How to Write a Memorable Graduation Speech

The countdown begins. Graduation day is getting closer and closer than you have anticipated. Graduation ceremonies are extremely bittersweet. You may be excited and proud to move on to your next journey in life, but on the other hand, you may get sad when you think about leaving your friends. Without a speech, no graduation ceremony is complete. It is time to begin working on your important speech by keeping a few speech ideas in mind to help with inspiration.

Browse Different Themes

Begin with brainstorming different themes, so you don’t become overwhelmed in the process. These themes should be ones that will make for a great speech. You can start by reflecting on your experiences and thinking about your successes, accomplishments, failures, and even lessons you have learned. At this step, all you want to do is just write down every idea or thought that comes to mind.

Choose a Theme

Once you have written down a few ideas, it is not time to narrow them down and choose one. You want to choose a theme that will allow you to deliver a wonderful speech. You’ll also want to consider the time frame and audience you will have. Having just one theme is important because it provides the speech with purpose and structure.

If you are having difficulties with choosing the right theme to choose, you can try looking at graduation quotes to give you some inspiration.

Capture the Audience’s Attention

Before you get deep into your speech, you want to make sure that you capture your audience’s attention from the start. You want to hook them from the beginning. This is where you can open up with a quote that may be inspiring or a thoughtful question.

The first few sentences of your speech are probably going to be the most challenging. This is why you should come back to it at the end.

Allow Your Personality to Show

No matter if you choose to memorize your speech or just create bullet points for you to recall back on, you need to be sure you shine through your speech. This simply means that you should allow your personality to shine through the delivery of your speech. For example, avoid trying to be too funny, or sound like you are just trying to impress your audience. Be yourself.

Practice

When it comes to delivering a graduation speech in front of a big audience, no amount of practice will ever be considered enough. Once you have completed writing your speech, and you are confident about the structure and content, it is time to practice it in front of a mirror. Try practicing around your family members. Pay attention to your talking speed, pauses, and hand gestures you are using.

Don’t sound robotic if you have memorized your speech. Be sure to speak with emotion. Remember, that a speech that is well-structured is one that will flow organically. This is what will form the foundation of your speech.