role known as the bedel. The mace symbolizes a university as a corporate body of scholars possessing its own jurisdiction and legally constituted authority. Traditionally, the mace is borne in procession immediately before the chief officer of a university — in Emory’s case, the president — and is placed before them during formal academic ceremonies.

Emory’s mace is a gift from D.V.S. Senior Honor Society in 1965. It was designed by Eric Clements and executed in silver and gold by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. In the teardrop at the apex of the mace, against a background of oxidized silver, is a freestanding representation in gold of a human skeleton. This is Dooley, the “spirit” of Emory, who traditionally “rises” once each spring and for a week rules campus.

Immediately below the skeleton , in an open teardrop, is a gold sphere divided (by stippling) into eight segments. Topping the sphere is a simple cross, symbolizing the relationship of Emory University to the Methodist Church.

The seal of the university is sculptured in gold within the circular base.

In addition to Commencement, the mace makes appearances at Convocation to mark the start of a new academic year. In between these events, the mace makes its home at the Rose Library, “quietly awaiting,” as an Emory Magazine article attested, “its next opportunity to shine.”

“Hail we now our alma mater, hail the gold and blue!”

Marvin Rast 1918C 29T sang in the Emory Glee Club and was elected to membership in D.V.S. Senior Honor Society. He is also the author of Emory’s alma mater — a project he undertook when, in the spring of Rast’s senior year, the glee club director was lamenting the absence of a song about Emory for the season’s final concert.

In 1945, the original line “Loyal sons and true” was wholly out of place as women were graduating from every school of the university. Two weeks after Commencement that year, once female graduates lodged complaints, the line was emended to “Sons and daughters true.”

During the presidency of James T. Laney (1977-1993) and for a decade afterward, the alma mater was not performed. It was Jason Hardy 95C — who founded Emory’s first a cappella singing group, No Strings Attached — who approached the administration about reviving the tradition. Another needed update was made to the language — replacing the line “In the heart of dear old Dixie” with “In the heart of dear old Emory” — and No Strings Attached began performing it. The alma mater came back into the Commencement lineup in 2005.

Emory’s alma mater is set to “Annie Lisle,” which is the tune of hundreds of alma maters for high schools, colleges and universities across the country — and even in China.

Society of Corpus Cordis Aureum

Society of Corpus Cordis Aureum (Latin for “Golden Core of the Heart”) , established in 2004, honors Emory alumni who have graduated 50 or more years ago. These “Golden Eagles” are invited to don their gold robes for the Commencement procession, leading the candidates for graduation into the ceremony.

Members of the society number 14,000 worldwide. With the understanding that not everyone can come to Atlanta to receive their medallions, Emory has begun conducting regional medallion ceremonies.

 A Golden Alumni Brunch takes place in the fall, associated with Homecoming, and events throughout the year offer members educational, cultural and social enrichment. 

The word “society” was added recently to more fully identify members as being part of a special and deeply valued group that shares a common memory of Emory. This enhancement acknowledges the fellowship of shared experience and honors the group’s collective wisdom and perspective.

Emory Alumni Legacy Medallion

Graduating students who have a parent , grandparent or sibling who is also an Emory graduate may wear specially commissioned medallions hanging from blue and gold ribbons. The medallions are expressions of the university’s gratitude to those families who have chosen to continue the Emory education tradition throughout the generations.

Legacy activities begin in a student’s first year during a pinning ceremony that includes family members .

Honorary Degrees

The awarding of honorary degrees has been a tradition at Emory since 1846 , when the Rev. William H. Ellison received a doctor of divinity. Ellison was a Methodist minister and a leader in establishing higher education in Virginia, Alabama and Georgia. He typified the sort of selection the university made in the 19 th century — namely, to honor individuals for their contributions to the church and education.

More recent honorees include Bryan Stevenson , founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, who has dedicated his career to helping the incarcerated; Temple Grandin , animal behaviorist and autism expert; former Georgia congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis ; and Natasha Trethewey , two-term U.S. Poet Laureate and former Emory faculty member.

Filmmaker Tyler Perry was Commencement speaker in 2022 and received an honorary doctor of letters degree from Emory

Emory honorary degree recipients have achieved the highest distinction in a field of scholarship — the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, health, business, law and all the professions — or in public service.

The university suggests its values and priorities with honorary degrees. For instance, the 14 Nobel Peace Prize winners with Emory honorary degrees include 10 peace laureates, two in literature and one each in economics and medicine. Although public servants and philanthropic business leaders tend to outnumber all others, writers also abound among the honored — appropriate for a university with a top-ranked undergraduate creative writing program.

View a full list of recipients.

At some institutions, the Kermit the Frogs of this world have earned honorary degrees. At Emory, it’s people only.

School-specific and Oxford College Traditions

Emory College

The sole speaker at the Emory College ceremony is the class orator, a graduating student chosen by a committee of seniors to represent the class. The college also awards the Lucius Lamar McMullen Award to a graduating senior “who shows extraordinary promise of becoming a future leader and who has the rare potential for service to their community, nation and world.”

Oxford College

Student marshals occupy the front of the line for the student procession, and they receive their diplomas first. These students have a 4.0 GPA. After the recessional, the historic Seney Hall bell tolls once for each graduating student.

Goizueta Business School

At the BBA graduation, there is a tradition of “class superlatives” whereby the BBA senior representatives determine the categories and then students nominate one another. The school recognizes the top students in each category as well as the winner.  

Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

BSN students receive pins featuring the initials of the school. Wearing it is a privilege earned by nursing graduates across the country and represents a commitment to the profession and serving the needs of society. If a graduate has an immediate relative who is also an alumnus/a of the school, the family member gives the graduate their nursing pin on stage.

Rollins School of Public Health

Eschewing “Pomp and Circumstance,” the school goes its own way, selecting a student song and a faculty song to play as graduates and faculty exit the venue.

School of Law

Black Law Students Association (BLSA) alumnae started the Sankofa Ceremony. In the spirit of “Sankofa” — an African word meaning “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind” — BLSA alumni reach back and assist students with becoming alumni. 

Candler School of Theology

The school’s DMin graduates — ministry professionals who have studied on either the Church Leadership and Community Witness or Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation tracks — are hooded by the program director and a faculty member.

School of Medicine

During the hooding part of the MD ceremony, graduates sign their names in the MD program alumni book, using the MD credential in their signature for the first time. This has been a tradition at the school since 1992, and many current faculty members’ names appear in the book.

Laney Graduate School

Doctoral graduates are hooded by their advisers. The hooding ceremony originated in European universities in the 11th or 12th century. Hooded robes, often required for warmth in unheated medieval libraries, were first used as a practical uniform for scholars. Universities then added colors to the robes to differentiate students by their academic majors.

Moments in Time

1970s or 1980s

1962: Stacked diplomas

1970s—Emory President Sanford Atwood and faculty member

To learn more about Emory, please visit:

Emory University | Emory News Center

Scheffler’s caddie will take a day off from the PGA to attend his daughter’s high school graduation

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Family comes first for golf’s newest dad. That’s why Scottie Scheffler didn’t think twice about giving his friend and caddie a day off during the PGA Championship to attend his daughter’s high school graduation.

Scheffler said Friday’s ceremony for caddie Ted Scott’s daughter, Gabrielle, has been on their calendar for a while. The plan always has been for Scott to leave Valhalla after the second round, then return for the final round Sunday.

“It was a pretty easy decision,” Scheffler said. “He told me at the beginning of this year that that was the date that it was, so I got a backup caddie lined up.”

This will be the first major for Scheffler as a dad . The Masters champion’s own baby boy, Bennett, was born May 8.

Scheffler said his old friend Brad Payne, who serves as a chaplain on tour, will carry the bag Saturday.

“I trust him to rake a bunker more than my buddies,” Scheffler said.

NOT PLAYERS ONLY Jordan Spieth pushed back against the suggestion that players are taking over in the long-running negotiations between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-funded backers of LIV Golf.

In a news conference Tuesday ahead of the PGA Championship, the three-time major champion, who is one of six players on the PGA Tour policy board, said it was a “false narrative that the players are determining all these things.”

“If you’re in the room, it’s very obvious that players are not dictating the future of golf and the PGA Tour,” Spieth said. “You need to have everyone’s perspective on both sides of it. ... You have a lot of strategic investors that know a heck of a lot more than any of us players.”

Spieth was responding to comments made by Jimmy Dunne, who resigned from the board this week. In a letter delivering his resignation, Dunne said that because players outnumbered independent directors on the board, “I feel like my vote and my role is utterly superfluous.”

Woods joined the tour’s top policymaking body last year to give players six of 12 spots; a year before that, there were four players on the board.

Spieth said he was surprised by Dunne’s departure and called it a loss. He said reports from the “outside world” that focus on the negatives in negotiations that have been dragging out for nearly a year do not tell the full story.

“Things are, unfortunately, put in a really bad light right now, and I think things are actually in a really, really good place, based on what I know, which is quite a lot in this situation,” Spieth said.

PURSUING PARIS Max Homa came to Valhalla still seeking his first major title after a near — well, about as near as anybody gets to Scottie Scheffler these days — miss at the Masters.

The 33-year-old’s relentless pursuit of one long-sought-after goal, however, has put him within reach of another he’s only recently considered: the Olympics.

Homa finds himself in a fight with Patrick Cantlay and Brian Harman for the potential fourth spot on the U.S. team with just over a month until the tournament field is set.

A country may send four players to France provided they are in the top 15 in the world golf ranking. Heading into the PGA Championship , Cantlay was eighth, Homa ninth and Harman 10th. They’re vying for a chance to join near-locks Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark at Golf National.

Getting to Paris isn’t something Homa thought about much until he realized the math was trending in his favor a year ago. Three top 10s in his last six starts have bolstered his chances, and his desire to be on Team USA.

“Now it’s like on the tip of my mind,” he said. “We were just talking about it actually at breakfast ... I think it just felt kind of not real. As a golfer, I don’t think the Olympics ever feels like a real thing we’re going to do, and then you get a chance, and now I would really like to be a part of that.”

POSTROUND MATCH Justin Thomas has been given a morning start for the first round of his hometown major .

That suits the two-time PGA champion just fine, because it frees him up to watch a match in his latest sporting interest — soccer.

Thomas is a minority investor in English club Leeds United , which is attempting to get promoted to the lucrative Premier League. Leeds is currently in the second tier’s postseason playoffs and has a home game against Norwich City starting at 3 p.m. in the U.S. on Thursday.

Thomas should have finished his round at Valhalla by then.

“That has worked out nicely,” he said.

Thomas said he and close friend Jordan Spieth — another investor in Leeds — have gained some extra insight into the club from conversations with Billy Foster, an Englishman who is the caddie for Matt Fitzpatrick.

So, does Thomas have a message for the team as it heads into its biggest match of the season?

“My advice is very different than probably anything that would be useful or helpful to them,” he said, “but I know I’ve really, really enjoyed learning a lot more about the sport.”

To prove that, he added: “I mean, right now I like the fact that they’re playing at (home at) Elland Road. I know that they’re a tough team to beat there, so I’m excited to watch.”

AP Sports Writers Will Graves in Louisville and Steve Douglas in Sundsvall, Sweden, contributed to this report.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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