sample valedictorian speech university

Written Samples

3 valedictorian speech samples that will impress.

As the pinnacle of academic achievement in high school or college, the valedictorian speech is a momentous opportunity for top graduates to share reflections, inspirations, and aspirations with their peers, families, and educators.

A great valedictorian speech is more than a recitation of gratitude and accomplishments; it’s a heartfelt, inspiring narrative that weaves together personal stories with universal themes of hope, resilience, and ambition.

3 Sample Valedictorian Speeches

In this article, we provide three sample valedictorian speeches crafted to captivate and inspire audiences. Each speech includes fictional details to enhance relatability and depth.

Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, faculty, family, and my fellow graduates, today marks a pivotal moment in our lives. As we gather in the spirit of celebration and reflection, it is with immense pride and a deep sense of gratitude that I stand before you as the valedictorian of the class. Our journey to this moment has been filled with challenges and triumphs, moments of uncertainty, and periods of exhilarating discovery.

Introduction

When we embarked on this academic voyage, we were individuals from diverse backgrounds, holding a mosaic of aspirations. Today, we stand united, a testament to the enduring spirit of perseverance and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Our time at this esteemed institution has been more than just an academic endeavor; it has been a crucible, shaping us into the individuals we are today. We have been guided by an exceptional faculty, supported by devoted families, and inspired by each other’s ambitions.

The Journey

Reflecting on our journey, it’s evident that each step was a building block, a series of lessons learned, friendships forged, and dreams nurtured. We have delved into complex theories, grappled with challenging concepts, and sought to understand the intricate workings of the world around us. We have been challenged to think critically, act compassionately, and lead ethically. Our education has been an intricate blend of intellectual rigor and character development, preparing us not just for the professional realm but for the broader challenges of life.

Overcoming Challenges

Our path was not always smooth; we encountered obstacles that tested our resolve and determination. There were late nights and early mornings, times of self-doubt, and moments when the end goal seemed distant. Yet, with each challenge, we grew stronger, more resilient. We learned the value of hard work, the importance of persistence, and the satisfaction of overcoming difficulties. These experiences have left an indelible mark, shaping us into adaptable, determined individuals ready to face the future with confidence.

Moments of Triumph

Amidst these challenges were moments of sheer joy and accomplishment. The late-night study sessions that culminated in understanding a complex concept, the successful projects and presentations, the community service initiatives, and the cultural festivals—each event added color and vibrancy to our collective experience. We cheered each other’s successes and provided support through setbacks, creating a community of learners who thrive together.

As we stand on the precipice of the future, it is crucial to acknowledge those who have made this journey possible. To our esteemed faculty, your wisdom and dedication have not only educated us but also inspired us to strive for greatness. You have been our mentors, guiding us with patience and passion. To our families, your unwavering support and sacrifices have been the backbone of our success. Your belief in our dreams has been a source of constant encouragement. And to my fellow graduates, your camaraderie, and spirit have made this journey an unforgettable experience.

As we look forward, the future is an unwritten script waiting for us to make our mark. We are equipped with knowledge, skills, and a sense of purpose. The world we are entering is complex and ever-changing, but we are ready. We are the innovators, thinkers, and leaders of tomorrow. Our education has not just prepared us for a career; it has prepared us to make meaningful contributions to society. We are poised to tackle the challenges of the future, to create, to innovate, and to lead with integrity.

Call to Action

As we embark on this next chapter, let us take forward the lessons we have learned and the friendships we have formed. Let us be bold in our aspirations, ethical in our approach, and compassionate in our interactions. The world needs bright minds and kind hearts—let us be both. Let us not shy away from challenges but embrace them as opportunities for growth. Let us remain lifelong learners, forever curious and forever driven to improve ourselves and the world around us.

In closing, I am reminded of the profound journey we have shared. It has been an honor to learn, grow, and evolve alongside each of you. As we scatter across the globe, pursuing our unique paths, let us carry forward the legacy of our alma mater with pride. Let us continue to support each other, celebrate each other’s successes, and uplift each other during times of need. Today, as we close this chapter and begin anew, let us step forward with hope, determination, and the unyielding spirit of a graduate ready to make a difference. Congratulations, Class of [Year]! Our adventure is just beginning.

Esteemed faculty, proud parents, devoted friends, and, most importantly, my fellow graduates, it is an honor to speak before you on this momentous day. We gather here, cloaked in our gowns and caps, not just as a formality, but as a symbol of our dedication, our achievements, and the journey that has brought us to this pivotal moment in our lives. This day is not just a personal triumph but a collective victory for all who have supported us through this journey.

As we stand at the precipice of the future, it is natural to reflect on the past. Our journey through [School Name] has been transformative, an epic saga filled with challenges, achievements, and a constant quest for knowledge. We entered as young hopefuls, eager and perhaps a bit anxious about the path ahead. Today, we emerge as graduates, ready to embark on new adventures, armed with the education and experiences that we have gained.

The Path We’ve Walked

Our time here has been marked by an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and a drive to exceed expectations. We’ve spent countless hours in the library, participated in discussions that challenged our perspectives, and engaged in activities that pushed us beyond our comfort zones. Our education was never confined to the classroom; it spilled over into every aspect of our lives, teaching us about ourselves and the world we inhabit.

Celebrating Diversity and Unity

One of the most beautiful aspects of our journey has been the diversity of our class. We’ve learned from each other, blending our cultures, ideas, and dreams. We’ve created a vibrant tapestry that reflects not just who we are as individuals but also what we can accomplish together. Our differences have not divided us; instead, they have enriched our experience and given us a more profound understanding of the world.

Acknowledging Challenges and Resilience

Our path has not been devoid of obstacles. We’ve faced personal and academic challenges, moments of doubt and disappointment. Yet, here we stand, a testament to our resilience and determination. Each setback has taught us valuable lessons, forging our characters in the fires of perseverance. Our triumphs are all the sweeter for the hurdles we’ve overcome.

A Tribute to Our Pillars of Support

This journey would have been impossible without the unwavering support of those around us. To our esteemed professors, your wisdom and mentorship have illuminated our paths. You have not only been educators but also guides, challenging us to reach new heights. To our families and friends, your love and encouragement have been our anchor and our refuge. You celebrated our successes and stood by us through trials, believing in us even when we doubted ourselves.

Looking Forward

Today, as we stand ready to turn the page, we are not saying goodbye but rather stepping into a new chapter. The world awaits, ripe with challenges and opportunities. We are the architects of our destinies, equipped with a formidable arsenal of knowledge, skills, and experiences. Let us move forward with courage and optimism, ready to innovate, inspire, and contribute to a world that is ever-evolving.

As we embark on our next journey, let us pledge to carry the lessons we’ve learned into the future. Let us continue to be driven by curiosity, integrity, and a desire to contribute positively to our communities and beyond. Let us hold onto the friendships we’ve formed, the memories we’ve created, and the dreams we’ve nurtured.

In conclusion, my fellow graduates, today marks an end and a beginning. It is the end of our time at [School Name] but the beginning of a new, exciting phase of our lives. As we spread out across the globe, let us take pride in our achievements and face the future with confidence. We are the leaders, the innovators, and the dreamers of tomorrow. Congratulations to each one of you, and here’s to a future filled with promise and adventure. Well done, Class of [Year]!

Distinguished guests, beloved faculty, cherished family, friends, and my esteemed fellow graduates, as we assemble under the banner of accomplishment and anticipation, I am profoundly honored to address you as the valedictorian of this graduating class. Our collective journey has been an intricate blend of individual stories, each contributing to the beautiful mosaic that is our graduating class. Today is not just a culmination of academic rigor; it is a celebration of growth, resilience, and shared dreams.

We embarked on this academic journey as eager minds yearning to explore the vast landscape of knowledge and opportunity. We were driven by aspirations as diverse as our backgrounds, yet united by a common goal: to learn, to excel, and ultimately, to emerge as graduates ready to contribute to the world. Today, as we look back on the years that have shaped us, we also look forward with a sense of purpose and excitement.

Our Shared Odyssey

Our time at [School Name] has been an odyssey of transformation. We’ve navigated through courses that challenged our understanding, participated in discussions that sparked our curiosity, and undertaken projects that pushed our boundaries. Our education has been a holistic one, not just academically enriching but also personally transformative. We’ve laughed, debated, and sometimes even stumbled, but every step was a lesson leading us to this very day.

Embracing Our Differences

What makes our journey truly remarkable is the diversity we’ve embraced. Each of us brought unique perspectives and talents to the table, creating a rich and dynamic learning environment. We’ve learned the power of collaboration and the strength found in embracing our differences. Our varied backgrounds and viewpoints have not only enhanced our learning experience but have prepared us to be global citizens in an increasingly interconnected world.

Overcoming and Growing

Our path was not devoid of trials. We’ve all faced moments of doubt and adversity, academic challenges, and personal hurdles. Yet, each obstacle was an opportunity for growth. We’ve learned resilience, adaptability, and the undeniable power of persistence. These experiences have not weakened us; rather, they have fortified our resolve and equipped us with the grit necessary to face the complexities of life.

Heartfelt Gratitude

As we stand on the brink of a new beginning, it is essential to express our deepest gratitude. To our dedicated faculty, you have been our mentors and guides, challenging us to think critically and act compassionately. To our families and friends, your unwavering support and sacrifices have been the wind beneath our wings. Your belief in our potential has been a constant source of strength and motivation.

Vision for the Future

As we look to the horizon, the future is replete with possibilities. We are entering a world that is ever-evolving, filled with challenges but also opportunities for innovation and leadership. We are ready to apply our knowledge, embrace lifelong learning, and make a meaningful impact. Let us be agents of change, leaders in our fields, and compassionate citizens of the world.

Our Commitment

As we step into the future, let us carry the torch of [School Name] with honor and responsibility. Let us commit to using our education as a tool for positive change, to pursuing our passions with integrity, and to lifting others as we climb. Our journey does not end here; it evolves. We are the authors of the next chapter, ready to make our mark with confidence and grace.

Closing Reflections

In closing, my fellow graduates, let us savor this moment of achievement and joy. As we scatter in pursuit of our next adventures, let us hold onto the memories, friendships, and lessons that have shaped us. We are bound together by this shared chapter of our lives, and no matter where we go, we carry a piece of [School Name] with us. Congratulations, Class of [Year], for all that we have achieved and all that is yet to come. The world awaits, and we are ready!

Amazing Valedictorian Speech Examples & Tips

Memorable valedictorian speech examples (+ tips & ideas).

Becoming a valedictorian and giving a speech in front of other fellow graduates is a great honor. On the flip side, drafting a memorable speech that the audience will remember for a long time is a huge stress. You need to reflect about four years in high school, choose a theme that will resonate with others, and keep the audience engaged during the entire speech.

To make things easier for you, in this post, our pro speechwriters share the secrets for writing a perfect speech for your graduation ceremony.

Keep reading to find out:

• tips & tricks for writing a great valedictorian speech,
• two speech examples for your inspiration, and
• recommendations for polishing your delivery.

Are you too stressed to write your high school graduation speech? No worries - our experienced speech writers can craft your text from scratch or revise it. We prepare witty, inventive, and attention-grabbing speeches even if you need them by tomorrow. Contact us ASAP to get a free quote and your special student discount!

Good valedictorian speech examples

If you're not sure where to get started, take a look at the example valedictorian speeches to get inspired:

Source:  https://www.sampletemplates.com/business-templates/valedictorian-speech-examples.html

This speech reflects on the unique experience of everyone present and the importance of seeing each day as a learning experience. It also has an inspirational note, encouraging the classmates not to let our self-doubt stand in front of the new opportunities. As any other valedictorian address, it expresses gratitude to teachers, peers, parents, and faculty, and mentions that graduation is only the start of an exciting life.

Source:  https://www.docformats.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Graduation-Speech.png

This concise valedictorian speech congratulates proud graduates and is less formal than the previous one. It emphasizes the importance of education and academic excellence, as well as the friends you made in high school, and ends on a high note, congratulating peers on graduation day and encouraging them to take any path that students want in life.

You can use these examples to get an idea of how to organize your text and what to add. Below, we'll share tips and guidance for writing memorable, inventive valedictorian speeches.

What to say in your graduation speech: Tips & strategies

Good valedictorian speeches share some common elements. They express gratitude for being invited to speak, reflect on shared memories of school days, and look forward to the next phase of life. Here's how to craft a strong high school graduation speech:

Begin with a welcome and gratitude

The opening of your valedictorian speech sets the tone for the rest of your presentation, so it's essential to grab your audience's attention from the start.

Begin your speech by thanking everyone who helped you achieve something in life and guided you along the journey - teachers, students, and parents. This will set a humble, appreciative tone. Congratulate fellow students on their big day and start with an anecdote or an interesting fact.

Choose a theme for your valedictorian speech

Good speeches have a central element that sets the tone. You may use one element for the entire graduation speech, or use two or three, just be sure to keep your speech concise. Reach out to other presenters to make sure that they don't use the same theme as you, otherwise the audience will be bored. Here are some popular valedictorian speech perspectives you can use:

• friends and friendship
• shared memories
• overcoming obstacles and failures
• advice to achieve success
• importance of gratitude
• stories about classmates, etc.

Mention collective experiences

After four years in high school, you and your classmates surely have some interesting stories and experiences. Consider telling about challenges you faced, anecdotes, or stories about important milestones. You can mention both achievements and learning experiences.

Sharing such stories will make your speech personal and human, and also will remind your friends and teachers about the most memorable moments.

Use inspiring quotes

Every great valedictorian speech quotes some accomplished person: Oprah Winfrey, J.K. Rawling, Steve Jobs, etc. A relevant quote helps inspire the audience, better get your message across and surely draws the attention. Use quotes related to education, achievements, professional development, staying true to yourself, and overcoming setbacks.

Reflect on challenges you faced

Your graduating class surely had its fair share of challenges. Recollect the obstacles that the entire class or several students faced and how they overcame these challenges in your valedictorian speech. Such stories highlight resilience and determination, and show the life lessons you learned.

Similarly, you can tell about the shared triumph - winning in the contest or achieving a big goal together. Just be sure to pick stories that matter to your classmates and resonate with everybody. Such stories will inspire your peers to do better and overcome adversity in the future.

Storytelling techniques make any speech better. They keep the audience engaged and make people relate to your message. Weaving in inspirational stories will also remind your peers about the friendship and the importance of events they had together.

Look into the future

Graduating from school is not the end of your academic journey. In addition to reflecting on the past, a good valedictorian speech also looks positively in the future. Encourage your classmates to embrace change, pursue their dreams fearlessly, and make a positive impact on the world. No matter what path they choose, wish well to everyone in your graduating class and express hope for a great future.

Mention the importance of developing their talents and gaining knowledge for achieving success in life. Encourage everyone to grow professionally and personally. Everybody has the power to make a difference, so, you might want to make this a central element of your speech.

End on a positive note

At the end of the speech, recap the key points and remarkable moments you've shared in your address. Remind the audience about the amazing journey you had together. You don't know if you'll cross paths with your classmates and whether you'll go to the same university. So, wish them luck in all future endeavors and thank them for the time spent together.

Consider adding an inspiring call to action as well. Encourage your friends to pursue their dreams, realize their potential, and stay true to themselves. This will leave your audience with a closing statement that exudes optimism for the future and the great opportunities it holds.

Practice delivering your speech

Your valedictorian speech won't captivate the hearts of the audience if you don't show genuine emotions and read it from paper. After you've written your speech, take some time to polish your delivery. Practice speaking it at home in front of the mirror, or deliver the speech to your friends and family.

Watch your body language and use gestures.

Speak in front of the mirror to control your gestures, facial impressions, and other elements of body language. Use specific hand movements, facial expressions, and posture to enhance your message and connect better with the audience. Make sure that your posture and face are consistent with what you are saying.

Pay attention to your vocal delivery.

Use appropriate pauses and variations of tone to make your speech not only informative, but also emotional. Practice speaking in the microphone to choose the appropriate volume of your speech. Record yourself to see shortcomings in your delivery and fix them. Use a positive, hopeful tone to inspire your classmates and leave a lasting impression.

Maintain eye contact.

When delivering your valedictorian speech, you'll need to maintain eye contact to keep your audience engaged. Learn to scan the room and make eye contact with different sections of the audience. If this sounds challenging at first, try looking at the most distant person in the hall and speaking to them.

Mistakes to avoid when delivering your valedictorian speech

When it comes to delivering a stellar valedictorian speech, content and delivery are equally important. Be sure to avoid these common mistakes to leave a lasting impression:

• Don't read your speech  - while using speaker's notes is okay, reading from paper makes a poor impression. It shows your fellow graduates that you didn't take enough time to rehearse and practice.
• Don't rush  - some people start speaking faster when they get nervous. Yet, there's a risk that the audience miss the content of your speech. Practice to maintain a steady pace so that everyone understands your message.
• Don't use little-known facts  - in your speech, use stories that most graduates know and will find relatable. Sharing a story about your friend that anyone knows isn't likely to sound impressive.
• Don't keep it too formal  - leaving high school is an important emotional moment, so being too reserved can spoil the moment. Use genuine emotions when crafting your valedictorian speech - they will surely resonate with the audience.
• Don't overuse cliches  - each bad valedictorian speech is full of cliches. To make your speech memorable, use authentic stories and vivid language. If you struggle to pick the right words, consider working with a speechwriter.

By following these tips, you'll craft a valedictorian speech that reflects your shared journey, motivates your classmates for great things in life, and leaves everyone uplifted and inspired. So, encourage your classmates to strive for excellence in everything and highlight the potential of each individual.

Use storytelling techniques, show genuine emotions, and use an enthusiastic tone to get your speech remembered by everyone.

Let our valedictorian speech experts help and impress your graduating class

Writing and delivering a valedictorian speech is a responsible task. If you feel the pressure or your perfectionism gets in the way, consider getting help from a talented speechwriter. At SpeechPaths, we prepare affordable speeches for any special occasion, including high school graduation.

You'll work one-on-one with a pro writer who will find the right words and use storytellin

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How to Write a Graduation Speech as Valedictorian

A good valedictory speech takes preparation and practice

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The valedictory speech is a staple of graduation ceremonies. It is usually delivered by the valedictorian (the student with the highest grades in the graduating class), although some colleges and high schools have abandoned the practice of naming a valedictorian. The terms "valedictory" and "valedictorian" come from the Latin valedicere , meaning a formal farewell, and this is core to what a valedictory speech should be.

Understand the Goal

The valedictorian speech should fulfill two goals: It should convey a "sending off" message  to the members of a graduating class, and it should inspire them to leave school ready to embark on an exciting new adventure. You likely have been chosen to deliver this speech because you've proven you are an excellent student who can live up to adult responsibilities. Now it's time to make every student in your class feel special.

As you prepare your speech , think about your shared experiences with the class and the people with whom you shared them. This should include popular and quiet students, class clowns and brains, teachers, principals, professors, deans, and other school employees. It's important to make everyone feel as if they played an important role in this shared experience.

If you have limited experience in certain aspects of school life, ask for help in collecting important names and events you might not know about. Are there clubs or teams that won prizes? Students who volunteered in the community?

Compile a List of Highlights

Make a list of highlights of your time in school, putting more emphasis on the current year. Start with these brainstorming questions:

• Who received awards or scholarships?
• Were any sports records broken?
• Is a teacher retiring after this year?
• Did your class have a reputation with teachers , good or bad?
• How many students remain from freshman year?
• Was there a dramatic event in the world this year?
• Was there a dramatic event at your school?
• Was there a funny moment everyone enjoyed?

You might need to conduct personal interviews to learn about these benchmarks.

Write the Speech

Valedictory speeches often combine humorous and serious elements. Start by greeting your audience with a "hook" that grabs their attention. For example, you could say, "Senior year has been full of surprises," or "We're leaving the faculty with lots of interesting memories," or "This senior class has set records in some unusual ways."

Organize your speech into topics describing these elements. You might want to start with an event that's on everyone's mind, such as a championship basketball season, a student featured on a television show, or a tragic event in the community. Then focus on the other highlights, putting them into context and explaining their importance. For example:

"This year, Jane Smith won a National Merit Scholarship. This may not seem like a big deal, but Jane overcame a year of illness to achieve this goal. Her strength and perseverance are an inspiration to our whole class."

Use Anecdotes and Quotes

Come up with anecdotes to illustrate your shared experiences. These brief stories can be funny or poignant. You could say, "When the student newspaper printed a story about the family who lost their home to a fire, our classmates rallied and organized a series of fundraisers."

You can sprinkle in quotes from famous people as well. These quotes work best in the introduction or conclusion and should reflect the theme of your speech. For example:

• "The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again." (Charles Dickens)
• "You will find the key to success under the alarm clock." (Benjamin Franklin)
• "There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way." (Christopher Morley)

Plan for Time

Be mindful of the appropriate length of your speech. Most people speak about 175 words per minute, so a 10-minute speech should contain about 1,750 words. You can fit about 250 words onto a double-spaced page, so that translates to seven pages of double-spaced text for 10 minutes of speaking time.

Tips for Preparing to Speak

It's important to practice your valedictory speech before giving it. This will help you troubleshoot problem spots, cut boring parts, and add elements if you're running short. You should:

• Practice reading your speech aloud to see how it sounds
• Time yourself, but remember you may speak faster when you're nervous
• Focus on remaining calm
• Put aside comedy if it feels unnatural
• Be tactful if broaching a tragic topic you feel needs to be included. Consult a teacher or adviser if you have any doubts.

If possible, practice your speech using the microphone in the location where you'll be graduating—your best chance might be just before the event. This will give you an opportunity to experience the sound of your magnified voice, figure out how to stand, and get past any butterflies in your stomach .

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Crafting an Unforgettable Valedictory Speech: A Guide and Samples

Hello there, future valedictorian! If you're on the hunt for a fantastic sample valedictory speech and helpful analysis to guide you in crafting your own, you're in the right place. Your valedictory address is an important moment to inspire, entertain, and make a memorable mark on your graduation day. Let's help you rise to the occasion with confidence and style.

Sample Skeleton Valedictory Speech

• Speech Analysis

Extended Sample Valedictory Address

Let's begin by looking at a complete skeleton of a sample valedictory speech.

[Introduction]

"Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone. Distinguished guests, faculty, friends, family, and my fellow graduates, thank you for being here to celebrate this remarkable day.

Four years ago, we walked into this institution, eyes wide with anticipation, hearts brimming with hopes. Today, we step out, our minds enriched, our spirits ignited, and our hearts full of memories.

Our journey hasn't been easy. It was filled with long nights of study, intense debates, exhilarating victories, and humbling losses. It's been a rollercoaster ride that tested our resolve but also shaped us into the individuals we are today.

[Acknowledgment]

Looking back, I am filled with gratitude. To our teachers, thank you for sharing your wisdom, guiding us through the maze of knowledge. You've transformed us from caterpillars into butterflies, ready to take flight.

To our parents, your unwavering support has been our rock. In times of success and in times of failure, you've been there. Your love and sacrifices have propelled us forward.

To my fellow graduates, we did it. Together, we've conquered mountains. And while today is an ending, it's also a beginning. It's a launching pad, sending us towards the next grand chapter of our lives.

[Reflection]

As we venture forward, let's carry with us the lessons learned. Let's remember the value of hard work, perseverance, and the importance of standing up for what we believe in. Above all, let's continue to value the friendships we've formed, and the community we've built.

[Inspiration]

Let us face our future, not with fear but with confidence, armed with the knowledge that we are capable, prepared, and ready to make our mark on the world.

[Conclusion]

And finally, remember that success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

Class of [Year], it's been an honor. Thank you."

Valedictory Speech Analysis

Now, let's break this down to help you in crafting your own valedictory address.

• Opening: The speech starts with a greeting and appreciation, setting a positive and welcoming tone. A great speech is as much about the audience as it is about you, so it's essential to acknowledge them.
• Reflection: Next, the speaker reflects on their shared journey, highlighting the trials and triumphs, the growth, and transformation. This helps the audience to connect with the speaker and adds a personal touch.
• Gratitude: Showing gratitude is crucial. This part acknowledges the teachers, parents, and peers' roles in their journey, making them feel appreciated and valued.
• Encouragement and Inspiration: This part speaks directly to the graduates, inspiring them for the future. It encourages them to apply their learned lessons, face the future with confidence, and to remember the importance of happiness in their journey to success.
• Closing: Finally, the speaker wraps up with an optimistic conclusion, leaving a lasting impression. This part is your final chance to inspire and should be as memorable as your opening.

Remember, your valedictory speech is a reflection of you and your experience, so make it personal.  A typical valedictory speech usually lasts between 5 to 10 minutes. This translates to roughly 750 to 1500 words, depending on your speaking speed. However, it's not the length that matters, but the content. It's important to stay concise and keep your audience engaged throughout your speech. Focus on delivering a meaningful, impactful, and inspiring message rather than filling up time.

The sample valedictory speech provided above serves as a concise, broad-strokes example designed to offer guidance on the general structure and key components of a typical valedictory address. In practice, you would likely expand upon each section, including more personal anecdotes, shared memories, specific instances of growth and learning, and detailed acknowledgments of influential people.

These details can significantly lengthen the speech while providing a more personalized, engaging experience for the listeners. The sample serves as a starting point, a skeleton that you can flesh out with your unique experiences and perspective to craft a heartfelt and inspiring valedictory address.

Remember, the key to an excellent valedictory speech is to ensure that it's authentically you. Don't feel constrained by word counts or time limits. Instead, focus on articulating your thoughts and feelings in a manner that resonates with your classmates, teachers, and everyone in attendance. 

The following is an extended sample valedictory speech that provides an example of a complete 5-10 minute address.

"Good evening, esteemed Principal, distinguished faculty, honored guests, devoted families, and my fellow graduates. It is a moment of tremendous pride and a deeply humbling experience to stand before you as the valedictorian of this accomplished and spirited Marshall High School Class of 2023. As we gather here today, clad in our caps and gowns, holding a whirlwind of emotions within us - excitement, nostalgia, anxiety, and hope, I am moved by the collective strength and unity we represent.

Before I journey down the memory lane, allow me to express my heartfelt gratitude to the stalwarts of our academic life. Our teachers, who have been the beacon of knowledge, guiding us through the tempestuous sea of equations, literary works, scientific principles, and historical events. They have tirelessly and patiently nurtured our minds, celebrated our victories, and encouraged us to rise from our failures. To our families, the constant source of love, support, and inspiration - you held us when we stumbled, cheered for us in our triumphs, and most importantly, believed in us when we doubted ourselves. And last but not least, to my fellow students, who turned into friends and friends who became a family - your companionship has enriched this journey beyond measure.

Our voyage through the halls of Marshall High School has been a tapestry of varied experiences - a vibrant mosaic of moments that transformed us from wide-eyed freshmen to young adults ready to carve out our own paths. Together, we braved daunting examinations, grappled with challenging assignments, and basked in the euphoria of our collective accomplishments.

Do you recall the thunderous applause when our soccer and basketball teams clinched city and state championships? Or the stirring excitement that filled us during the centennial celebration, marking a hundred years of our beloved school's glorious legacy? What about the intense, adrenaline-fueled moments leading up to the national robotics competition victory, where our hours of toil and teamwork bore fruit? These milestones have not only defined us as individuals but fortified our unity, creating a unique blend of memories that will forever echo in the corridors of Marshall.

Renowned poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou wisely remarked, 'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.' This profound wisdom resonates deeply with our journey at Marshall. Here, we haven't merely been equipped with academic prowess. We have been molded into empathetic, responsible citizens, who understand the ripple effect of kindness and compassion.

From brainstorming innovative solutions for a cleaner environment to establishing tutoring programs for underprivileged students, we strived to extend our learning beyond the classrooms. We realized that while personal success is rewarding, collective growth is truly fulfilling. So, we rolled up our sleeves and got our hands dirty - cleaning parks, initiating recycling drives, and raising funds for the local homeless shelter. And in the process, we discovered that the real essence of education is not just in mastering theorems or formulae but in uplifting those around us.

As we stand on the cusp of a new chapter in our lives, let us carry forth the indomitable spirit of Marshall - the spirit that encourages innovation, nurtures diversity, and champions resilience. We step into a world rife with challenges, but fortified by our experiences and values, we are prepared to navigate it. As we spread our wings to embrace the future, let's remember that we are not just graduates, we are the torchbearers of change, endowed with the ability to make a difference in the world.

To the mighty Class of 2023, we have arrived at this significant milestone through our relentless hard work, shared experiences, and indomitable spirit. We are leaving behind a part of our lives that has shaped us, nurtured us, and prepared us for the journey ahead. We are not just graduates with a high school diploma; we are young men and women ready to use our knowledge and skills to leave an indelible mark on the world.

Let's not forget, though, that this is not an end, but a new beginning. We are stepping out of our comfort zones, ready to chart unknown territories, driven by curiosity and fortified by our learnings. In this world of relentless change and countless opportunities, let us continue to be lifelong learners, innovators, leaders, and above all, compassionate human beings.

So, my fellow graduates, as we bid adieu to our beloved Marshall High School, let's not say goodbye. Instead, let's thank it for being our second home, our sanctuary of learning, and a nurturing ground for our dreams. Let's cherish the unforgettable memories, friendships, and invaluable lessons it has bestowed upon us.

Congratulations, Class of 2023! We've traversed a remarkable journey together, and today, we stand victorious, ready to forge ahead. As we flip the page to a new chapter, let's write a future filled with curiosity, kindness, resilience, and success. Here's to us, here's to our journey, and here's to the exciting adventures that await us.

We did it, and we did it together!"

The extended speech now conveys a valedictory message with detail and emotion, helping to create a deep connection with the audience. This valedictory speech illustrates the power of narrative, emotion, and the personal touch in making a speech truly memorable. It goes beyond the standard formula to offer a personal and poignant view of the graduates' shared experience, making it a suitable model for those seeking to craft a meaningful and impactful valedictory address.

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Break down walls. Vanquish villains. Stand up and speak out. Facts and truth matter.

6 past harvard commencement speakers offer inspiring messages of justice, courage, resilience, empathy.

Harvard graduates this week will hear from two high-profile leaders, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Thursday and Sunday. Ahead of the ceremonies, we look back at Commencement addresses from recent years.

“My philosophy is very simple. When you see something that’s not right, not fair, not just, stand up, say something, and speak out.”

U.S. Rep. John Lewis

2018 The Civil Rights icon delivers a powerful message on the importance of truth, justice, and equality at a time when those values have come under assault.

Thank you so much for those kind words of introduction. I must tell you that I’m delighted, very pleased and really happy to be here. You look good! The weather is good, rain stayed away. I’m happy. It’s good to see each and every one of you. Fellows of Harvard University, members of the Board of Overseers, members of the alumni board, distinguished deans, guests, faculty and all of the students, all of the wonderful graduates, and madam president, thank you. Thank you for your leadership, thank you for getting in good trouble! Necessary trouble. To lead this great University.

I want to take just a moment to honor the tenure of a great leader, who, through her courage and vision, worked to lead this historic university to even higher heights. Madam president, thank you for being a friend, but more importantly, thank you for using your office to move Harvard toward a more all-inclusive institution. Somewhere along the way, you realized that the brilliant mind is not confined to one discipline or one way of thinking.

In fact, true genius sees connections and relationships across barriers, to build a new understanding of the world around us. Creating one Harvard is much like the work I dedicated my life to. Ever since as a young girl you wrote a letter to President Eisenhower as a little girl, you have been responding to the cry for human dignity that rings out in our world. You used your vision and your talent, you used the great resources of this university to respond to that call, and I thank you. Thank you for your contribution to human unity in our world.

Today I say to each and every one of you who graduated from this University, you must lead. You’re never too young to lead, you’re never too old to lead! We need your leadership now more than ever before. We need it! We must save our country! We must save it! We must save our democracy. There are forces in America today and around the world trying to take us to some other place. Our foremothers and forefathers brought us to this place. Maybe our foremothers and our forefathers all came to this great land in different ships but as the late great A. Philip Randolph said “we are all in the same boat now” and we must look out for each other and care for each other. You’re never too young or too old to lead! To speak up! Speak out! And get in good trouble, necessary trouble. You cannot afford to stand on the sidelines.

Another generation of young people and people not so young are inspired to get in the way. Students from Harvard, Dr. Cole, who I have been knowing for many years came to Mississippi, came to the South and gave everything you had. During the 63 young men that I knew, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwermer, and James Chaney gave their very lives while they were helping people to register to vote. The vote is precious. It’s almost sacred. It is the most powerful, nonviolent instrument or tool we have in a democratic society and we must use t if we fail to use it, we will lose it.

So during this election year, I urge you, I plead with you to do what you can to save and rescue America. To do what you can to save the planet! Save this spaceship we call earth and leave it a little cleaner, a little greener, and a little more peaceful. For generations yet unborn. We have a mission and a mandate to go out there, play a role and play it so well as Dr. King would say, that no one else can play it any better. Some of you have heard me say from time to time that I grew up in rural Alabama on a farm, picking cotton, gathering peanuts, gathering corn. Sometimes I would be out there working and my mother would say, “boy, you’re falling behind! You need to catch up.” And I would say “this is hard work.” And she said “hard work never killed anybody.” And I said “well it’s about to kill me!” We need to work hard! There is work to be done. These smart graduates will lead us. High school students lead us, and guys, I say to you, if you’re not mindful, the women are going to lead us! It is my belief, it is my feeling as a traveler of America that the women and young. People, high school students, elementary school students and College students will lead us as part of a nonviolent revolution. We will create an America that is better, a little more humane and no one, but no one can deny us of that.

I just want to say one or two words to the graduates. Take a deep breath and take it all in. But tomorrow, I hope you roll up your sleeves, because the world is waiting for talented men and women to lead it to a better place. During the 60s, people literally put their bodies on the line! Many came from this University, came from Cambridge, from Boston, throughout the state and throughout America. Just think a few short years ago that Black people and white people couldn’t be seated together on a Greyhound business or trailway bus, leaving Washington, D.C., to travel through Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi. We were on our way to New Orleans to test a decision of the United States Supreme Court. We were beaten, arrested, and more than 400 of us were jailed. My seatmate was a young white gentleman from Connecticut. We arrived in a small town in South Carolina. We were beaten, left bloody. But many years later, and this was May 1961, same year that Barack Obama was born, but many years later, one of the guys that beat us came to my office in Washington. He got information from a local reporter. He was in his 70s, his son came with him in his 40s. He said, “Mr. Lewis, I’m one of the people that beat you. Beat your seatmate. I’ve been a member of the Klan.” He said “will you forgive me? I want to apologize. Will you accept my apology? Will you forgive me?” His son started crying, he started crying and I said, “I forgive you. I accept your apology.” They hugged me, I hugged them back, and I cried with them. It is the power of the way of peace, the power of love, it is the power of the philosophy and discipline of nonviolence. We need to create a society where we can be reconciled and lay down the burden of hath for hate is too heavy of a burden to bear.

Fifty years ago the man that I admired, the man that was like a brother, Martin Luther King Jr., was taken from us. When we heard that Dr. King had been assassinated I was in Indianapolis, Indiana, campaigning with Bobby Kennedy. I cried. Stopped crying and I said to myself “we still have bobby.” Two months later Bobby Kennedy was gone. And I cried some more. Today we’ve got to get rid of our are tears and not be down. And not get lost in the sea of despair. We’ve got to be hopeful and keep the faith and turn the ship around. We can do it and we must do it!

Here at Harvard you’ve been well trained. You must lead. You must get out there and as Dr. King would say, be a headlight, not a taillight! It’s your time, it’s your calling. During the 60s I got arrested a few times, 40 times! And since I’ve been in Congress another five times! And I’m probably going to get arrested again! My philosophy is very simple, when you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, stand up! Say something! Speak up and speak out!

When I was growing up as a young boy in rural Alabama, 50 miles from Montgomery, I had an aunt by the name of Seneva and my aunt lived in a shotgun house. Here at Harvard you never seen a shotgun house, you don’t even know what I’m talking about. One way in, one way out. What is a shotgun house? Old house, dirt yard. Sometimes my aunt Seneva would go out on the weekend, Friday or Saturday, and take a brush broom made from dogwood branches and sweep the yard very clean. One Saturday afternoon few of my brothers and sisters, cousins, about 15 of us young children were playing in her dirt yard. And an unbelievable storm came up. The wind started blowing, the thunder started rolling and the lightning started flashing and she told us to come in. We went in. The wind continued to blow, the thunder continued to roll, the lightning continued to flash, and the rain continued to beat on this old tin roof of the shotgun house. And we cried and cried. And in one corner of the old house appeared to be lifting up. And my aunt walked over to that side to hold the house down with her body. When the other corner appeared to be lifting she had us walk to that corner, we were children walking with the wind, but we never, ever left the house! I say to each of you, each and every one of us, the wind may blow, the thunder may roll, the lightning may flash, and the rain may beat down on an old house. Call it a house of Harvard, call it a house of Cambridge, call it a house of Boston, call it the house of Washington, or Alabama or Georgia, we all live in the same house. We all must hold our little house down. So I say to you: Walk with the wind. Let the spirit of history be your guide.

Thank you very much.

“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”

J.K. Rowling

2008 Drawing from her own life story, the “Harry Potter” author urges graduates not to fear failure but to learn from it and emphasized the power of empathy and imagination.

Read the speech.

“If we break down the walls that hem us in, if we step out into the open and have the courage to embrace new beginnings, everything is possible.”

Angela Merkel

2019 Like the Berlin Wall, “anything that seems set in stone or inalterable can indeed change,” Germany’s first woman chancellor said.

Herman Hesse wrote, “In all beginnings dwells a magic force for guarding us and helping us to live.” These words by Herman Hesse inspired me when I completed my physics degree at the age of 24. That was back in 1978. The world was divided into east and west, and it was in the grips of the Cold War. I grew up in East Germany, in the GDR, the part of my country which was not free at that time, in a dictatorship. People were oppressed and under state surveillance. Political dissidents were persecuted. The East German government was afraid that the people would flee to freedom. And that’s why it built the Berlin Wall, a wall made of concrete and steel. Anyone caught trying to overcome it was arrested or shot dead. This wall, which cut Berlin in half, divided a people and it divided families. My family was also divided.My first job after college was as a physicist at the Academy of Sciences in East Berlin. I lived near the Berlin Wall. I walked towards it every day on my way home from my institute. Behind it lay West Berlin, freedom. And every day, when I was very close to the wall, I had to turn away at the last minute in order to head towards my apartment. Every day, I had to turn away from freedom at the last minute. I don’t know how often I thought that I just couldn’t take it anymore. It was so frustrating.

Now, I was not a dissident. I didn’t run up and bang against the wall. Nor, however, did I deny its existence, for I didn’t want to lie to myself. The Berlin Wall limited my opportunities. It quite literally stood in my way. However, there was one thing which this wall couldn’t do during all those years. It couldn’t impose limits on my inner thoughts. My personality, my imagination, my dreams and desires, prohibitions or coercion couldn’t limit any of that. Then came 1989. A common desire for freedom unleashed incredible forces throughout Europe. In Poland, in Hungary, in Czechoslovakia, as well as in East Germany, hundreds of thousands of people dared to take to the streets. The people demonstrated and brought down the wall. Something which many people, including myself, would not have believed possible became reality. Where there was once only a dark wall, a door suddenly opened. For me, too, the moment had come to walk through that door. I no longer had to turn away from freedom at the last minute. I was able to cross this border and venture out into the great wide open.

During these months, 30 years ago, I experienced firsthand that nothing has to stay the way it is. This experience, dear graduates, is the first thought I want to share with you today for your future. Anything that seems to be set in stone or inalterable can, indeed, change. In matters both large and small, it holds true that every change begins in the mind. My parents’ generation discovered this in a most painful way. My father and mother were born in 1926 and 1928.

When they weren’t as old as most of you here today, the betrayal of all civilized well values that was the Shoah and World War II had just ended. My country, Germany, had brought unimaginable suffering on Europe and the world. The victors and the defeated could easily have remained irreconcilable for many years, but instead, Europe overcame centuries old conflicts. A peaceful order based on common values rather than suppose at national strength emerged. Despite all the discussions and temporary setbacks, I firmly believe that we Europeans have United for the better. And the relationship between Germans and Americans, too, demonstrates how former wartime enemies can become friends.

It was George Marshall who gave a crucial contribution to this for the plan he announced at the commencement ceremonies in 1947 in this very place. The transatlantic partnership based on values, such as democracy and human rights, has given us an era of peace and prosperity of benefit to all sides, which has lasted for more than 70 years now. And today, it will not be long now before the politicians of my generation are no longer the subject of the exercising leadership program, and at most will be dealt with in leadership in history. Harvard class of 2019, your generation will be faced with the challenges of the 21st century in the coming decades. You are among those who will lead us into the future.

Protectionism and trade conflicts, jeopardize free international trade, and thus the very foundations of our prosperity. The digital transformation affects all facets of our lives, wars and terrorism lead to displacement and forced migration, climate change poses a threat to our planet’s natural resources, it and the resulting crises are caused by humans. Therefore, we can and must do everything humanly possible to truly master this challenge to humankind. It’s still possible. However, each and every one of us must play our part. And I say this with a measure of self criticism, get better. I will therefore do everything in my power to ensure that Germany, my country, will achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Changes for the better are possible if we tackle them together. If we were to go it alone, we could not achieve much. The second thought I want to share with you is therefore, more than ever our way of thinking and our actions have to be multilateral rather than unilateral, global rather than national, outward looking rather than isolationists. In short, we have to work together rather than alone.

You, dear graduates, will have quite different opportunities to do this in future than my generation did. After all, your smartphone probably has considerably more processing power than the copy of an IBM mainframe computer manufactured in the Soviet Union, which I was allowed to use for my dissertation in East Germany in 1986.

Today we use artificial intelligence, for example, to search through millions of images for symptoms of diseases.In order, among other things, to better diagnose cancer. In future, empathetic robots could help doctors and nurses to focus on the individual needs of patients. We cannot predict today which applications will be possible. However, the opportunities it brings are truly breathtaking.

Class of 2019, how we use these opportunities will be largely up to you as graduates. You are the ones who will be involved in deciding how our approach to how we work, communicate, get about, indeed, our entire way of life will develop. As federal chancellor, I often have to ask myself, “Am I doing the right thing?” “Am I doing something? Because it isn’t right? Or simply because it is possible.” That is something you two need to keep asking yourselves. And that is the third thought I wish to share with you today.

Are we laying down the rules for technology or is technology dictating how we interact? Do we prioritize people as individuals with their human dignity and all their many facets? Or do we see in them merely consumers, data sources, objects of surveyance. These are difficult questions.

I have learned that we can find good answers even to difficult questions if we always try to view the world through the eyes of others. If we respect other people’s history, traditions, religion, and identity. If we hold fast to our inalienable values and act in accordance with them. And if we don’t always act on our first impulses, even when there is pressure to make a snap decision.

But instead take a moment to stop. Be still. Think. Pause. Granted, that certainly takes courage. Above all it calls for truthfulness in our attitude towards others. And perhaps most importantly, it calls for us to be honest with ourselves.

What better place to begin to do so than here, in this place, where so many young people from all over the world come to learn, research, and discuss the issues of our time under the maxim of truth. That requires us not to describe lies as truth and truth as lies. It requires us not to accept shortcomings as our normality. Yet what, dear graduates, could stop you? What could stop us from doing that?

Once again, the answer is walls.

Walls in people’s minds. Walls of ignorance and narrow-mindedness. They exist between family members, as well as between groups within the society, between people of different skin colors, nations, and religions. I would like us to break down these walls. Walls that keep preventing us from envisioning the world in which, together, we want to live.

Whether we manage to do that is up to us. That’s why my full thought for you, dear graduates, to consider is this. Nothing can be taken for granted. Our individual liberties are not givens. Democracy is not something we can take for granted. Neither is peace and neither is prosperity.

But if we break down… If we break down the walls that hem us in, if we step out into the open and have the courage to embrace new beginnings, everything is possible. Walls can collapse. Dictatorships can disappear. We can halt global warming. We can eradicate starvation. We can eliminate diseases. We can give people, especially girls, access to education. We can fight the causes of displacement and forced migration. We can do all of that. Let’s not start by asking what isn’t possible, or focusing on what has always been that way. Let’s start by asking what is possible and looking for things that have never been done like that before. This is exactly what I said to the Bundestag, the German Parliament, in 2005 in my first policy statement as newly elected Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and the first woman to hold this office. I want to use precisely these words to share with you my fifth thought. Let us surprise ourselves by showing what is possible. Let us surprise ourselves by showing what we are capable of. In my own life, it was the fall of the Berlin Wall that allowed me almost 30 years ago to step out into the open. At that point, I left my work as a scientist behind me and entered politics. That was an exciting and magical time, just as your lives will be exciting and magical.

I also experienced moments of doubt and worry, for at that time, we all knew what lay behind us, but not what might lie ahead. Perhaps that reflects a little how you, too, are feeling today, amidst all the joy of this occasion.

The six thought I also want to share with you is this. The moment when you step out into the open is also a moment of risk-taking. Letting go of the old is part of a new beginning. There is no beginning without an end, no day without night, no life without death. Our whole life consists of the difference, the space between beginning and ending.

It is what lies in between that we call life and experience. I believe at time and time again, we need to be prepared to keep bringing things to an end in order to feel the magic of new beginnings and to make the most of opportunities. That was what I learned as a student, and it is what I now in politics. Who knows what life will bring after my time as a politician? That, too, is completely open. Only one thing is clear. It will again be something different and something new.

That’s why I want to leave this wish with you. Tear down walls of ignorance and narrow mindedness for nothing has to stay as it is.

It’s six things. Take joint action in the interest of the moderate lateral global world. Keep asking yourselves, “Am I doing something because it is right, or simply because it’s possible?” Don’t forget that freedom is never something that can be taken for granted. Surprise yourself with what is possible. Remember that openness always involves risks. Letting go of the old is part of the new beginning. Above all, nothing can be taken for granted. Everything is possible. Thank you.

“In a two-hour movie, you get a handful of character-defining moments, but in real life, you face them every day. Life is one strong, long string of character-defining moments.”

Steven Spielberg

2016 Don’t shy away from the world’s pain, the filmmaker urged grads. Instead, examine it, challenge it and, while you’re at it, find “a villain to vanquish.”

Thank you, thank you, President Faust, and Paul Choi, thank you so much.

It’s an honor and a thrill to address this group of distinguished alumni and supportive friends and kvelling parents. We’ve all gathered to share in the joy of this day, so please join me in congratulating Harvard’s Class of 2016.

I can remember my own college graduation, which is easy, since it was only 14 years ago. How many of you took 37 years to graduate? Because, like most of you, I began college in my teens, but sophomore year, I was offered my dream job at Universal Studios, so I dropped out. I told my parents if my movie career didn’t go well, I’d re-enroll. It went all right.But eventually, I returned for one big reason. Most people go to college for an education, and some go for their parents, but I went for my kids. I’m the father of seven, and I kept insisting on the importance of going to college, but I hadn’t walked the walk. So, in my fifties, I re-enrolled at Cal State — Long Beach, and I earned my degree.I just have to add: It helped that they gave me course credit in paleontology for the work I did on Jurassic Park. That’s three units for Jurassic Park, thank you. Well I left college because I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and some of you know, too — but some of you don’t. Or maybe you thought you knew but are now questioning that choice. Maybe you’re sitting there trying to figure out how to tell your parents that you want to be a doctor and not a comedy writer.

Well, what you choose to do next is what we call in the movies the “character-defining moment.” Now, these are moments you’re very familiar with, like in the last “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” when Rey realizes the force is with her. Or Indiana Jones choosing mission over fear by jumping over a pile of snakes. Now in a two-hour movie, you get a handful of character-defining moments, but in real life, you face them every day. Life is one strong, long string of character-defining moments. And I was lucky that at 18 I knew what I exactly wanted to do. But I didn’t know who I was. How could I? And how could any of us? Because for the first 25 years of our lives, we are trained to listen to voices that are not our own. Parents and professors fill our heads with wisdom and information, and then employers and mentors take their place and explain how this world really works. And usually these voices of authority make sense, but sometimes, doubt starts to creep into our heads and into our hearts. And even when we think, “that’s not quite how I see the world,” it’s kind of easier to just to nod in agreement and go along, and for a while, I let that going along define my character. Because I was repressing my own point of view, because like in that Nilsson song, “Everybody was talkin’ at me, so I couldn’t hear the echoes of my mind.” And at first, the internal voice I needed to listen to was hardly audible, and it was hardly noticeable — kind of like me in high school.

But then I started paying more attention, and my intuition kicked in. And I want to be clear that your intuition is different from your conscience. They work in tandem, but here’s the distinction: Your conscience shouts, “here’s what you should do,” while your intuition whispers, “here’s what you could do.” Listen to that voice that tells you what you could do. Nothing will define your character more than that. Because once I turned to my intuition, and I tuned into it, certain projects began to pull me into them, and others, I turned away from. And up until the 1980s, my movies were mostly, I guess what you could call “escapist.” And I don’t dismiss any of these movies — not even 1941. Not even that one. And many of these early films reflected the values that I cared deeply about, and I still do. But I was in a celluloid bubble, because I’d cut my education short, my worldview was limited to what I could dream up in my head, not what the world could teach me.

But then I directed “The Color Purple.” And this one film opened my eyes to experiences that I never could have imagined, and yet were all too real. This story was filled with deep pain and deeper truths, like when Shug Avery says, “Everything wants to be loved.” My gut, which was my intuition, told me that more people needed to meet these characters and experience these truths. And while making that film, I realized that a movie could also be a mission. I hope all of you find that sense of mission. Don’t turn away from what’s painful. Examine it. Challenge it. My job is to create a world that lasts two hours. Your job is to create a world that lasts forever. You are the future innovators, motivators, leaders and caretakers. And the way you create a better future is by studying the past.

“Jurassic Park” writer Michael Crichton, who graduated from both this college and this medical school, liked to quote a favorite professor of his who said that if you didn’t know history, you didn’t know anything. You were a leaf that didn’t know it was part of a tree. So history majors: Good choice, you’re in great shape…Not in the job market, but culturally. The rest of us have to make a little effort. Social media that we’re inundated and swarmed with is about the here and now. But I’ve been fighting and fighting inside my own family to get all my kids to look behind them, to look at what already has happened. Because to understand who they are is to understand who we were, and who their grandparents were, and then, what this country was like when they emigrated here. We are a nation of immigrants at least for now.

So to me, this means we all have to tell our own stories. We have so many stories to tell. Talk to your parents and your grandparents, if you can, and ask them about their stories. And I promise you, like I have promised my kids, you will not be bored. And that’s why I so often make movies based on real-life events. I look to history not to be didactic, cause that’s just a bonus, but I look because the past is filled with the greatest stories that have ever been told. Heroes and villains are not literary constructs, but they’re at the heart of all history.

And again, this is why it’s so important to listen to your internal whisper. It’s the same one that compelled Abraham Lincoln and Oskar Schindler to make the correct moral choices. In your defining moments, do not let your morals be swayed by convenience or expediency. Sticking to your character requires a lot of courage. And to be courageous, you’re going to need a lot of support.And if you’re lucky, you have parents like mine. I consider my mom my lucky charm. And when I was 12 years old, my father handed me a movie camera, the tool that allowed me to make sense of this world. And I am so grateful to him for that. And I am grateful that he’s here at Harvard, sitting right down there. My dad is 99 years old, which means he’s only one year younger than Widener Library. But unlike Widener, he’s had zero cosmetic work. And dad, there’s a lady behind you, also 99, and I’ll introduce you after this is over, okay? But look, if your family’s not always available, there’s backup. Near the end of “It’s a Wonderful Life” — you remember that movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”? Clarence the Angel inscribes a book with this: “No man is a failure who has friends.” And I hope you hang on to the friendships you’ve made here at Harvard. And among your friends, I hope you find someone you want to share your life with.

I imagine some of you in this yard may be a tad cynical, but I want to be unapologetically sentimental. I spoke about the importance of intuition and how there’s no greater voice to follow. That is, until you meet the love of your life. And this is what happened when I met and married Kate, and that became the greatest character-defining moment of my life.Love, support, courage, intuition. All of these things are in your hero’s quiver, but still, a hero needs one more thing: A hero needs a villain to vanquish. And you’re all in luck. This world is full of monsters. And there’s racism, homophobia, ethnic hatred, class hatred, there’s political hatred, and there’s religious hatred.As a kid, I was bullied — for being Jewish. This was upsetting, but compared to what my parents and grandparents had faced, it felt tame. Because we truly believed that anti-Semitism was fading. And we were wrong. Over the last two years, nearly 20,000 Jews have left Europe to find higher ground. And earlier this year, I was at the Israeli embassy when President Obama stated the sad truth. He said: “We must confront the reality that around the world, anti-Semitism is on the rise. We cannot deny it.”

My own desire to confront that reality compelled me to start, in 1994, the Shoah Foundation. And since then, we’ve spoken to over 53,000 Holocaust survivors and witnesses in 63 countries and taken all their video testimonies. And we’re now gathering testimonies from genocides in Rwanda, Cambodia, Armenia and Nanking. Because we must never forget that the inconceivable doesn’t happen — it happens frequently. Atrocities are happening right now. And so we wonder not just, “When will this hatred end?” but, “How did it begin?”

Now, I don’t have to tell a crowd of Red Sox fans that we are wired for tribalism. But beyond rooting for the home team, tribalism has a much darker side. Instinctively and maybe even genetically, we divide the world into “us” and “them.” So the burning question must be: How do all of us together find the “we?” How do we do that? There’s still so much work to be done, and sometimes I feel the work hasn’t even begun. And it’s not just anti-Semitism that’s surging — Islamophobia’s on the rise, too. Because there’s no difference between anyone who is discriminated against, whether it’s the Muslims, or the Jews, or minorities on the border states, or the LGBT community — it is all big one hate.

And to me, and, I think, to all of you, the only answer to more hate is more humanity. We gotta repair — we have to replace fear with curiosity. “Us” and “them” — we’ll find the “we” by connecting with each other. And by believing that we’re members of the same tribe. And by feeling empathy for every soul — even Yalies.

My son graduated from Yale, thank you …

But make sure this empathy isn’t just something that you feel. Make it something you act upon. That means vote. Peaceably protest. Speak up for those who can’t and speak up for those who may be shouting but aren’t being hard. Let your conscience shout as loud as it wants if you’re using it in the service of others.

And as an example of action in service of others, you need to look no further than this Hollywood-worthy backdrop of Memorial Church. Its south wall bears the names of Harvard alumni — like President Faust has already mentioned — students and faculty members, who gave their lives in World War II. All told, 697 souls, who once tread the ground where stand now, were lost. And at a service in this church in late 1945, Harvard President James Conant — which President Faust also mentioned — honored the brave and called upon the community to “reflect the radiance of their deeds.”

Seventy years later, this message still holds true. Because their sacrifice is not a debt that can be repaid in a single generation. It must be repaid with every generation. Just as we must never forget the atrocities, we must never forget those who fought for freedom. So as you leave this college and head out into the world, continue please to ‘reflect the radiance of their deeds,’ or as Captain Miller in Saving Private Ryan would say, “Earn this.”

And please stay connected. Please never lose eye contact. This may not be a lesson you want to hear from a person who creates media, but we are spending more time looking down at our devices than we are looking in each other’s eyes. So, forgive me, but let’s start right now. Everyone here, please find someone’s eyes to look into. Students, and alumni and you too, President Faust, all of you, turn to someone you don’t know or don’t know very well. They may be standing behind you, or a couple of rows ahead. Just let your eyes meet. That’s it. That emotion you’re feeling is our shared humanity mixed in with a little social discomfort.

But, if you remember nothing else from today, I hope you remember this moment of human connection. And I hope you all had a lot of that over the past four years. Because today you start down the path of becoming the generation on which the next generation stands. And I’ve imagined many possible futures in my films, but you will determine the actual future. And I hope that it’s filled with justice and peace.

And finally, I wish you all a true, Hollywood-style happy ending. I hope you outrun the T. rex, catch the criminal and for your parents’ sake, maybe every now and then, just like E.T.: Go home. Thank you.

“Facts and truth are matters of life and death. Misinformation, disinformation, delusions, and deceit can kill.”

Martin Baron

2020 “Imperfect though [it] may be” an independent press is key to ensuring that facts are presented and truth defended in society,” the Washington Post executive editor said.

Good morning from my home. Like you, I wish we were together on campus.There is so much now we can no longer take for granted. The air we breathe is first among them. So, those of us who are healthy have ample reason to be grateful. I am also grateful to Harvard and to President Bacow for inviting me to be with you. To the Harvard Class of 2020, congratulations. And congratulations to the parents, professors, mentors and friends who helped you along the way. Joining you for graduation is a high honor.

For me, this is an opportunity – an opportunity to speak about subjects that I believe are of real urgency. Especially now during a worldwide health emergency.

I would like to discuss with you the need for a commitment to facts and to truth. Only a few months ago, I would have settled for emphasizing that our democracy depends on facts and truth. And it surely does. But now, as we can plainly see, it is more elemental than that.

Facts and truth are matters of life and death. Misinformation, disinformation, delusions and deceit can kill. Here is what can move us forward: Science and medicine. Study and knowledge. Expertise and reason. In other words, fact and truth. I want to tell you why free expression by all of us and an independent press, imperfect though we may be, is essential to getting at the truth. And why we must hold government to account. And hold other powerful interests to account as well.When I began thinking about these remarks, I expected, of course, to be on Harvard’s campus. And I thought: Not a bad place to talk about a free press. Not a bad place to talk about our often-testy relationship with official power.

It was in Boston, after all, where the first newspaper of the American colonies was founded. Its first edition was published September 25th, 1690. The very next day, the governor and council of Massachusetts shut it down. So, the press of this country has long known what it means to face a government that aims to silence it. Fortunately, there has been progress. With the First Amendment, James Madison championed the right of “freely examining public characters and measures.”

But it took a very long time before we as a nation fully absorbed what Madison was talking about. We took many ominous turns. We had the Alien and Sedition acts under John Adams, the Sedition and Espionage Acts under Woodrow Wilson, the McCarthy era. It was not always clear where we as a nation would end up.

Finally, witnessing the authoritarianism of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, we began to secure a free press in this country. The Supreme Court would forcefully emphasize the press’ role in guaranteeing a democracy. Justice Hugo Black said it well decades later: “The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people.” Not only the secrets of government, I would add. Our duty to inform the public does not stop there. Not by a long shot.

That was evident during my years as a journalist in Boston. Amid today’s crisis, it seems like another era. And I guess it is. But I want to tell you about it — because I think it remains instructive about what a strong, independent press must do.

I started as editor of the Boston Globe in the summer of 2001. One day prior to my start date, a Globe columnist wrote about a shocking case. A priest had been accused of abusing as many as 80 kids. A lawsuit alleged that the cardinal in Boston at the time knew about the serial abuse, didn’t do anything about it — and repeatedly reassigned this priest from parish to parish, warning no one, over decades. The Archdiocese called the accusations baseless and reckless. The Globe columnist wrote that the truth might never be known. Internal documents that might reveal it had been sealed by a judge. On my first day of work, we asked the question: How do we get at the truth? Because the public deserved to know.

That question led us to challenge the judge’s secrecy order. And our journalists launched an investigation of their own. In early 2002, we published what we had learned through reporting and by prevailing in court. We published the truth: The cardinal did know about the abuse by this priest. Yet he kept him in ministry, thus enabling further abuse. Dozens of clergy in the diocese had committed similar offenses. The cardinal had covered it all up.

And a bigger truth would emerge: Covering up such abuse had been practice and policy in the Church for decades. Only now the powerful were being held to account.

Late in 2002, after hundreds of stories on this subject, I received a letter from a Father Thomas P. Doyle. Father Doyle had struggled for years – in vain — to get the Church to confront the very issue we were writing about. He expressed deep gratitude for our work. “It is momentous,” he wrote, “and its good effects will reverberate for decades.” Father Doyle did not see journalists as the enemy. He saw us an ally when one was sorely needed. So did abuse survivors. I kept Father Doyle’s letter on my desk — a daily reminder of what journalists must do when we see evidence of wrongdoing.

Harvard’s commencement speaker two years ago, civil rights pioneer John Lewis, once said this: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” We as journalists have the capacity – along with the constitutional right — to say and do something. We also have the obligation. And we must have the will. So must you. Every one of you has a stake in this idea of free expression. You want to be free to express your views. You should be free to hear the views of others, the same or different. You want to be free to watch any movie. To read any book. To listen to any lyrics. You should be free to say what you know is true without threat of government reprisal.And you should acknowledge this if you value these freedoms that come with democracy: Democracy cannot exist without a free and independent press. It never has.

Leaders who crave more power for themselves always move quickly to crush an independent press. Next, they destroy free expression itself. Sadly, much of the world is on that worrisome path. And efforts in this country to demonize, delegitimize and dehumanize the press give license to other governments to do the same – and to do far worse.

By the end of last year, a near-record 250 journalists worldwide were sitting in prison. Thirty of them faced accusations of “false news,” a charge virtually unheard-of only seven years earlier.

Turkey has been trading places with China as No. 1 on the list of countries that jail the most journalists. The Turkish government has shut down more than 100 media outlets and charged many journalists as terrorists. Independent media have been largely extinguished. China, of course, imposes some of the world’s tightest censorship on what its citizens can see and hear.

In Hungary, the prime minister has waged war on independent media. Harvard Nieman fellow Andras Petho, who runs an investigative reporting center there, notes that the prime minister’s business allies are “taking over hundreds of outlets and turning them into propaganda machines.”

Like other heads of state, Hungary’s prime minister has exploited the pandemic to grab more power, suppress inconvenient facts, and escalate pressure on news outlets. A new law threatens up to five-year jail terms against those accused of spreading supposedly false information. Independent news outlets have questioned how the crisis was managed. And the fear now is that such accountability journalism will lead to harassment and arrests, as it has in other countries.

In the Philippines, the courageous Maria Ressa, who founded the country’s largest online-only news site, has been battling government harassment for years on other fronts. She now faces prosecution on bogus charges of violating foreign ownership laws. By the end of last year, she had posted bail eight times. Her real violation? She brought scrutiny to the president. In Myanmar, two Reuters journalists — Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo – were imprisoned for more than 500 days for investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys. Finally, a year ago, they were released. In 2018, an opinion writer for The Washington Post, Jamal Khashoggi, walked into Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul to get documents he needed to marry. He was murdered there at the hands of a team sent by highest-level Saudi officials. His offense? He had sharply criticized the Saudi government. In Mexico, murderous vengeance against journalists is common. Last year, at least five were killed, more than in any other country. I think also of the risks that American journalists have taken to inform the public. Among them are colleagues I can never forget.

One is Elizabeth Neuffer. Seventeen years ago this month, I stood before her friends at the Boston Globe to report that she had died covering the war in Iraq. Elizabeth was 46, an experienced foreign correspondent, a mentor to others; vivacious and brave. Her Iraqi driver was traveling at high speed because of the risk of abductions. He lost control. Elizabeth died instantly; her translator, too. Elizabeth had a record of fearlessness in investigating war crimes and human rights abuses. Her goal: Reveal the world as it is — because someone might then make things better.

Another colleague was Anthony Shadid. In 2002, I visited Anthony, then a reporter for the Globe, after he was shot and wounded in Ramallah. Lying in a hospital in Jerusalem, it was clear that he had narrowly escaped being paralyzed. Anthony recovered and went on to report from Iraq, where he won two Pulitzer Prizes for The Washington Post. From Egypt, where he was harassed by police. From Libya, where he and three New York Times colleagues were detained by pro-government militias and physically abused. He died in 2012, at age 43, while reporting in Syria, apparently of an asthma attack. Anthony told the stories of ordinary people. Without him, their voices would have gone unheard.

And now I think constantly of reporters, photographers and videographers who risk their own well-being to be with heroic frontline health workers — frontline workers of every sort – to share their stories. Anthony, Elizabeth and my present-day colleagues sought to be eyewitnesses. To see the facts for themselves. To discover the truth and tell it. As a profession, we maintain there is such a thing as fact, there is such a thing as truth.

At Harvard, where the school’s motto is “Veritas,” presumably you do, too. Truth, we know, is not a matter of who wields power or who speaks loudest. It has nothing to do with who benefits or what is most popular. And ever since the Enlightenment, modern society has rejected the idea that truth derives from any single authority on Earth.

To determine what is factual and true, we rely on certain building blocks. Start with education. Then there is expertise. And experience. And, above all, we rely on evidence. We see that acutely now when people’s health can be jeopardized by false claims, wishful thinking and invented realities. The public’s safety requires the honest truth. Yet education, expertise, experience and evidence are being devalued, dismissed and denied. The goal is clear: to undermine the very idea of objective fact, all in pursuit of political gain. Along with that is a systematic effort to disqualify traditional independent arbiters of fact. The press tops the list of targets. But others populate the list, too: courts, historians, even scientists and medical professionals – subject-matter experts of every type.

And so today the government’s leading scientists find their motives questioned, their qualifications mocked — despite a lifetime of dedication and achievement that has made us all safer. In any democracy, we want vigorous debate about our challenges and the correct policies. But what becomes of democracy if we cannot agree on a common set of facts, if we can’t agree on what even constitutes a fact? Are we headed for extreme tribalism, believing only what our ideological soulmates say? Or do we become so cynical that we think everyone always lies for selfish reasons? Or so nihilistic that we conclude no one can ever really know what is true or false; so, no use trying to find out? Regardless, we risk entering dangerous territory. Hannah Arendt, in 1951, wrote of this in her first major work, “The Origins of Totalitarianism.” There, she observed “the possibility that gigantic lies and monstrous falsehoods can eventually be established as unquestioned facts … that the difference between truth and falsehood may cease to be objective and may become a mere matter of power and cleverness, of pressure and infinite repetition.”

One hundred years ago – in 1920 – a renowned journalist and leading thinker, Walter Lippmann, harbored similar worries. Lippmann, once a writer for the Harvard Crimson, warned of a society where people “cease to respond to truths, and respond simply to opinions … what somebody asserts, not what actually is.” Lippmann wrote those words because of concerns about the press itself. He saw our defects and hoped we might fix them, thus improving how information got to the public.

Ours is a profession that still has many flaws. We make mistakes of fact, and we make mistakes of judgment. We are at times overly impressed with what we know when much remains for us to learn. In making mistakes, we are like people in every other profession. And we, too, must be held accountable. What frequently gets lost, though, is the contribution of a free and independent press to our communities and our country — and to the truth.

I think back to the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 when the Miami Herald showed how lax zoning, inspection and building codes had contributed to the massive destruction. Homes and lives are safer today as a result. In 2016, the Charleston Gazette-Mail in West Virginia exposed how opioids had flooded the state’s depressed communities, contributing to the highest death rates in the country. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana’s newspapers were indispensable sources of reliable information for residents. The Washington Post in 2007 revealed the shameful neglect and mistreatment of wounded veterans at Walter Reed Hospital. Corrective action was immediate. The Associated Press in 2015 documented a slave trade behind our seafood supply. Two thousand slaves were freed as a result. The New York Times and The New Yorker in 2017 exposed sexual predators in elite boardrooms. A movement of accountability for abuses against women took root. The New York Times in 1971 was the first to publish the Pentagon Papers, revealing a pattern of official deceit in a war that killed more than 58,000 Americans and countless others. The Washington Post broke open the Watergate scandal in 1972. That led ultimately to the president’s resignation.Those news organizations searched for the truth and told it, undeterred by pushback or pressure or vilification.Facing the truth can cause extreme discomfort. But history shows that we as a nation become better for that reckoning. It is in the spirit of the preamble to our Constitution: “to form a more perfect union.” Toward that end, it is an act of patriotism.

W.E.B. Du Bois, the great scholar and African American activist — and the first African American to graduate with a PhD from Harvard – cautioned against the falsification of events in relating our nation’s history. In 1935, distressed at how deceitfully America’s Reconstruction period was being taught, Du Bois assailed the propaganda of the era. “Nations reel and stagger on their way,” he wrote. “They make hideous mistakes; they commit frightful wrongs; they do great and beautiful things. And shall we not best guide humanity by telling the truth about all this, so far as the truth be ascertainable?”

At this university, you answer that question with your motto — “Veritas.” You seek the truth — with scholarship, teaching and dialogue – knowing that it really matters.My profession shares with you that mission — the always arduous, often tortuous and yet essential pursuit of truth. It is the demand that democracy makes upon us. It is the work we must do. We will keep at it. You should, too. None of us should ever stop.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for honoring me. Good luck to you all. And please, stay well.

“While the legacy of enslavement, racism, discrimination, and exclusion still influences so much of contemporary attitudes, we must never conclude that it is too late to overcome such a legacy. For it is never too late to do justice.”

Ruth J. Simmons

2021 The president of Prairie View A&M University and former president of Brown University and Smith College exhorted graduates to fight inequality and foster diversity and inclusion.

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Good day and congratulations to the Harvard University Class of 2021.

It is a singular honor to be invited to address you on this important milestone occasion. To all completing their studies today, I offer my best wishes as you undertake the next exciting phase of your lives. That you have succeeded so well during such a time as this is commendable and augurs well for the years to come when the world will rely greatly on your knowledge, your discernment, and your empathy for those less fortunate than you.

When first approached about delivering this Commencement address, I was, frankly, taken aback. I did not immediately feel up to the task. Recalling occasions when I sat in Tercentenary Theatre looking across the expanse of graduates to the steps of Widener Library, I could not picture myself confidently delivering remarks from a dais where so many more eminent figures had stood and, indeed, made history. Growing up on a constant Jim Crow diet that offered assertions of my inferiority, I’m always that same little Black girl trying to believe in and demonstrate her worthiness. Further, I thought about the challenge of what I might impart in such a pivotal national moment when social gains seem more like losses, when clarity gives way so easily to confusion, and when much heralded progress recedes like a trompe l’oeil that was never real.

I extend greetings from the faculty, administration and students of our 145 year old institution, Prairie View A&M University. And, though I have not been anointed to do so, I also bring greetings from the collection of Historically Black and Minority Serving institutions that have the weight and privilege of advancing access, equity and opportunity for so many communities across the world. Our university, like many others HBCUs, was founded at the end of Reconstruction when Blacks were thought to be unable to perform the highest level academic study. I speak to you, in fact, from the Prairie View campus whose 1500 acres were once the site of the Alta Vista Plantation. That plantation, before being sold to the State of Texas, was the site where 400 human beings were held in slavery. Thus, our very steps as they daily tread upon vestiges of the suffering of our ancestors, call to us constantly to do our duty as full citizens. Painful as such memories are, they are a powerful force that calls us to action when challenges arise.

During the 145 years following our 1876 founding, it would take many years for most universities in our nation to grant access to Blacks. So, universities like Prairie View, designed with limited resources, served the state and nation by admitting students to whom full access to the fruits of liberty was intentionally blocked. We are therefore proud of our legacy of endurance and even prouder of the fact that we converted an assertion of the inferiority of African Americans into a triumph of human capacity. Like other HBCUs, we made a place to empower rather than disparage, to open minds rather than imprison them, to create pathways to promise rather than to stifle opportunity.

Such is the task of every true university. Those of you graduating today can well attest to that. When you first arrived at Harvard as undergraduate or post-graduate students, you most likely could not have imagined the many ways that your ability would be tested, your insights sharpened and expanded, and your prospects in life improved by studying at the University. I certainly didn’t expect such results when I arrived at Harvard and yet I know now that it is likely primarily because I studied at Harvard that I have had the deeply rich and satisfying career that I’ve enjoyed for so many years.

A product of a segregated upbringing in Houston and undergraduate study at an HBCU, I am ashamed to say that in my youth, I secretly bought into the prevailing racial assumptions of the day: that someone like me would be ill-prepared to benefit from and contribute to study at a university of Harvard’s stature. I expected to be flatfooted if not oafish in the company of well-heeled and urbane students who had the advantage of the best education and a wealth of experiences. While not outwardly immobilized by fear of failing the biggest test of my life, I was inwardly terrified that I would fail to measure up. Uncertainty and malaise governed my early days at the university.

Harvard was, you see, a place steeped in other peoples’ traditions—traditions that I could not easily access. My reaction was very much akin to the French expression denoting window shopping: “lécher les vitrines.” Those of us who are outsiders are often as mere observers looking through windows, salivating and wondering how we might ever be able to attain a sense of inclusion, acceptance and respect. Just as when, as a child, I was banned from white establishments, I identified as the outsider looking enviously at others who not only had full access to Harvard’s history and traditions but who also could so easily see themselves reflected in them. Few things that I could see at Harvard at the time represented me. Perhaps it is the memory of that feeling that moved me to remain in university life to make that experience easier for others who felt excluded.

The need to make universities more aware of how first generation and underserved communities reacted to the stultified tradition in many universities shaped my conviction about the importance of individuals feeling fully embraced and respected as learners, erasing vestiges of disparagement that inevitably accrue in an unequal society. Having been profiled and racially isolated and having carried within me for so many years the weight of that sentence, I understood that to change our country, we had to insist that everyone’s humanity, everyone’s traditions and history, everyone’s identity contributes to our learning about the world we must live in together. I came to believe what Harvard expressed in its admission philosophy: that such human differences, intentionally engaged in the educational context, are as much a resource to our intellectual growth as the magnificent tomes that we build libraries to protect and the state of the art equipment proudly arrayed in our laboratories. The encounter with difference rocks!

I believe that each of us has a solemn duty to learn about and embrace that difference. That undertaking takes not a month or a year but a lifetime of concerted action to ensure that we are equipped to play a role in caring for and improving the world we inhabit together. This responsibility should encourage us to commit to our individual as well as professional role in advancing access, equality and mutual respect.

Thus, I believe that the task of a great university is not merely to test the mettle and stamina of brilliant minds but to guide them toward enlightenment, enabling thereby the most fruitful and holistic use of their students’ intelligence and humanity. That enlightenment suggests the need for improving upon students’ self-knowledge but it also means helping them judge others fairly, using the full measure of their empathy and intelligence to do so. In an environment rich in differences of background, experience and perspectives, learning is turbo charged and intensified by the juxtaposition of these differences. Those open minded enough to benefit fully from the power of this learning opportunity are bound for leadership in this time of confusion and division. The Harvard model intentionally and successfully provides to students a head start in understanding how to mediate difference in an ever more complex reality in which some exploit those differences for corrupt purposes.

Today, irrational hatred of targeted groups is seemingly on the rise, stoked by opportunists seeking advantage for themselves and their profits. What stands between such malefactors and the destruction of our common purpose are people like you who, having experienced learning through difference, courageously stand up for the rights of those who are targeted. Your Harvard education, if you were paying close attention here, should have encouraged you to commit willingly to playing such a role. If you follow through on this commitment, in addition to anything else you accomplish in life, you will be saving lives, stanching the flow of hatred and the dissolution of our national bond. You will be serving the mighty cause of justice. If we are to thrive on this orb that we share, our schools and universities must contribute deliberately to increasing our understanding of the ways to interact meaningfully with others.

Harvard is, in some ways, the most powerful university bully pulpit in the nation. It did not achieve that status merely through its age and wealth; it attained that status principally through the efforts of its faculty and graduates’ scholarly and professional output. Through its gates have come generations of scholars with immense intelligence and passionate purpose to whom fate bequeathed the laurels of success. But it is important that universities model in their own values and actions the high purpose that they hope to see in the actions of their scholars.

In that vein, Harvard has a special responsibility as both a prod and steward of the national conscience. It could sit on the hill and congratulate itself on its prowess but it could also use its immense stature to address the widening gaps in how different groups experience freedom and justice. I spoke earlier about the heroic work of HBCUs and minority serving institutions that keep our country open and advancing the cause of equality and access. Yet, many of them have been starved for much of their history by the legacy of underfunding and isolation from the mainstream of higher education.

I call on universities like Harvard to acknowledge the limitations imposed on these institutions over the past decades. While universities like Harvard had the wind at their back, flourishing from endowments, strong enrollments, constant curricular expansion, massive infrastructure improvements, and significant endowment growth, HBCUs often had gale force winds impeding their development. Our nation is finally coming to terms with the consequences of the underfunding of HBCUs but we are far from where we need to be if we are to be assured continued progress in the fight for equal educational benefits.

I ask the university that did so much for me to add to its luster by embracing the opportunity to stand alongside these historic and other minority serving institutions to build stronger partnerships, advocate for greater funding, and elevate the fight for parity and justice to the level it deserves. Let us not complain in a hundred years that those historically excluded from access and opportunity continue to ask how much longer it will take to gain the respect, inclusion and support that their service to the nation deserves.

Many minority serving institutions accept students from impoverished underserved communities where educational preparation often lacks the pre-requisites needed for certain careers. Children in those communities may experience the same or a worse fate than I and my peers did during the pre-Civil Rights era. Consigned to underfunded schools and alienating curricula, they must wonder as I did what will befall them in life. ublic schools saved me and they have the burden still of saving millions of children across this land. In so very many cases, these institutions are the only hope for many children and their families. Support for public education in this moment is as important as it was in the early days of the country when Horace Mann first called for universal education. For Mann, it was a matter of what our young country would need; it still is today as Mann’s emphasis on civic virtue continues to ring true.

Further, in such a moment, universities and all of you must play a leadership role in reversing the designation of the teaching profession as less intellectually worthy, less glamorous, and less important than the high-flying careers of financiers and technologists. Attention to and investment in K-12 teacher preparation and curricular content remains one of the most important ways for universities and the average citizen to contribute to the civic good.

None of us is exempt from responsibility for the future we give our children. Harvard has its role and so do all of you. I have come to ask you who graduate today what you are prepared to do to acknowledge and address the historic biases and inequities that so many continue to experience. Will your actions point us in a more uplifting direction? For, just as we recount the moral bankruptcy of those who cruelly enslaved others, we also tell the story of those who were equally guilty because they refused to challenge the practice of slavery. In the future, the history of these times will reveal both what we do and what we fail to do to address the unjust treatment of marginalized groups. Among all that you will have learned at Harvard, I hope that the consciousness of your responsibility in the struggle for equality remains with you. While the legacy of enslavement, racism, discrimination and exclusion still influences so much of contemporary attitudes, we must never conclude that it is too late to overcome such a legacy. For it is never too late to do justice.

Today, I call on all of you to declare that you will not give sanction to discriminatory actions that hold some groups back to the advantage of others. I call on you to be a force for inclusion by not choosing enclaves of wealth, privilege and tribalism such that you abandon the lessons you learned from your Harvard experience of diversity. I call on you to do your part to ensure that generations to come will no longer be standing on the outside fighting for fairness, respect and inclusion.

Today, after decades in the academy, my path has taken me back to a place where students are waging the same battles that were so hard fought when I was a teenager: safe passage in the face of bigotry, the right to vote, and equal access to educational and professional opportunities. Sandra Bland, a Prairie View alumna, was stopped for a minor traffic offense at the entrance to our campus. Jailed for this offense, she was found deceased in her cell three days later. Must every generation add more tragic evidence of the racial hatred that has troubled the world? Our work is not done as long as there are young people growing up with the thought that they matter less than others. As long as they have fewer and narrower educational opportunities. As long as they must fear for their safety every moment of every day of their lives. As long as their full participation in society is circumscribed by policies that willfully chip away at or block their rights.

Just as I ask Harvard to use its voice on behalf of minority institutions that have been unfairly treated across time, I ask you to add your voice to the cause of justice wherever you go. Help the children of need wherever they are: in underfunded public schools, in neighborhoods bereft of resources, in search of a way to belong. If they do not hear your voices advocating for them and their worth, what must they conclude about their place in the world?

If you take up the cause of these children, you are taking up the greatest cause—that of justice. Today, you earn your laurels as a scholar. Taking up the cause of justice, you will earn your laurels as a human being.

Congratulations, once again, and God speed.

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Your Guide To Writing The Perfect Valedictorian Speech (With Sample Speech)

Hrideep barot.

• Speech Writing

So, you have managed to achieve the feat that’s probably the dream of most high school students: you’re the valedictorian. 

Congratulations, that is amazing.

You definitely deserve a pat on your back–maybe multiple ones. 

But, while this sounds like the perfect time to sit back and relax, it’s probably not. You still have one big task left to complete: delivering your valedictorian speech. 

But don’t worry. 

You managed to seize the highest marks in your class. Compared to that, delivering this speech should be a piece of cake. And even if it’s not–if you’re someone more comfortable with books than speaking in front of other people–don’t worry. We’ve got you. 

For delivering a memorable Valedictorian speech, keep in mind a few things like incorporating humor and storytelling, having a theme, getting other students’ insight & keeping your most important point for the end of your speech.  

We’ve delved into them deeper in the following sections. 

Tips To Keep In Mind While Writing Your Valedictorian Speech

1. Talk About Things You’ve Learnt Outside The Classroom 

While classroom learning is something that’s common to most of the students in the audience–that is, all of you probably learned the same coursework–what’s different is the stuff that you learned OUTSIDE the classroom. 

Talk about your personal experiences. The valuable lessons that seemingly trivial incidents taught you, what you remember the most from time spent with friends, etc. Teach them something they haven’t learned before; something that doesn’t involve an unwieldy textbook. 

2. Make Sure To Incorporate Humor 

Don’t just step up on the stage and start talking about a bunch of motivational stuff. If you truly wish to motivate your peers and make them remember you, then you need to incorporate humor in your speech. 

That’s because humor is a universal way to connect with people & make good memories with them. Think about all the good moments in your life, and chances are, you’ll realize you were smiling in more than one of them. 

For Example: “Your families are extremely proud of you. You can’t imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing. This would be a most opportune time to ask for money.”

We can also use the Paraprosdokian technique to make our speeches funny. It’s a simple technique which means narrating a story and having a surprise twist at the end. Want to know how some of our most beloved celebrities go about using this technique (and how you can too)? Check out this (entertaining) video we made:

3. Tell Stories 

Stories are another excellent way of connecting with your peers. Especially if it’s a popular story that most people recognize or was maybe quite the rage at a time in your school–chances are, at a time like this, repeating it will work to evoke fonder memories and emotions in your audience. 

So, make sure to use stories in your speech. 

For Example: Have you ever been the new kid in school? Well, I have…

We’ve created an entire video on how your can go about narrating great stories. The narrative structures and techniques discussed here will help you craft a compelling and engaging narrative:

4. Have A Theme 

Themes are a great way to enhance the impact of your speech. That’s because they are a common point that your entire speech is organized towards anything that you say in your speech can inevitably be traced back to it. 

Pick a theme that can inspire your audience. For example: 

• Why the best years of our life are  not  behind us
• What high-school didn’t prepare you for
• Why it’s okay to fail
• Why not being the top of class is not a big deal
• Why the small picture is more important than the big picture

5. Talk To Other Students 

Your valedictorian speech is not just a cornerstone in your own high-school life, but also a testament to the life and experiences of the other students in the audience. So, why not include them in the writing of your speech?

I’m not asking you to get another student to write your speech for you. Rather, what I’m suggesting is talking to other students, and getting insight into their own thoughts, experiences & emotions. 

You can use them or the common themes you hear to structure your speech, and even include a couple of incidents or other things into your speech. This will greatly increase the impact that you make. 

Check our article 11 Engaging Ways To Interact With The Audience to make your speech a wholesome and interactive experience for the audience. 

6. Keep It Short & Simple 

Remember that your speech is a part of a larger ceremony that’s taking place and that most people in the audience are unlikely to pay attention to an hour-long speech. 

So, make sure that your speech is short and simple. Stick to the main points. A general guideline would be to have your speech be anything between 5-15 minutes. You can confirm if you have a time limit with the principal. 

7. Keep Your Most Important Point For The End 

How you end your speech is just as important as the way you begin it. That’s because while your beginning will determine whether people pay attention to your speech–or doze off–the ending will determine the takeaway that people return with. 

Your speech should be organized in such a way that it leads up to the final point that you make, which should be your most important point. 

This is going to be the line that people will most likely remember for a long time, the main takeaway from your speech. It can be a quote, the summary of a story or memory that you’ve spoken before, a few words of wisdom, or even a quote. 

For more inspiration on how to end your speech, check out our article on 50 Speech Closing Lines (& How To Create Your Own) l The Ultimate Guide 

How To Start Your Valedictorian Speech 

1. Start With An Anecdote 

As I mentioned before, stories and anecdotes are a must in any speech. And what better way to include them in your speech than have them right at the beginning? 

Stories will work to hook your audience right from the beginning and make it more likely that they will stick with you till the end. 

For Example: In Grade 11, one of my friends started the fire alarm…

2. Use A Prop 

Props are another great way to start off your speech. They are eye-catching, and if used correctly, can create an entire story for your audience. So you’re hitting two birds with one stone!

However, before using props, one thing to keep in mind is to make sure that they’re relevant to the topic at hand. Don’t just use a prop for the sake of using one. 

Examples of props:

• Your high-school yearbook
• A photograph
• A memoir from a popular school incident
• Your graduation cap
• Memorable food from cafeteria

3. Make Them Imagine 

Another great way to start off your speech is to make your audience imagine a scenario. By evoking the power of imagination, you will pique your audience’s mind and make it more likely that they will pay attention to you. 

You can make them imagine many scenarios. You could get them to picture the future, or even make them recall a particular incident from the past. 

For Example: Imagine you’re sitting in the classroom…

4. Sing A Song 

This is a different–and somewhat unconventional–way to start off your speech. Was there a song or piece of lyrics that were really popular back in high school? Maybe something that was viral with a lot of students. 

Well, now would be a great time to make them remember it. Not only will this evoke fond memories, but it might also make them join in with you, thus taking the interaction to another level. 

5. Tell A Joke 

Another great way to start off your speech is by telling a joke. As I mentioned, humor is an essential element for any speech or presentation. It can spice up a boring speech, and make a more difficult point easy to remember. 

Start off your speech with a joke. This can be done in the form of a normal punchline format, or you could mix up different elements by telling a funny story or using your prop as a joke. 

For Example: I was good at math, once they decided to mix the alphabet into it. 

For more information on how to open your speech, check out our article on 50 Speech Opening Lines (& How To Create Your Own) l The Ultimate Guide. 

How Long Should The Speech Be? 

As mentioned above, you need to remember that you’re not giving an isolated speech. Neither is the speech the only important component of the entire event. 

Rather, your speech is part of a bigger ceremony that is going to be likely many times longer than it. 

So, it’s important to make sure that you don’t dawdle on for too long. Not only will this make most of the students in the audience more impatient, but longer speeches generally tend to be less intirguing and harder to retain. 

That’s why it’s important to keep your speech short. Preferably somewhere between 5-15 minutes. 

This will give you ample time to cover your most important details, while also making sure that your fellow students and teachers don’t doze off from boredom. 

Sample Valedictorian Speech

You’re probably wondering why I’m smiling like an idiot right now–and why I have been the entire way on the stage. Well, that’s because as I prepare to deliver my final speech on this stage, I can’t stop thinking about my first time up here. When I first came to high-school, I was a shy kid whose worst fear was speaking in front of a big crowd of people. That’s because I have always been very imaginative, you see. But instead of using my imagination for writing stories as I now do, I used to use it to imagine the worst possible stories and scenarios in my head. And so when I somehow let my English teacher convince me to take part in a debate competition during my freshman year, most of my energy was focused on all the things that could go wrong during my speech rather than the speech itself. You know, like, me stumbling and falling on my face as I climbed all those big steps to the stage. Or me forgetting my speech in the middle. Or me bursting into tears from all the nerves and pressure–which is exactly what happened. Yep, ALL OF IT. Not only did I fall falt on my face the moment I stepped on the stage, but I also proceeded to tick off the other two items on the list–all within the span of two minutes. I was so embarrased that I swore to my mother I would NEVER in my life take another step inside this high-school. My mom indulged me for one day, and then sent me packing straight to school counselor’s office the next day. You’re probably wondering why I’m recounting what was probably the most embarrasing moment of my life on the best moment of my life. Well, that’s because, while at that moment it certainly felt that way, now I know that I’m not alone. Over the course of these four years, every single one of you has probably felt at least once as embarrased as I felt on that day. This speech is for all of you who’ve ever felt so humiliated that they felt like crawling under a giant rock and never showing your face to the other people sitting around you again. And yet, WE DID IT. The fact that we’re sitting in this room today is proof that we did. Despite the embarrasement or fear or regret or failure, we showed up. Maybe we didn’t show up right away, but we did pick ourselves up and got things together eventually. And in the end, that’s what matters: not when you get yourself together, but the fact that you do. As most of us in this room know from experience, being a senior is not all fun and games. Applying to a bunch of colleges, juggling classes and assignments, making sure your grades don’t slip, trying to squeeze in as many last-time high-school experiences as you can in the little time you can find between all them…well, it’s not easy. And yet we made it–all of us did. Graduation marks the close of a big chapter in our lives. It has been a chapter filled with tears and laughter, pranks and solutions, good memories and bad memories, of last-minute studying for exams taking place the next day, running behind the school bus in a seemingly impossible attempt to catch it, of attempts to stifle laughter in the middle of exams, and much much more… I can say with confidence that none of us sitting in this room today are the same person that we were on the day your story began. And all of us have witnessed each other bloom in this journey. And this is not the end–today, the doors to a new journey have been opened to us. And as we prepare to take our first step in this new journey, I’d like to thank each and every single one of the people who have helped us pass the previous one. I would like to thank our principal, all of our teachers and staff, our parents, and each and every single one of you sitting in this room today. Thank you. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been a small part of our journey or a big one, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve been in every single chapter of this book or only a paragraph–it wouldn’t have been the same without you. And I would like you to thank yourself as well. Thank yourself for having the courage to stand up after you fall, and to have the strength to show up day after day. Thank yourself for showing up despite the terrible food–if you can call it that–served in the cafeteria every single day. Give yourself a pat on the back. You deserve it.

Valedictorian Speech Examples

1. the king’s academy class of 2019.

Takeaway: This speech is a great example of how you can structure your entire valedictorian speech around a central theme to make it more memorable and intriguing. You can use it to select & organize your own speech.

2. La Plata High School Class of 2015

Takeaway: This speech is a great example of how you can effectively incorporate humor into your own speech. Use it to structure the flow of humor in your speech and to understand how to use humor without making it seem too forced.

3. West Hall High School Class Of 2010

Takeaway: This is an excellent speech to figure out how you can creatively use props in your own speech to make it a more interactive, visually appealing & memorable experience for your audience.

To conclude, writing a memorable Valedictorian speech isn’t as daunting of a task as it sounds. For delivering a memorable Valedictorian speech, keep in mind a few things like incorporating humor and storytelling, having a theme, getting other students’ insight & keeping your most important point for the end of your speech.  

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Crafting a Memorable Valedictorian Speech: 5 Tips and Ideas

• The Speaker Lab
• February 16, 2024

Table of Contents

Standing at the podium to deliver a valedictorian speech marks a pinnacle moment for high school graduates. While it’s an honor that speaks volumes about dedication and academic prowess, it also carries the weight of expectation.

This guide will walk you through creating a memorable valedictory address. You’ll learn how to reflect on collective milestones and incorporate those unique stories that bind your class together. We’ll explore themes like overcoming adversity and extracting life lessons from your high school years—all designed to leave everyone feeling inspired as they part ways.

Understanding the Valedictorian Speech

In academia, traditions run deep and none stands out quite like delivering that commencement speech amidst fellow graduates. The valedictorian speech is more than just a final farewell to high school. It’s a beacon of inspiration for every graduate sitting in their cap and gown. When you’re tasked with delivering this pivotal speech, remember: You’re not just speaking as an individual; you represent your entire graduating class.

Achieving this honor means you’ve scaled heights academically within your school community. But let’s face it—being top dog isn’t just about having bragging rights at family gatherings or making grandma proud. It signifies commitment beyond individual success—it speaks volumes about what one can achieve with determination.

You’re no ordinary student. As a result, you are now tasked with crafting words that will echo long after tassels have been turned at graduation ceremonies.

Significance in Academic Tradition

In academic tradition, there’s something almost sacred about commencement speeches. After all, they mark both an ending and a beginning. The best ones capture the essence of shared journeys through stories from freshman year fumbles to senior year triumphs—and everything in between.

In addition to recounting these stories of growth and camaraderie, a great valedictorian speech recounts lessons learned inside classrooms and on sports fields alike. As we at The Speaker Lab know, these narratives can shape powerful messages .

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Crafting Your Valedictorian Speech

To strike the right chord with listeners takes careful consideration—you want each word to resonate authentically without falling into cliché traps often heard at graduations. To get you started, here are some ideas on what you might include in your graduation speech . In addition, consider these examples from The New York Times .

Reflecting on Collective Experiences and Aspirations

Weave common threads throughout your narrative—think back row shenanigans or early morning bus stop meetup. Memories like these will draw laughter and nods from classmates who’ve lived these moments too.

You can even reflect on how you’ve tackled challenges like the global pandemic and how you’ve navigated changes like online classes. Events like these have impacted you and your classmates profoundly and they’re worth reflecting on.

Beyond merely recounting achievements, your words should also echo the aspirations and spirit of your high school class. This moment serves as both reflection on what has been accomplished and anticipation for all that lies ahead, uniting everyone under common hope as they prepare to part ways into diverse futures.

Incorporating Personal Faith

Talking about personal faith can be powerful but it’s key to respect everyone’s beliefs. For those from Christian backgrounds, mentioning how God has influenced your journey might resonate deeply. It’s about balancing personal truth with inclusivity—giving thanks without assuming uniformity among fellow graduates.

Universal Values for Collective Inspiration

When delivering your valedictorian speech, try incorporating values that you and your classmates share. This could include anything from teamwork to cooperation, hard work, or perseverance. Brainstorm values that mean something to you personally and then choose themes from that list that will resonate with your classmates as well.

Highlighting Collective or Personal Accomplishments

We all know high school wasn’t just a walk in the park. Think back to freshman year, when everything was new and challenging. You had to navigate not only math class but also social dynamics and personal growth spurts.

This is where your valedictorian speech can shine by highlighting your collective accomplishments. Emphasize how you learned how to work together, transforming trials into triumphs. The moments spent tackling group projects or cheering each other on during sports events show more than your ability to overcome adversity—they showcase your school’s spirit of unity.

Alternatively (or perhaps in addition), highlight personal growth, and the ways you saw yourself and others improve, whether academically or as a person. Whichever approach you take, speaking on the triumphs of high school gives you and your classmates the chance to appreciate the challenges you overcame. By adapting, innovating, and pushing past comfort zones, you and your classmates made it to the finish line: graduation day.

Personal Touches in Your Speech

Your personal growth is another treasure trove for material. Maybe there was an “aha” moment with Mr. Smith, the math teacher who turned numbers into life lessons. Or perhaps Ms. Wilson’s U.S. history class pushed you out of your comfort zone more than once. These individual stories add a personal touch to your speech while granting recognition to teachers who made a positive impact on your high school career.

And don’t forget your fellow students. If you’ve attended your high school for awhile, chances are you’ve made some close friends. Go ahead and give a shoutout to those that made a difference in your life. As valedictorian, you want your words to resonate—to leave everyone feeling seen, understood, celebrated even as they prepare to part ways beyond high school graduation.

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FAQs on Valedictorian Speeches

What should i say in my valedictorian speech.

Highlight shared triumphs, express gratitude, and inspire your peers to embrace future challenges with optimism.

What is a valedictory speech example?

An effective valedictory speech might start by recalling a common freshman challenge and end on hopeful notes about the journey ahead.

How do you make a valedictorian speech unique?

Weave in personal stories that echo the class’s spirit. Use humor wisely and leave them pondering fresh ideas or perspectives.

What is the main purpose of a valedictorian speech?

To celebrate achievements, acknowledge collective growth, and rally classmates for upcoming adventures beyond high school halls.

Delivering a valedictorian speech is an art. It’s your story, your graduating class’s journey, everyone’s milestone. Remember the key takeaways: weave together personal triumphs with shared moments that defined you all.

Reflect on the lessons learned beyond textbooks—those are what will shape you moving forward. Embrace adversity since it taught you resilience and brought out collective strength you never knew you had.

Your valedictorian speech should be more than words—it’s a celebration, an inspiration, a final bow to high school life as you ignite excitement for what comes next. So go forth and conquer!

• Last Updated: February 29, 2024

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• Delivery Techniques →

Inspiring Valedictorian Speech Examples to Help You Write Your Own

Most of us remember delivering a speech in front of our classmates during graduation, whether as salutatorian or valedictorian.

While inputting the right facts and research can be challenging, it’s important to make sure that your graduation speech is inspiring and motivating. Afterall, this is the last time you see many of your class mates, so you want your message to have an impact.

That’s why we’ve compiled some of the most memorable and inspiring valedictorian speeches. Review these examples to get ideas and help you craft your own unique speech. With thoughtful words and effective storytelling , you’ll be sure to make a lasting, positive influence to your classmates!

Reflecting on Our Journey

Throughout high school our journey of self-discovery and growth has been a constant.

As we look back on our journey, it’s important to recognize the significant role that memories have in helping us shape our lives and define who we are. What we reflect on can be both uplifting and humbling while inspiring us to strive for further success.

The more we reflect on our past experiences, the better able we are to learn from failures and successes alike. This not only helps us acknowledge our accomplishments, but it also gives us perspective and insight into how far we’ve come as individuals.

Reflecting on our journey is an opportunity to celebrate the best moments of our years in high school, from sports victories to unforgettable conversations with friends. It also allows us to appreciate all that we learned during those formative years that has helped shape the person we have become today.

It’s natural to feel hesitant about taking time out of a busy day to look back on our individual paths.

But it is a beneficial exercise, even if viewing the past causes painful emotions or overwhelming feelings of nostalgia. Reflection helps us fully appreciate what was achieved and reminds us to take time out of our daily routine for introspection.

Now that we have taken the time to reflect on our individual journey up to this point in life, let’s take a look at some of the notable accomplishments made by members of our class. In the next section, we will examine how remembering some of these triumphs can help provide insight into future goals and ambitions.

Remembering Our Achievements

The valedictorian’s job is to honor the successes and hard work of the graduating class. This can be done by looking back at our collective achievements over the past few years.

From faculty members to peers, remembering everyone who contributed to our success encourages a sense of gratitude and pride in our accomplishment.

One option for doing this is by recognizing special accomplishments or awards that were earned during our time together.

Names can be called out and stories can be shared , only if appropriate and welcomed by those mentioned. It is important to check with anyone beforehand if they are comfortable being publicly remembered in such a way.

It could also be done through sharing meaningful interactions and experiences with classmates. Narratives about how we have learned from one another and grown together remind us of all that we have accomplished, both as individuals and as part of a collective body.

Finally, it may be beneficial to recall moments of progress and growth throughout all of our years in school. Celebrating, even our smaller triumphs along the way further highlights the successes that brought us here today.

Remembering our achievements serves as a reminder of all the hard work our graduating class has put into their education and provides an opportunity to give credit where it is due.

Let us take this moment to pause and recognize everyone who was involved in ushering us here to this milestone moment in time. Now let us transition into celebrating our success as we look ahead at what is possible for us next on our journeys beyond this pivotal rite of passage.

Celebrating Our Success

When it comes to delivering the valedictorian speech, an important element is celebrating our success. The idea of celebration can take on different forms, from lightheartedness to a more serious acknowledgement of a job well done.

It’s up to individual taste as to how you as the valedictorian choose to celebrate and recognize your peers’ many accomplishments that brought you all together.

For those who prefer something more humorous and attractive to the crowd, celebrating with jokes or funny stories that have become part of the shared history of the graduating class can have a greater impact than simply citing general successes.

It shows familiarity and genuine appreciation for the special moments you’ve had with your peers that has led to your combined achievement.

Others may choose a more solemn tone, thanking their entire class for their hard work and dedication over the years which enabled them all to come so far in their respective fields.

This kind of approach also has its merits, as it adds a level of gravity to the speeches, conveying real admiration and gratitude amongst graduating students.

No matter which route one takes, celebrating success has long been an integral component in setting graduation ceremonies apart from everyday life.

As such, valedictorians do not only recognize the accomplishment of graduating classes but also the memories and stories held within their hearts that made it meaningful. Following this section about celebrating our successes, we’ll now discuss how we can look ahead to the future.

Looking Ahead to the Future

It’s perfectly natural to spend some time looking back and reflecting on our successes during the past few years, but when it comes to speeches, valedictorians should also look ahead.

Looking ahead creates a sense of direction and hope that can be shared with the other graduates, reminding them of all of the future possibilities that lie ahead. It also helps to encourage graduates to set goals for themselves and strive for a brighter future.

When talking about the future, many people have conflicting views on whether tackling hard challenges or taking risks should be considered a positive outlook.

On one hand, some would argue that taking risks can lead to incredible rewards and great opportunities. On the other hand, others may point out that the cost of taking too big of a risk can be very costly in terms of time and money spent.

However, instead of debating which side is right or wrong in this scenario, it is more important to focus on how graduates can prepare themselves for whatever life may bring their way.

Valadictorians can use their speech as an opportunity to challenge their peers by inspiring them to make proactive steps towards achieving their dreams – no matter what obstacles they may face along the way.

This may include setting goals apart from just focusing on academic performance; such as staying active, forming meaningful relationships and continuing to learn new skills.

Furthermore, valedictorians can talk about any struggles or set-backs they faced during their journey and about how perseverance eventually played a role in helping them reach their desired outcome – which could serve as an inspiration for those listening .

Overall, by looking ahead and encouraging their peers not just to take risks but find ways to proactively approach their future endeavors, valedictorians can get across an important message – even if it’s through leaving a graduation ceremony with mostly unanswered questions – that they are ready for the next step and up for the challenge.

With these thought processes in mind, let’s now look towards how we as individuals can set goals and understand the power of embracing each challenge head-on.

Setting Goals and Embracing the Challenge

It is no secret that words have the power to both motivate and to inspire. As graduating seniors, now is the time to reflect on our successes, our failures, and the many challenges we have faced in high school.

It can be easy to move onto the next step in life while leaving the past behind us; however, it is important that we acknowledge our individual growth and progress.

Having goals helps us to stay focused on what we set out to achieve. Presenting a detailed outline of your life’s purpose can help to keep you motivated and inspired throughout future milestones.

Remind your classmates that setting goals is essential for any success and should include listed plans; such as attainable academic objectives, personal fitness goals, financial milestones and career aspirations. Making achievable short-term objectives also allows you reflect on your progress as you reach them one by one.

Embracing challenge gives us an opportunity to enhance skills , learn from our mistakes, gain mental strength and resilience, improve problem solving capabilities and explore new ideas that just may lead to something great.

Even though a challenge may be uncomfortable or difficult, sometimes taking risks are necessary for growth. Highlight those times when everyone tried something unexpected out of their comfort zones and how they overcame their fears into becoming confident individuals who tackled anything that came their way because they weren’t afraid of failing.

Demonstrating this important message will help your classmates recognize that push through hard things in life; there are so many more opportunities waiting for them once they continue down this path in life until eventually reaching their end goal!

Through setting achievable goals paired with embracing the challenge of not knowing the outcome, we can take control of our own paths rather than allowing our futures to follow whatever route happens along the way.

Let your classmates know that every step taken in order to achieve something great adds up over time which is why it’s important not to give up no matter how long or hard it may seem! Now onto saying goodbye…

Saying Goodbye to Our Classmates

Saying goodbye to our classmates can be a hard task for any valedictorian speaker. On one hand, we want to express our gratitude for all the time shared together and the memories created. We have supported one another through difficult times and celebrated our successes together.

All of these experiences have brought us closer and given us the strength to overcome anything that comes our way.

On the other hand, some may argue that it is important to move on from this chapter in life and looking forward to what lies ahead in the future.

After all, every good ending paves the way for new beginnings and this could very well be a start of something great. It’s essential to take all these emotions while saying goodbye – sadness, happiness, excitement – and expressing them through an emotional yet motivating valedictorian speech tailored specifically to your graduating class.

These arguments aside, a valedictorian speech is not complete without expressing both appreciation and hopefulness of what lies ahead. To craft a memorable farewell speech that resonates with your classmates, you must include everything mentioned above and show your utmost sincerity in thanking your peers.

Armed with these sentiments, you can now put pen to paper for an example valedictorian speech that is sure to capture and move your entire audience.

An Example Valedictorian Speech

An example of a valedictorian speech can illustrate the harmonious combination of humor and humility, storytelling and self-reflection that creates an inspiring speech.

One such valedictorian speech was delivered by Valedictorian Avery June of Elmore County High School, who told moving stories about growing up in rural Alabama and the profound impact her teachers had on her success.

She poignantly noted that while she had pride in her own accomplishments, they were only part of her journey. Her understanding of the influence of her teachers and peers was instrumental in creating a sense of community and school spirit.

At the same time, not all good valedictorian speeches will be purely reflective or serious. There is a place for levity and humor, as demonstrated by another example valedictorian speech – given by Australian Valedictorian Tom Alchin from St Ives High School – which bravely mocked both himself and his school’s teachers to much applause.

He reminded the entire assembly of their shared accomplishments despite any internal disagreements – ultimately leading to contagious positivity and celebration. By using a humorous approach , he embodied the spirit of togetherness amidst any differences between individuals at the school.

These examples show how effective an inspiring valedictorian speech can be when rendered correctly – walking a fine line between self-reflection and levity without sacrificing either ambition or collaboration.

From these examples we can see how a valedictorian speech can set the tone for celebration while showing admiration for our schools’ greatest resource – its people.

In the next section, we’ll explore further examples which showcase proud alumni stories as well as advice on representing our schools with pride during a valedictorians speech. With this in mind, let us turn to exploring how we can be proud ambassadors for our schools during our own special day.

Being Proud of Our School

When it comes to delivering a powerful valedictorian speech, there is nothing more powerful than a heartfelt thanks and recognition of the school that you attended.

Every academic institution has unique features that set it apart from other schools, and as such, being proud of your school should play a prominent role in any valedictorian speech.

While everyone takes pride in their individual successes, acknowledging one’s school can be just as important—possibly even more important. Students should take time out of their speech to thank their school, students, teachers, administrators, and staff.

Doing so will provide an opportunity to show gratitude, recognize all those who have helped along the way, and provide an optimistic outlook of what the future holds for each student’s home school.

In addition to thanking components of the school community, valedictorians should also use their speech as an opportunity to speak about specific qualities about their home institution that makes it special.

Depending on the size or focus of the school (i.e., public vs. private), there may be some unique aspects worth mentioning from curriculum to diversity. Being able to recognize these qualities during a person’s valedictorian speech will serve as a direct compliment to the entire school community and provide validation for all its efforts.

It is important for a valedictorian to keep in mind though that not every criticism leveled against one’s school needs to be addressed during this time—instead, focus solely on what makes it great and why you chose to spend your time there.

Bring up positive stories or anecdotes if pertinent and while providing constructive criticism can be useful in other contexts and situations like alumni mentorship panels or boards of trustees meetings, remember that using your valedictorian speech is not really the place or time for it.

At the end of the day, no matter how much one does or does not agree with certain aspects of their school’s policies or traditions taking pride in where one went to high school should be sincere and heartfelt before anything else. With this in mind, being proud of our school should be at the center of any inspiring valedictorian speech!

In conclusion, crafting a memorable valedictorian speech can be an intimidating task. However, taking the time to plan out your speech and focus on elements such as tone , storytelling, and timing can help to make your valedictorian speech stand out.

Additionally, you should consider practicing in front of an audience or recording yourself ahead of time so that you can get comfortable with delivering your speech in front of a larger group.

Ultimately, a great valedictorian speech will take time and effort. But by utilizing inspiring valedictorian speeches as examples and paying close attention to the style and delivery of your own speech, you’ll be able to craft a meaningful and memorable valedictorian address for all to enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions and Responses

What is the expected format of a valedictorian speech.

The typical format for a valedictorian speech is to first thank everyone involved in making the event possible and congratulate fellow classmates on their accomplishments. This can be followed by a brief reflection on the past four years, including any challenges that have been faced, before transitioning into an inspirational message about the future. The conclusion should include a memorable quote or saying to sum up the main themes of the speech.

In terms of structure, it is important to begin with an attention-grabbing statement , introduce topics in an organized manner, use vivid language and thought-provoking examples, and end with a strong conclusion . Additionally, it is important to vary sentence length and speak at a moderate pace so that your audience will remain engaged and follow your message.

How can I make sure my valedictorian speech is effective and impactful?

Making sure your valedictorian speech is effective and impactful requires you to be organized and creative. Before writing a word, brainstorm themes that represent your personal experience in the best light. Once you’ve identified your core message, you can begin structuring the speech in three parts: an opening statement, the body of the speech, and a closing.

When crafting your opening statement, use humor and heartwarming anecdotes to grab the audience’s attention. Opening statements should have a strong emotional connection with everyone in attendance.

The body of the speech should emphasize your core message by examples from your own life or experiences in high school. Try using visual aids such as pictures or videos to drive home key points in your presentation. Additionally, include quotes from educators, authors, politicians, or other influential figures to add depth to your delivery.

Finally, wrap up with a call-to-action for attendees to take away from the ceremony. End by expressing gratefulness for being selected valedictorian, for having been granted the opportunity to attend school with peers and teachers who have shaped their journey thus far.

By building an emotional base at the beginning of the speech and staying organized throughout, you can ensure that your valedictorian speech is both effective and impactful – regardless of how many people are present!

What are some tips for writing a valedictorian speech?

1. Think carefully about your topic. Consider what would be meaningful and inspiring to your classmates as they prepare to transition into the future. Take time to brainstorm ideas and narrow down your focus until you come up with something that stands out.

2. Get organized. Once you have chosen a topic , create an outline that divides your speech into sections, beginning with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Develop your main points and make sure that each one is addressed within each section of the outline .

3. Start writing as soon as possible. Begin drafting the body of your speech , utilizing concrete examples when possible to make it relatable and memorable for your peers. You can always edit your work later, but getting started is key in order to finish on time.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Reach out to teachers or other members of the school community who may have advice or feedback on how you can improve your speech before delivering it. Even if they are not familiar with valedictorian speeches specifically, they may be able to provide insights on writing or public speaking in general that will benefit you as you create your address.

5. Practice, practice, practice ! Rehearse your speech in front of friends and family until you are comfortable speaking it aloud from memory; this will help build confidence and give you the chance to iron out any issues before taking the stage at graduation day .

Valedictorian Speech

Valedictorian speech generator.

You have been named valedictorian, congratulations! In writing your valedictorian speech, a speech outline is necessary. A speech outline will help you compose a well-organized valedictory speech. Speech outlines will help you identify the important details of your speech and put them in order. Simply put, speech outlines will be your guide from the beginning to the end of your speech composition.

What Is a Valedictorian Speech?

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Valedictorian Speech Format

1. opening:.

Greeting: Start with a warm greeting to acknowledge the audience. Example: “Good [morning/afternoon/evening], everyone.” Introduction: Introduce yourself briefly and your role as valedictorian. Example: “For those who don’t know me, I’m [Your Name], and I am honored to stand before you today as your valedictorian.” Attention-Grabbing Opening: Use a quote, anecdote, or question to grab attention. Example: “As we stand on the threshold of a new chapter, I am reminded of a quote by Nelson Mandela: ‘It always seems impossible until it’s done.'”

2. Acknowledgments

Thanking the Audience: Express gratitude to key individuals and groups. Example: “I want to start by thanking our incredible teachers for their dedication, our parents for their unwavering support, and my fellow students for making this journey unforgettable.” 3. Reflection on School Experience: Shared Memories: Mention significant moments or experiences that the class shared. Example: “We’ve come a long way since our first day here, from navigating the hallways to conquering challenging exams and celebrating our victories together.” Lessons Learned: Share personal anecdotes and lessons learned. Example: “One lesson I’ve learned is the importance of perseverance. There were times when I felt overwhelmed, but pushing through those moments taught me resilience.”

4. Inspirational Message

Encouragement: Offer words of encouragement and hope for the future. Example: “As we move forward, let’s embrace our dreams with confidence and determination. The future is ours to shape.” Motivational Story or Quote: Include a story or quote to inspire the audience. Example: “Remember, in the words of Steve Jobs, ‘The only way to do great work is to love what you do.'”

5. Looking Ahead

Future Aspirations: Talk about the bright future and the opportunities ahead. Example: “Today is not just an end, but a beginning. Let’s carry the spirit of optimism and hard work into our next adventures.” Call to Action: Encourage your peers to take action and make a positive impact. Example: “Class of [Year], let’s go out and make the world a better place. Congratulations to us all!”

6. Conclusion

Final Thank You: Express one last round of gratitude. Example: “Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way.” Closing Statement: End with a powerful closing statement or a wish for the future. Example: “Congratulations, Class of [Year]! Here’s to our bright future!”

Valedictorian Speech Example

Opening: “Good evening, everyone. For those who don’t know me, I’m [Your Name], and I am honored to stand before you today as your valedictorian. As we stand on the threshold of a new chapter, I am reminded of a quote by Nelson Mandela: ‘It always seems impossible until it’s done.'” Acknowledgments: “I want to start by thanking our incredible teachers for their dedication, our parents for their unwavering support, and my fellow students for making this journey unforgettable. Without your encouragement and guidance, we wouldn’t be here today.” Reflection on School Experience: “We’ve come a long way since our first day here, from navigating the hallways to conquering challenging exams and celebrating our victories together. One of my favorite memories is [insert a meaningful or humorous anecdote, e.g., ‘the time our class pulled together to organize the best school carnival ever. The teamwork and spirit we showed made it an event to remember.’]” “Through these years, we’ve learned so much more than what’s written in textbooks. We’ve learned the importance of perseverance, the power of friendship, and the value of hard work. There were times when we felt overwhelmed, but pushing through those moments taught us resilience.” Inspirational Message: “As we move forward, let’s embrace our dreams with confidence and determination. The future is ours to shape. Remember, in the words of Steve Jobs, ‘The only way to do great work is to love what you do.’ Find your passion and pursue it relentlessly.” “We are stepping into a world full of opportunities and challenges. Let’s use the knowledge and skills we’ve gained here to make a positive impact. Whether it’s in science, art, business, or any field you choose, strive for excellence and never stop learning.” Looking Ahead: “Today is not just an end, but a beginning. Let’s carry the spirit of optimism and hard work into our next adventures. Let’s support each other as we embark on this new journey, knowing that we have the strength and courage to overcome any obstacles.” “Class of [Year], let’s go out and make the world a better place. Our journey doesn’t end here; it’s just the beginning of a new chapter filled with endless possibilities. Congratulations to us all!” Conclusion: “Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way. Your belief in us has made all the difference. To my fellow graduates, I wish you all the success and happiness in the world. Congratulations, Class of [Year]! Here’s to our bright future!” “Now, if everyone could please join me in a toast… Here’s to our hard work, our achievements, and the exciting journeys ahead. Cheers!”

Valedictorian Speech Short Example

Opening: “Good evening, everyone. For those who don’t know me, I’m [Your Name], and I’m honored to stand before you as your valedictorian. As we gather here today, I am reminded of Nelson Mandela’s words: ‘It always seems impossible until it’s done.'” Acknowledgments: “First, I want to thank our incredible teachers for their dedication, our parents for their unwavering support, and my fellow students for making this journey unforgettable.” Reflection on School Experience: “We’ve come a long way since our first day here. One of my favorite memories is [insert a brief anecdote, e.g., ‘the time we all worked together on the school play and it turned out to be a great success.’] Through these years, we’ve learned perseverance, the power of friendship, and the value of hard work.” Inspirational Message: “As we move forward, let’s embrace our dreams with confidence. Steve Jobs once said, ‘The only way to do great work is to love what you do.’ Find your passion and pursue it with all your heart.” Looking Ahead: “Today is not just an end, but a beginning. Let’s carry the spirit of optimism and hard work into our next adventures. Class of [Year], let’s go out and make the world a better place. Congratulations to us all!” Conclusion: “Thank you to everyone who has supported us. Congratulations, Class of [Year]! Here’s to our bright future!”

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How to Start a Valedictorian Speech

Most great speeches are not created overnight. If you do not know where to begin, there are various speech templates and examples you may refer to. Now writing a valedictorian speech is an important responsibility that requires planning, creativity, and practice. Here are some steps to help you write a successful valedictorian speech:

Step 1: Brainstorming and Outlining

Begin by brainstorming ideas and organizing your thoughts into an outline. Consider your personal experiences, what you learned during your academic journey, and what you want to say to your peers and teachers. Write down all the key points that you want to include in your speech and organize them into a logical order. Read books and other  graduation speeches , and look for inspiring quotes and anecdotes to include in your speech.

Step 2: Introduction

Start your speech with an introduction that captures your audience’s attention. Consider using a personal story or a quote that relates to the occasion. This will help you connect with your audience and set the tone for the rest of your speech.

Step 3: Thanking the Teachers and Staff

Acknowledge the hard work and dedication of your teachers and staff members. Express gratitude for their support and guidance throughout your academic journey. This is an opportunity to recognize the efforts of those who helped you achieve your academic goals.

Step 4: Reflections on the Academic Journey

Reflect on your academic journey and share your personal insights with your audience. Discuss your experiences and challenges, and how you overcame them. Share your growth and achievements, as well as any lessons you have learned along the way. This is an opportunity to inspire your peers and offers valuable advice.

Step 5: Encouragement and Inspiration

Offer words of encouragement and inspiration to your peers as they embark on their next chapter in life. Share your hopes for their future success and emphasize the importance of perseverance, hard work, and dedication. You can also offer advice on how to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.

Step 6: Conclusion

End your speech with a memorable conclusion that summarizes your key points and leaves a lasting impression on your audience. Consider using a call to action that encourages your peers to make a positive impact on the world. Here are samples of how to conclude a speech .

Step 7: Rehearsal

Practice your speech several times to ensure that you are comfortable with the content and delivery. This will help you build confidence and deliver your speech effectively.

Tips for Valedictorian Speech

• Begin with a memorable quote, anecdote, or thought-provoking question.
• Example: “As we stand on the threshold of a new chapter, I am reminded of a quote by Nelson Mandela: ‘It always seems impossible until it’s done.'”
• Thank teachers, parents, and peers for their support and contributions.
• Example: “Thank you to our incredible teachers for their dedication, to our parents for their unwavering support, and to my fellow students for making this journey unforgettable.”
• Mention significant moments or challenges that the class faced together.
• Example: “We’ve come a long way since our first day here, from navigating the hallways to conquering challenging exams and celebrating our victories together.”
• Share a message of hope and encouragement for the future.
• Example: “As we move forward, let’s embrace our dreams with confidence and determination. The future is ours to shape.”
• Include personal anecdotes or lessons learned.
• Example: “One lesson I’ve learned is the importance of perseverance. There were times when I felt overwhelmed, but pushing through those moments taught me resilience.”
• Focus on positive experiences and future possibilities.
• Example: “Today is not just an end, but a beginning. Let’s carry the spirit of optimism and hard work into our next adventures.”
• Finish with a powerful closing statement or call to action.
• Example: “Class of [Year], let’s go out and make the world a better place. Congratulations to us all!”
• Rehearse your speech multiple times to feel confident and natural.
• Time yourself to ensure it’s concise and within the allotted time.

What is the purpose of a valedictorian speech?

The purpose is to reflect on the graduating class’s experiences, celebrate achievements, and inspire classmates as they move forward.

Who delivers the valedictorian speech?

The highest-ranking student, known as the valedictorian, delivers the speech at the graduation ceremony.

How long should a valedictorian speech be?

A valedictorian speech typically lasts between 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the ceremony guidelines.

Should I rehearse my valedictorian speech?

Yes, practice multiple times to ensure smooth delivery, proper timing, and confidence during the actual presentation.

How can I make my valedictorian speech engaging?

Use humor, personal stories, and relatable experiences to connect with your audience and keep them interested.

How should I end a valedictorian speech?

End with a memorable conclusion, such as a quote, a call to action, or heartfelt best wishes for your classmates’ futures.

How do I start a valedictorian speech?

Begin with a greeting, a thank you to key individuals, and an engaging opening that captures the audience’s attention.

What should I include in a valedictorian speech?

Include personal anecdotes, reflections on school experiences, gratitude to teachers and parents, and an inspiring message for the future.

What should I avoid in my valedictorian speech?

Avoid negative remarks, controversial topics, and excessive self-praise. Focus on positivity, inclusivity, and inspiration.

Can I use multimedia in my valedictorian speech?

If allowed, incorporating multimedia elements like slideshows or videos can enhance your speech, but ensure they complement your message.

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Writing a Valedictorian Speech that inspires your classmates

How to craft a memorable Valedictorian Speech for graduation

Valedictorian Speech

Table of Contents

Introduction

As the valedictorian of your graduating class, you have the honor—and the challenge—of delivering a speech that encapsulates years of hard work, celebrates the achievements of your peers, and looks forward to the future. Crafting a valedictorian speech is not just about reflecting on past experiences; it’s about inspiring your classmates as they embark on their next chapters. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the steps to write a memorable and impactful valedictory speech.

Understand the Purpose of Your Speech

The valedictorian speech is more than just a personal accolade; it serves several key purposes:

• Celebration : Acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of the class.
• Inspiration : Motivate your classmates to pursue their dreams with determination.
• Reflection : Reflect on the experiences and lessons learned throughout school.
• Gratitude : Express thanks to teachers, families, and others who have supported your class’s journey.

Start with a Clear Structure

Organizing your speech is crucial for delivering your message effectively. A clear structure helps maintain your flow and keeps the audience engaged. Here’s a basic outline to consider:

• Introduction : Open with a strong, engaging hook to grab attention.
• Reflections on the Past : Share memorable experiences and lessons learned.
• Acknowledgments : Thank teachers, parents, and peers.
• Looking Forward : Speak about hopes and dreams for the future.
• Conclusion : End with a powerful closing that leaves a lasting impression.

Crafting the Introduction

Your introduction should capture the audience’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the speech. Start with something relatable and engaging:

• Quote : Open with a quote that resonates with your message.
• Anecdote : Share a short, humorous, or poignant story from your school years.
• Question : Pose a thought-provoking question to pique interest.

Reflecting on the Past

This section of your speech should resonate with your peers as it revisits shared experiences. Be selective about the memories you choose to share:

• Universal Experiences : Discuss moments that most, if not all, classmates can relate to.
• Personal Growth : Share how specific experiences have shaped you and your classmates.

Expressing Gratitude

Acknowledging those who have helped along the way is a key component of your speech. Be sincere and specific:

• Mention Teachers by Name : Personalize your thanks by mentioning influential teachers and describing how they have impacted you.
• Thank Parents and Guardians : Recognize the support from families, acknowledging their sacrifices.
• Thank Your Peers : Celebrate the support and friendships that have developed among classmates.

Looking to the Future

As valedictorians, part of your role is to inspire your classmates as they look to the future. Offer encouraging words about embracing new challenges and the importance of continual growth:

• Encourage Lifelong Learning : Stress the importance of staying curious and open to new experiences.
• Inspire Action : Motivate your peers to pursue their passions with courage and resilience.

Writing the Conclusion

Your conclusion is your final opportunity to leave an impact. Make it memorable:

• Call to Action : Challenge your classmates to make a positive impact in the world.
• Reflective Quote : End with a quote that encapsulates your message and inspires reflection.
• Personal Farewell : Offer a heartfelt farewell that resonates emotionally.

Valedictorian Speech Sample

Good morning, respected principal, esteemed teachers, staff, proud parents, and, above all, my fellow graduates. Today marks a pivotal moment in our lives, the day we step forward from the familiar into the unknown, armed with education, memories, and dreams.

Reflecting on Our Journey

As I stand here, I am reminded of our first day at this school, filled with a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation. We didn’t know then that the halls we walked, the classes we attended, and the grounds we played on would become the backdrop to our transformation. From those tentative first steps to confident strides towards our future, each moment has been a stitch in the fabric of our shared story.

We faced academic challenges that pushed us to our limits and beyond. We celebrated victories in sports, arts, and science, proving that our talents are diverse and our capabilities vast. We also supported each other through setbacks, learning that failure is not the opposite of success, but a part of it.

Our journey would not have been possible without the unwavering support of many. To our teachers, thank you for not just educating us, but inspiring us. You challenged us to think critically and act compassionately. You taught us not just subjects, but lessons that extend beyond the classroom walls.

To our parents and families, you were our first teachers and our constant champions. Your sacrifices and encouragement fueled our ambitions. Thank you for standing by us through every step, offering love and guidance.

And to my classmates, thank you for the camaraderie and memories. Each of you has contributed to making our time here unforgettable. I am proud to be part of this incredible group.

Looking Forward

As we look to the future, it’s filled with uncertainties, but also limitless possibilities. We are equipped not only with knowledge but with critical thinking skills and a sense of social responsibility. Whether our next steps are in further education, the workforce, or exploring the world, I am confident each of us will leave a mark of excellence and kindness.

Let us take the resilience and adaptability we’ve honed here to face the challenges of tomorrow. Let’s continue to learn, not just from textbooks, but from every experience and every person we encounter.

In closing, while today we celebrate the end of a significant chapter, let’s also look forward to the new beginnings that await us. Remember, graduation is not the end; it’s the commencement of new journeys, new challenges, and new achievements.

Let us step forward with courage and optimism, carrying the legacy of our alma mater with pride. As we scatter in different directions, let the bonds we’ve formed remain strong, and may the memories we cherish today inspire us always.

Thank you, and congratulations to the Class of 2024! Let’s go forth and make our mark on the world, always remembering where we began and dreaming of where we will go.

Final Tips for Writing and Delivering Your Speech

Be authentic.

Your speech should reflect your personality and values. Write in a way that feels true to yourself, and your sincerity will resonate with the audience.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Rehearse your speech multiple times. This will not only help you memorize it but also allow you to work on your delivery, including timing, pauses, and intonation.

Keep It Concise

Aim for a speech that lasts about 5-7 minutes. Keeping it concise helps maintain the audience’s attention and ensures that your message is delivered clearly.

Engage with Your Audience

Make eye contact and use gestures to connect with your audience. This engagement makes your delivery more effective and dynamic.

Be Prepared for Emotions

Giving a valedictorian speech can be an emotional experience. Be prepared for this and allow yourself to express these emotions; it adds to the authenticity of your message.

Final Thoughts

Writing a valedictorian speech is a significant responsibility, but it’s also a great honor. By following these guidelines, you can create a speech that not only reflects on your journey through school but also inspires and motivates your classmates as they move forward. Remember, this speech is not just a farewell; it’s a celebration of beginnings, achievements, and the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

About Mr. Greg

Mr. Greg is an English teacher from Edinburgh, Scotland, currently based in Hong Kong. He has over 5 years teaching experience and recently completed his PGCE at the University of Essex Online. In 2013, he graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a BEng(Hons) in Computing, with a focus on social media.

Mr. Greg’s English Cloud was created in 2020 during the pandemic, aiming to provide students and parents with resources to help facilitate their learning at home.

Whatsapp: +85259609792

[email protected]

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Valedictorian Speech Templates

A valedictorian speech is a culminating address delivered by the class’s highest achiever, similar in spirit to a student council speech , where leadership and inspiration converge. It encapsulates the journey, trials, and triumphs of the graduating class, weaving in gratitude, reflections, and forward-looking aspirations. This sample speech serves not only as a farewell but also as a beacon of encouragement for graduates stepping into the future

Valedictorian Speech Examples

24 sample speech examples, 9+ salutatorian speech samples.

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Valedictorian Speech for High School

Good evening, esteemed faculty, proud parents, honored guests, and, most importantly, my fellow graduates. Today, as we stand on the precipice of the future, it is my profound honor to address you as the valedictorian of our class.

Four years ago, we embarked on a journey together, not knowing where it would lead us or the challenges we would face. We entered the halls of our high school as children, but today, we leave as adults, armed with knowledge, experiences, and memories that will last a lifetime.

To our teachers, thank you for your unwavering dedication and for pushing us beyond our limits. You have not only been educators but mentors, guiding us with patience and wisdom, and preparing us for the challenges ahead. You saw potential in us even when we doubted ourselves, and for that, we are eternally grateful.

To our parents and families, thank you for your love and support. You have been our backbone, cheering us on from the sidelines, celebrating our victories, and comforting us in our defeats. Your sacrifices have not gone unnoticed, and today is as much your achievement as it is ours.

And to my fellow graduates, what can I say? We did it! Together, we have experienced highs and lows, successes and failures, laughter and tears. We have learned not just from textbooks, but from each other. We have grown together, shaped by each other’s perspectives, dreams, and values. As we move forward, let us carry these lessons and friendships with us, for they are the true essence of our high school experience.

As we stand on the threshold of the future, it’s natural to feel a mix of excitement and apprehension. The road ahead is uncharted, full of possibilities and opportunities. Some of us will go on to college, others will enter the workforce, and some may travel or pursue other passions. Whatever path you choose, pursue it with passion and determination. Remember, success is not measured by the destination, but by the journey and the lives we touch along the way.

Let us also remember that with great potential comes great responsibility. We are the leaders of tomorrow, and it falls upon us to make the world a better place. Whether through small acts of kindness or grand gestures of innovation and change, let us contribute to a future where equality, justice, and compassion prevail.

As we bid farewell to our high school years, let us embrace the future with open hearts and open minds. Let’s dream big, take risks, and never forget where we came from. The world is vast, and the possibilities are endless.

So, to the class of [Year], congratulations! Our adventure begins now. Let’s make it a journey worth remembering. Thank you.

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Valedictorian Speech for Graduation

Good evening, esteemed faculty, dedicated parents, honored guests, and, most importantly, my fellow graduates. As we gather here today, on the brink of our futures, it is my privilege to stand before you as the valedictorian of our class, not just to celebrate our accomplishments but to reflect on our journey and ponder the vast horizon that lies ahead.

We embarked on this journey together, navigating the challenges of high school, each of us fueled by our dreams, our passions, and an unwavering hope for the future. It was a journey marked by endless assignments, countless late nights, and, yes, an unimaginable amount of coffee. Yet, here we are, having emerged stronger, wiser, and ready to take on the world.

To our teachers, thank you for your invaluable guidance, patience, and unwavering belief in our potential. You have not only taught us academic subjects but life lessons that we will carry with us as we move forward. Your dedication has shaped us in ways that go beyond the confines of the classroom, and for that, we are eternally grateful.

To our parents and guardians, your unconditional love and support have been our anchor. You have cheered us on at our highest highs and comforted us during our lowest lows. Your sacrifices have not gone unnoticed, and we stand here today as a testament to your unwavering commitment to our success.

And to my fellow graduates, what can I say? We did it! Together, we have laughed, cried, succeeded, and sometimes failed, but most importantly, we grew up together. The bonds we have formed will last a lifetime, and the memories we have created will be cherished forever.

As we stand on the precipice of the future, it is natural to feel a mix of excitement and apprehension. The world we are stepping into is filled with uncertainties, but it is also ripe with possibilities. We are entering this new chapter at a time when the world needs fresh ideas, compassion, and resilience more than ever. I have no doubt that we are up to the challenge. We are a generation of dreamers, innovators, and change-makers, ready to make our mark on the world.

As we go forth, let us carry with us the lessons we have learned, the friendships we have forged, and the determination to make a difference. Let us approach the future with open hearts and open minds, ready to embrace the opportunities that await us.

In closing, I offer you this piece of advice: never forget where you came from, but never let that hold you back from where you are going. The future is ours for the taking, so let us go out there and make it amazing.

Congratulations, Class of [Year]! We did it!

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Inspirational Valedictorian Speech

Dear esteemed faculty, beloved families, honored guests, and, most importantly, my fellow graduates,

Today marks a pivotal moment in our lives, a day where achievement and anticipation intertwine, creating a foundation for our future. Standing here, I am overwhelmed with a sense of pride in our collective accomplishments and a profound gratitude for those who have guided us to this moment.

We began this journey as individuals from diverse backgrounds, each with our unique dreams and aspirations. Yet, over these transformative years, we have woven a tapestry of shared experiences, learning not just from textbooks, but from each other. We have faced challenges that tested our resilience, celebrated victories that lifted our spirits, and shared moments that will forever be etched in our hearts.

To our esteemed teachers and mentors, you have been our compass in this journey, providing us with the knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration to pursue our dreams. Your dedication has not only illuminated our minds but has also kindled in us a passion for learning that extends beyond the classroom. For this, we are eternally grateful.

To our families, your unwavering support and love have been our anchor in times of storm and our beacon of light, guiding us towards our aspirations. Your sacrifices have paved the path for our success, and though we may not say it enough, we appreciate and cherish everything you have done for us.

And to my fellow graduates, as we stand on the brink of a new chapter, let us take a moment to reflect on our journey. We have grown in knowledge and character, ready to embark on new adventures. The world before us is vast and filled with endless possibilities. It beckons us to explore, to create, and to make our mark.

As we move forward, let us carry with us the spirit of optimism, the courage to face challenges, and the determination to pursue our dreams. Let us remember that success is not measured by the heights we achieve but by the obstacles we overcome while attempting to succeed.

Let us also cherish the memories we have created, for they will be the fuel that inspires us to achieve greatness. And as we step into the future, let us do so with the confidence that we are prepared to make a difference in the world.

In closing, I urge you, my fellow graduates, to embrace your potential, to be bold in the pursuit of your passions, and to always remember that within us lies the power to shape our destiny. As we part ways, let us hold onto the bonds we have formed, for they will provide us with strength and support as we navigate the journey ahead.

Congratulations, Class of [Year]! Our adventure begins now. Let us step forward with hope, ready to build, to dream, and to achieve. Together, we are unstoppable.

How to Start a Valedictorian Speech

Starting a valedictorian speech can feel daunting, but it’s your moment to inspire and connect with your audience from the very beginning. Here are some effective strategies to craft a memorable opening:

1. Share a Memorable Quote:

Begin with a quote that resonates with your message or experience. It could be from a famous figure, literature, or even something from a teacher or classmate. For example, “As [Famous Person] once said, ‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.’ Today, as we stand on the threshold of our own futures, these words have never felt more true.”

2. Start with a Story or Anecdote:

Open with a short, personal story or anecdote that reflects your high school experience, a lesson learned, or a moment that defines your class. This approach personalizes your speech and draws your audience in. For instance, “I remember the first day we walked into these halls, not knowing the incredible journey that awaited us.”

3. Use Humor:

Light humor can ease your nerves and engage your audience. A funny, school-related observation or a light-hearted comment about your time in high school can set a positive tone. For example, “I’ve spent the last four years trying to find the perfect balance between sleep, study, and social life. Spoiler alert: I’m still searching.”

4. Ask a Rhetorical Question:

Begin with a thought-provoking question that piques interest and sets the stage for your speech. For example, “What does it truly mean to be a graduate of [School Name]? Today, I hope to explore that question together.”

5. Acknowledge the Occasion:

Recognize the significance of the graduation ceremony and the sense of achievement among your peers. For example, “Today marks the culmination of years of hard work, challenges overcome, and successes celebrated. It’s a day we’ve all eagerly anticipated.”

6. Express Gratitude:

Start by thanking the people who helped you and your classmates reach this moment—teachers, families, and friends. This not only shows appreciation but also connects with the audience on an emotional level. For example, “Before I begin, I want to take a moment to thank those who have been our guides, our supporters, and our inspiration.”

7. Reflect on the Journey:

Highlight the shared experiences of your class, focusing on growth and the journey rather than just the destination. For example, “As we gather here today, it’s not just the diploma that marks our achievement, but the journey we’ve taken together to get to this moment.”

8. Set the Tone:

Decide what you want your audience to feel or think as they listen to your speech. Your opening can set the tone for inspiration, reflection, gratitude, or a call to action.

By choosing an opening that resonates with you personally, you’ll speak more authentically and connect more deeply with your audience. Remember, the best way to start your valedictorian speech is with sincerity, enthusiasm, and a clear sense of purpose.

High School Graduation Speech Examples

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Free Valedictorian Speech Examples

Tips to Write the Best Valedictorian Speech

• Start with Reflection: Begin by reflecting on your shared experiences as a class. Highlight memorable moments, challenges overcome, and achievements that defined your journey. This sets a relatable tone and connects you with your audience.
• Incorporate Gratitude: Acknowledge the support and guidance of teachers, family, and friends. Personalize your thanks to make it heartfelt, showing genuine appreciation for the roles they’ve played in your and your classmates’ academic and personal growth.
• Share Personal Stories: Use personal anecdotes or stories that encapsulate your high school experience. These stories can illustrate lessons learned, moments of growth, or funny memories that add a personal touch and engage the audience.
• Offer Inspiration: Infuse your speech with inspiring messages about the future. Encourage your peers to pursue their dreams with determination and resilience. Use motivational quotes or advice that has personally impacted you as a way to inspire others.
• Call to Action: Challenge your classmates to make a positive impact in whatever path they choose. Whether it’s continuing education, entering the workforce, or pursuing other passions, encourage them to approach the future with optimism and a desire to contribute meaningfully to society.
• Close with Hope: End your speech on a hopeful and uplifting note. Express your confidence in your class’s ability to succeed and make a difference in the world. Leave your peers feeling motivated and optimistic about the next chapter of their lives.

Valedictorian Speech Sample

My fellow graduate friends, it was only four years ago that we entered here and it is already time to leave. Time really passed in the blink of an eye. All the knowledge instilled in us by our teachers would surely prove to be immensely valuable to us in our future endeavors. The most significant value that I have learned is teamwork and collaborative approach. I am sure we would not measure the time we have spent here in years but in the friendships we have built and the memories we have made. You may also see speech writing examples .

I am grateful to each and everyone over here. (You can take some names of teachers and talk about the unique quality that they possessed. You can even share some incidents that you would fondly remember through the years.) I am having  mixed feelings at the moment- the feeling of relief for being graduated and the feeling of leaving amazing teachers and friends. What I am today is all because of the wonderful teachers and friends I met here. I would like to congratulate all the graduates on finishing their degrees. It is surely a great accomplishment and something in which you can take pride. I wish everyone many congratulations once again and good luck for a bright future. You may also see introductory speech examples .

What is a Commencement Speech?

A commencement speech is a speech given at a graduation ceremony, often by a notable figure, to congratulate and inspire graduates as they transition to the next phase of their lives. It typically includes advice, reflections, and encouragement for the graduating class.

What Type of Speech is a Commencement Speech?

What is a commencement speech meant to do.

A commencement speech is meant to inspire and motivate graduates as they embark on the next chapter of their lives. It often provides guidance, encouragement, and reflections on their achievements, aiming to instill hope and confidence in their future endeavors.

Commencement Speech Topics?

• Overcoming challenges and adversity.
• Pursuing dreams and passions.
• Embracing change and uncertainty.
• Importance of resilience and persistence.
• Navigating life’s transitions.
• Making a positive impact on the world.
• Embracing diversity and inclusivity.

Difference Between Commencement Speech and Valedictorian Speech?

Valedictory speech sample pdf.

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Four years ago, we came with dreams and aspirations. Today, we are leaving with even bigger ambitions. All of us had different backgrounds when we entered here but we are leaving as the proud students of the same university with a common wish to be successful. As I say this, I feel a heavy heart. Once we hurl our caps, we will have to leave the comfortable premises of our University and things will change. You may also see salutatorian speech samples

All of us are gearing up for the next phase of our life with passion, perseverance and dedication to make it big in the time to come. I have realized that external factors cannot define me. The committed faculty members of my university have played a pivotal role in molding my personality and constantly encouraged me. I owe all my achievements to my parents, family, friends, professors and God who have helped me in pursuing my goals and inspired me to attain it. I express my heartfelt gratitude to them all and congratulate the fellow graduates for the huge success. You may also see tribute speech examples

College Valedictorian Speech

My fellow graduates, it is an utmost honor for me to deliver the valedictorian speech today. It will be one of the most memorable days for me all my life. Graduation is the day that represents the beginning of one chapter of our life and end of another. I am pretty sure all of us have some really wonderful experiences at this college. The effort and hard work that we have put throughout the academic years has finally paid off and today, we stand together as proud graduates of our college. You may also see graduation speech examples .

The vision of our college and its institutional excellence has made us what we are. I can still see myself as that student on the first day and how my college professors have made me competent enough to stand here in front of so many honorable guests. This college has given me a direction to move forward in life and for that, I am extremely thankful to my professors and seniors from the bottom of my heart. On this day, we stand together as respectable graduates of our college and I am sure we will do it proud. Many Congratulations to all my friends and wishing everyone good luck for the future. You may also see ceremonial speech examples

Speech About Valedictorian

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What are Some Features of Valedictorian Speech?

Valedictorian speeches, marking a significant educational milestone, typically share several key features that distinguish them from other addresses:

• Reflective: They look back on the experiences shared by the class during their academic journey, highlighting both challenges and triumphs.
• Inspirational: These speeches aim to inspire fellow graduates to pursue their dreams and ambitions with courage and determination as they embark on the next phase of their lives.
• Gratitude: They express thanks to teachers, families, and mentors who have supported the students throughout their educational endeavors, acknowledging their invaluable contribution.
• Personal Growth: Valedictorian speeches often touch upon the personal growth and development of the speaker and their classmates, emphasizing the lessons learned beyond academic knowledge.
• Futuristic: They look forward to the future, discussing the potential and possibilities that lie ahead for the graduates, often with a sense of optimism and excitement.
• Encouraging: Valedictorian speeches encourage peers to face the future with resilience, embracing challenges as opportunities for further growth and success.
• Memorable: They aim to leave a lasting impression on the audience, often through the use of compelling stories, meaningful quotes, or a strong, motivational closing.
• Inclusive: While delivered by the class’s top academic performer, these speeches are inclusive, celebrating the achievements and contributions of the entire graduating class.

By incorporating these features, valedictorian speeches not only commemorate a pivotal moment but also unite the graduating class, preparing them for the journey ahead with a shared sense of purpose and hope.

Best Valedictorian Speech

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Short Valedictorian Speech Examples

Valedictorian Speeches

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Valedictory Message

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Valedictorian Speech Ideas

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How to Proceed?

In order to write an interesting valedictorian speech, you should follow a pattern. You should be able to portray the concerned organization in a way that expresses gratitude and a sense of fondness in it. Make sure it is short and subtle. Deliver the graduation speech examples such that it seems that you are having a heart to heart conversation with your best friend.

You can personalize these example valedictorian speeches and add the names of your esteemed chancellor, principal, professors and senior faculty members, and even your friends. It would surely be a great valedictorian speech if you go through these simple examples and our ideas. We are also open to your feedback and inputs. You may also see self introduction speech examples .

How to Write a Valedictorian Speech?

To write a valedictorian speech , focus on gratitude, memorable experiences, future aspirations, and inspirational messages. Begin with a captivating opening, express gratitude, share personal stories, offer advice, and end with a hopeful conclusion. Keep it concise, rehearse, and connect with the audience.

Who do you Address in a Valedictorian Speech?

In a valedictorian speech, you address fellow graduates, faculty, family, and guests, expressing gratitude and reflecting on shared experiences.

What Do You Say in Valedictorian Speeches?

In valedictorian speeches, you typically express gratitude, share memorable experiences, offer advice, and convey inspirational messages . Start with a captivating opening, thank teachers and classmates, share personal stories, provide guidance for the future, and end with a hopeful conclusion. Keep it concise and connect with the audience.

What is the Main Purpose of Valedictorian Speech?

The main purpose of a valedictorian speech is to inspire and reflect, expressing gratitude, sharing experiences, offering advice, and leaving a memorable impression on the audience, often at a graduation ceremony .

Who is the Valedictorian?

The valedictorian is the student with the highest academic achievement in a graduating class, typically earning the highest grade point average (GPA).

What are the Top 3 Graduates Called?

The top 3 graduates are often referred to as the valedictorian (1st), salutatorian (2nd), and historian (3rd), based on their academic achievements in a graduating class.

How Do You Become a Valedictorian?

To become a valedictorian, typically achieve the highest grade point average (GPA) in your graduating class by consistently earning top grades throughout your academic career.

How Do You End a Valedictorian Speech?

To end a valedictorian speech, offer a hopeful and memorable conclusion. Express gratitude, inspire your peers, and leave a lasting impression with a positive and meaningful closing statement.

How Do You Congratulate a Valedictorian?

To congratulate a valedictorian, offer heartfelt praise, commend their hard work and achievements, and express confidence in their future success. A simple “Congratulations on your outstanding achievement!” is a great way to start.

What is a Valedictory Message?

A valedictory message is a farewell or parting message, often delivered in a speech, offering thanks, best wishes, or words of inspiration, typically by a valedictorian or at the end of a significant event or occasion.

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Teaching Connections

Advancing discussions about teaching, validating valedictorian speeches: opportunities and challenges in a pandemic.

Chitra SABAPATHY Centre for English Language Communication (CELC)

When the university’s Commencement ceremonies moved to the virtual sphere due to the pandemic, it directly impacted the speech coaching programme for valedictorians. Chitra takes us through the strategies her training team adopted to support the valedictorians in preparing their speeches.

Introduction

Figure 1 . In this video, the author discusses the circumstances which led to the valedictorian coaching team finding alternative ways to support the valedictorians in their speech preparations.

The online pivot made an impact on the CELC valedictorian coaching team which was interlaced with unprecedented challenges and uncertainties. At the same time, the team saw valuable opportunities which would not have been ordinarily realised. This post is an attempt at sense-making (Trowler,2020) of what it is like to validate valedictorians’ speeches in a pandemic using three strategies, termed as PAT ( P lanning ahead, A gile mindset, T rust and teamwork).

P lanning Ahead

Before the pandemic occurred, the team developed six sets of new resources (Figure 2) to suit a fully online training mode. These resources were uploaded to LumiNUS with 24/7 access to prospective valedictorians, and departments across the university involved in the ceremony.

To capture the valedictorians’ interest, we utilised PowToon to convert Resources #1 to #3 to short videos with links to additional notes and sections (see Figure 3 for a screenshot of one of the e-resources).

Planning ahead also involved different types of evaluation to gauge the merit or worth of the programme. These included:

• Involving stakeholders in evaluative practices (as advocated by Patton, 1997), in the form of making effort, ahead of the training programme, to involve the team in designing the feedback survey. Involving other stakeholders like the Registrar Office (RO) and the valedictorians would have enhanced the outcomes of the evaluative lens; however, this could not be realised due to administrative and time constraints.
• Encouraging ad-hoc discussions to check if the practices and processes were attuned to the team’s aims and objectives.

Although these plans were useful, the process towards achieving them was complex, challenging and time-consuming.

Combining the ceremonies meant coaching almost triple (74 graduands) the traditional number of valedictorians by the standards of a traditional in-person commencement ceremony. This excluded time-consuming communications among the team members and stakeholders such as the valedictorians, departments, and RO.

Although the team was uncertain about the training mode as the pandemic unfolded in April 2020, institutional policies and measures equipped the team with an agile mindset and members were prepared to spontaneously respond to changes in timescales, training schedules, training hours, modes of training, number of valedictorians to be trained and to make the best out of the volatile situation. The newly created online resources came in handy, but the team also had to think out of the box to train the valedictorians without compromising on standards and quality. With a tight timescale, and with an increased number of valedictorians, training plans were designed as shown in Figure 4.

The agility of the part-time academics who swiftly responded to a call to assist in the training program is commendable and their participation and contributions enhanced the overall training package. Positive comments were made about both the teams’ painstaking efforts as shown in the Table 1.

Table 1 Positive comments about the coaching programme

T rust and Teamwork

Although the training team comprised full-time and part-time academics with diverse talents and expertise (Figure 5), this organically contributed to its dynamics and vigour. Trust and teamwork skills among team members as well as the trust that was bestowed on the team from the macro to micro structures in the university were instrumental in the team’s performance and offerings to the commencement ceremony. To boost trust and team efforts across various stakeholders, the team used Google Docs as a one-stop open access source to inform stakeholders on the status of the training, details on administrative staff in charge of valedictorian, and departments of valedictorians.

Feedback and Areas of Improvement

From the evaluative feedback that was voluntarily and anonymously gathered from slightly less than half the participants ( n =34), the team discerned that the prepared resources and services were generally well-received and highly utilised. This was aptly summed up by one (among others) valedictorian, who was impressed with the “organised training curriculum”.

On areas to improve, most of the comments were centred on requiring more time to prepare and practice. However, since the hours were stipulated, this was logistically not feasible. The complexity of organising such a large-scale event implied multi-level communications that transpired within, across, and among various sections, departments, and stakeholders, which can cause miscommunication and confusion. To enhance future efforts, these are areas that can be improved.

On hindsight, from a coordinator’s perspective, it took time and effort to manage contradictory timescales and multi-hued expectations. Typically, it would have been easy not to see the forest for the trees. However, what worked for the team was its PAT strategies, which ensured that the team remained buoyant and was able to support the valedictorians in their commencement journey.

Acknowledgements

The author expresses her thanks to Assoc Prof Wu Siew Mei and Ms Lee Gek Ling for their guidance and advice, and to the valedictorian training team for their valuable contributions.

Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2002). Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence . Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

NUS President’s message on Commencement (2021, May 21). NUS News . https://news.nus.edu.sg/nus-presidents-message-on-commencement/

Patton, M. Q. (1997). Toward distinguishing empowerment evaluation and placing it in a larger context. Evaluation Practice, 18 (2), 147-163. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0886-1633(97)90019-2

Trowler, P. (2020). Accomplishing change in teaching and learning regimes: Higher education and the practice sensibility . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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​Vale​dictory Address

Faith oneya, master of arts in digital journalism programme, class of 2020​.

Chief Guest Dr Rashid Abid Aman,  Members of the Board of Trustees,  President Firoz Rasul,  Provost Carl Amrhein, Members of Faculty,  My Fellow Graduates,  Our dear family members and friends present here today, Distinguished guests,  Ladies and gentlemen

Good Morning!

Nelson Mandela once said that education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world and on this auspicious occasion, as we look back and celebrate the achievements of the graduates, it’s my deep belief that each of us graduating today is gaining power to change the world. 

I’m proud to be part of an outstanding graduating class of 2020 who are drawn from the Medical College, School of Nursing and Midwifery, the Institute for Educational Development, and the latest addition to the growing Aga Khan University family, the Graduate School of Media and Communications. I am deeply honoured to be a pioneer member of the Master of Arts in Digital Journalism programme and extremely humbled to present this valedictory speech today. 

That we are all graduating today is testament our hard work, commitment and the sacrifices we have all made over the last few years. I’m convinced that the happiness radiating in the room today lies both in the joy of our academic achievements and the thrill of the collective effort to get here. 

The titles of the courses we undertook may have been different but the academic toil was the same. Today, we leave behind a rigorous academic life.  We leave behind the tough balancing act of work, family and school. 

The greatest sacrifice for me was in the time I spent away from my family-especially my daughter-but what kept me going was that this was necessary pain and it has been worth it for me as I’m sure it has been for my fellow graduates. We expertly negotiated vicious traffic as we tried to make it on time for morning and evening classes. We have had sleepless nights, finishing up a steady stream of assignments, reading tough academic books and we have written even tougher exams. But we are here. We made it. 

Writing an exam or academic paper, as we know, is a solitary endeavour. Can be quite a lonely affair. Yet the success of any graduate relies on the support of those around them. 

I would like to say thank you to some of the people who’ve walked the academic journey with us.

First of all, I would like to extend a special thank you to His Highness the Aga Khan, The Chancellor of Aga Khan University for his visionary leadership and generous donations that support the existence of the university. It is his vision that has enabled us have access to quality education. 

To our sponsors, thank you for believing in us and allowing us the privilege to chase our dreams through education. As a member of the pioneer class of the Graduate School of Media and Communications, I wish to extend special thanks to the German government through KfW and BMZ for providing scholarships to support our academic pursuit. Asanteni Sana. 

To the members of faculty, thank you for pushing us to greater academic heights than we would have imagined possible. Thank you for relentlessly and tirelessly pushing us forward even when we pushed back or complained quit loudly sometimes. Your understanding nature and unwavering support was essential to our academic victory today. 

To the school administration, librarians and all the staff at Aga Khan University who, in different ways, supported us in the pursuit of education, we say thank you. 

We remain indebted to our family members and friends who have invested and sacrificed time, money and a lot more to get us to where we are today. All these accolades demonstrate that indeed it takes a village for one to succeed. 

Ladies and gentlemen, please indulge me a little as I take you back to my initial interaction with Aga Khan University. As part of my application to join the Master of Arts in Digital Journalism Programme, one of the questions I had to answer was: Why did you choose Aga Khan University? 

I’ll not tell you the answer I wrote, because it did nothing to capture the essence and uniqueness of Aga Khan University. But I will tell you what I should have written, for these are the things I treasured the most in my two-year academic journey. 

One of the things that sets this university apart from the rest is the student-centred approach to education. If you are like me, who came from a background where the teacher was the law and interaction between the teacher and students limited, then the Aga Khan University approach may have startled you too. 

I was puzzled. What did they mean? Weren’t we coming to class to be lectured and instructed about what to do?​

Let me put this in perspective. The lecturers were available to us whenever we needed them and their support can’t be overstated. The teaching format was also flexible, fun and very immersive. Which is not to say that the programmes were not extremely demanding or intellectually engaging. Learning too was very experiential. We were highly encouraged to voice our opinions and share feedback with the lecturers and in this way, we always felt valued as students. These are the things that made Aga Khan University extremely exceptional for me. 

The Aga Khan University has not just been a place where we've built knowledge; we have also created wonderful networks that we will carry into the future. I know I’m speaking for a lot of us when I say that our interpersonal and leadership skills were tested and sharpened through class discussions, group work and class projects. 

To the doctors, nurses, teachers and journalists graduating today, I urge you to put a dent in the universe through the impact you create in your respective professions by putting your patients, students and audiences at the centre of everything you do. 

As someone who believes in lifelong learning, I hope this is just the beginning for all of us. I draw from the wisdom of Kimani Maruge, the Guinness World Record holder for the oldest man to enrol in primary school at 84, who said that he would never stop learning until he had soil in his ears. May you never stop learning.

Congratulations Class of 2019. 

God Bless Aga Khan University.​​

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Our G​​​raduates

This writer analyzed 100 graduation speeches — here are the 4 tips they all share

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Steve Jobs has been credited over the years with popularizing any number of other people’s inventions, from the personal computer to the tablet to the mobile phone. But none of these gifts may be as enduring as one of his rarely credited contributions to contemporary life — popularizing the viral commencement address.

On June 12, 2005, Jobs stood before the graduating class of Stanford University and reminded them that he had never graduated from college. “Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation.” He then told three stories about his life. “That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.”

That speech , coinciding as it did with the rise of internet virality (the first TED Talk would be posted on TED.com exactly 12 months later; the iPhone was introduced exactly 12 months after that), launched a global obsession with pithy, inspirational talks. Jobs’s speech has since been viewed more than 40 million times on YouTube.

Graduation speeches, long viewed as the burdensome interruption before diplomas were granted and mortar boards were tossed, have since become big business. Kurt Vonnegut, Ann Patchett, Carl Hiaasen, J.K. Rowling, Mary Karr, David Foster Wallace and many others have all had their commencement speeches published as books.

I’ve been fortunate to give a handful of commencement addresses over the years, and I confess to a fascination with the genre. The internet has been a boon this hobby. There are thousands of commencement speeches on the web. Can we learn anything from their messages?

I’ve spent the last few years gathering and coding hundreds of life stories, looking for patterns and takeaways that could help all of us live with more meaning, purpose and joy. I decided to put some of my coding tools to work, analyzing 100 of the most popular recent commencement speeches.

Here are the four tips they all contain:

1. Dream big

“I think it is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. I know that sounds completely nuts. But, since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition. There are so few people this crazy that I feel like I know them all by first name. They all travel as if they are pack dogs and stick to each other like glue. The best people want to work the big challenges.” — Larry Page at University of Michigan , 2009

“We don’t beat the reaper by living longer. We beat the reaper by living well and living fully. For the reaper is always going to come for all of us. The question is: What do we do between the time we are born, and the time he shows up? Because when he shows up, it’s too late to do all the things that you’re always gonna, kinda get around to.” — Randy Pausch at Carnegie Mellon University , 2009

“Graduates, we need you. We need you to run companies and make decisions about who has access to capital. We need you to serve at the highest levels of government and determine our country’s standing in the world. We need you to work in our hospitals and in our courtrooms and in our schools. We need you to shape the future of technology. We need you because your perspective — the sum total of your intellect and your lived experience — will make our country stronger.” — Kamala Harris at Tennessee State University , 2022

2. Work hard

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” — Steve Jobs at Stanford University , 2005

“I just directed my first film. I was completely unprepared, but my own ignorance to my own limitations looked like confidence and got me into the director’s chair. Once there, I had to figure it all out, and my belief that I could handle these things, contrary to all evidence of my ability to do so was half the battle. The other half was very hard work. The experience was the deepest and most meaningful one of my career.” — Natalie Portman at Harvard University , 2015

“When you’re doing the work you’re meant to do, it feels right and every day is a bonus, regardless of what you’re getting paid … But make it your life’s work to remake the world because there is nothing more beautiful or more worthwhile than working to leave something better for humanity.” — Oprah Winfrey at Stanford University , 2008

3. Make mistakes

”Fail big. That’s right. Fail big … It’s a new world out there, and it’s a mean world out there, and you only live once. So do what you feel passionate about. Take chances, professionally. Don’t be afraid to fail. There’s an old IQ test with nine dots, and you had to draw five lines with a pencil within these nine dots without lifting the pencil, and the only way to do it was to go outside the box. So don’t be afraid to go outside the box.” — Denzel Washington at University of Pennsylvania , 2011

“The world doesn’t care how many times you fall down, as long as it’s one fewer than the number of times you get back up.” — Aaron Sorkin at Syracuse University , 2013

“My experience has been that my mistakes led to the best thing in my life. Being embarrassed when you mess up is part of the human experience of getting back up dusting yourself off and seeing who still wants to hang out with you afterward and laugh about it. That’s a gift. The times I was told no or wasn’t included wasn’t chosen, didn’t win, didn’t make the cut, looking back it really feels like those moments we’re as important if not more crucial than the moments I was told yes.” — Taylor Swift at NYU , 2022

“Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.” — Conan O’Brien at Dartmouth College , 2011

“Empathy and kindness are the true signs of emotional intelligence.” — Will Ferrell at the University of Southern California , 2017

“So here’s something I know to be true, although it’s a little corny, and I don’t quite know what to do with it: What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness. Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and I responded … sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly. Or, to look at it from the other end of the telescope: Who, in your life, do you remember most fondly, with the most undeniable feelings of warmth? Those who were kindest to you, I bet. It’s a little facile, maybe, and certainly hard to implement, but I’d say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder.” — George Saunders at Syracuse University , 2013

So what can we learn from these themes?

Every era in American life has its own standards of what it means to be a success. Shortly after America’s founding, success was all about character. Led by Benjamin Franklin, Americans embraced virtue, industry, and frugality. In the twentieth century, success was all about personality. Led by Dale Carnegie, Americans embraced salesmanship, reinvention and charisma. Today, led by Steve Jobs, Americans are embracing meaning, authenticity and bliss. Or, as Kermit the Frog put it in a 1996 commencement speech at Southampton College , “May success and a smile always be yours … even when you’re knee-deep in the sticky muck of life.”

Dream, work, fail and smile are as good a foursome of American identity today as I know. And if those ideas don’t inspire you, you can always embrace the far more practical advice erroneously attributed to Kurt Vonnegut in a commencement speech that he never gave at MIT, but was instead delivered by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich in an imaginary speech to graduates she published in an old-fashioned newspaper, “Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ’97: Wear sunscreen.”

This post was adapted from one published on his newsletter The Nonlinear Life; go here to subscribe.

Watch his TEDxIEMadrid Talk now:

About the author

Bruce Feiler is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including The Secrets of Happy Families and Council of Dads, both of which became the subject of TED Talks. His latest book, Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age, from which this post and TEDx Talk are adapted, describes his journey across America, collecting hundreds of life stories, exploring how we can navigate life’s growing number of transitions with more meaning, purpose and joy. To learn more, visit brucefeiler.com, follow him on Twitter (@brucefeiler), or sign up for his newsletter The Nonlinear Life. 

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Speechworks

Here’s a template for a valedictory speech.

You thought becoming the valedictorian of your high school class was tough? That’s nothing compared to giving a great valedictory speech. Spend just a few minutes on YouTube and you’ll see that most valedictory speeches are boring and, worse, embarrassing.

But there’s hope! You can give a great valedictory speech.

Great valedictory speeches follow a pattern. They offer a fond reflection on the high school years. They connect with audiences using anecdotes and lots of name-dropping. And they offer gratitude. With that in mind, the key to a great valedictory speech is to keep it simple, short (ten minutes is perfect), mention lots of people by name, tell stories, and practice it so much that you don’t have to read it. You want to deliver it like you’re having an animated chat with a close friend.

Here’s a template to pass along to the valedictorian in your life.

My fellow graduates. Over the last four years here at [Insert name of high school.], we have learned a lot. Mr. [Insert name of math teacher.] taught us how to [Insert a complicated sounding math thing.]. Ms. [Insert name of English teacher.] taught us [Insert interesting tidbit from a favorite piece of literature.]. And Mr. [Insert name of widely known funny, popular teacher.] taught us [Insert something odd that parents might be surprised to learn. For example maybe he taught you how to swear in Portuguese. Or maybe he taught you the best way to approach a girl at a dance. Make it funny but revealing about a beloved teacher.].

And all of this knowledge will no doubt be valuable as we go forward in life. But I think that the most important thing that we have learned over the last four years is [Insert major theme. Keep the theme simple. Good themes include “How to build relationships and rely on each other,” “How to Work Together as a Community,” “How to respect each others differences,” and “How much we need each other to succeed.” Don’t worry if it’s corny. If it’s from the heart, go for it.].

Over the next few minutes, I’d like to talk about what we’ve learned, the people we have to thank, and the people we have to remember. [Notice that you’re setting up a little three-part structure, letting your listeners know where the speech is going.]

I told you that the most important thing that we learned was [Restate the theme.].

Let me give you just a couple of examples of what I’m talking about. [Give three or four quick and fun examples that bring in as many of your classmates’ names as possible. People love hearing their names. One of the examples might sound like this. “In ninth grade with our first pizza drive, we raised a lot of money for homecoming. It was a true team success. John Smith was our pizza baker. Cindy Jones showed us how to track and spend the money. Fred Williams played a critical role in getting people to turn out for the event with his creative posters. And Garth taught us that indeed one person can eat three entire pies in one sitting.” Give one longer example that is personal. For example, you might tell about how one of your teachers took an interest in your writing and encouraged you to submit your stories for publication. Be sure to tell about how you thought the story was really stupid but your teacher disagreed. Be sure to thank the teacher by calling her out from the audience, asking her to stand and asking the audience to give her a round of applause. Finish the story by telling how this teacher taught you that “Nothing we accomplish is done alone. Rather, we need each other for support and coaching.”]

Next, I’d like to take a moment on behalf of myself and my fellow graduates to thank the people that have brought us here.

[Pick five or six people to thank. But don’t just give their names. Tell why you’re grateful to them. And in telling why, give anecdotal context. For example, “I’d like to thank my mother Wendy Johnson, who taught me that if I want to make it to the bus stop on time, I can’t spend 20 minutes checking Facebook.” Or “I’d like to thank my Math teacher, Ms. Jackson, who drilled into my head “Getting the right answer isn’t everything. How you get there is important. So show me your stinking work!”]

Finally, I’d like to take a moment to remember our classmates and teachers who are not with us today.

[Here is where you mention anyone in your school community that died during your years in school. Once again, don’t just give their names. Give their names and then give a personal remembrance. “We all miss our friend Jenny Wilson. She was a wonderful sister and daughter, a great friend, and the best cheerleader on the squad. We also miss our teacher Mr. Carson. Mr. Carson didn’t allow us to show up late in his class. And we loved him for his humor. No one went through his class unchanged for the better.”]

So now we’re high school graduates. And soon we’re going to be signing each others’ yearbooks and saying goodbye. There will be hugs and tears. We’ll do our best to stay in touch. But we’ll be living our lives and doing our best.

As a final thought going forward, I’d like to leave you with a quote from [Insert name of someone you’d like to quote. The best people to quote are people that you’ve personally learned from, like your parents or grandparents. For example, “My grandfather told me that ‘A high school education is a great thing just as long as you’re willing to learn something after you graduate’.”]

He said, [Insert final quote.]

Thank you all.

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Commencement 2024

Honorary degree recipient Ken Burns delivers the Undergraduate Commencement speech at Brandeis University's 73rd Commencement Exercises on May 19, 2024.

Brandeisian, love it.

President Liebowitz, Ron, Chair Lisa Kranc, and other members of the board of trustees, Provost Carol Fierke, fellow honorees, distinguished faculty and staff, proud and relieved parents, calm and serene grandparents, distracted but secretly pleased siblings, ladies and gentlemen, graduating students of the class of 2024, good morning.

I am deeply honored and privileged that you have asked me here to say a few words at such a momentous occasion that you might find what I have to say worthy of your attention on so important a day in all of your lives. Thank you for this honor.

Listen, I am in the business of history. It is not always a happy subject on college campuses these days, particularly when forces seem determined to eliminate or water down difficult parts of our past, particularly when the subject may seem to sum an anachronistic and irrelevant pursuit, and particularly with the ferocious urgency this moment seems to exert on us. It is my job, however, to remind people of the power our past also exerts, to help us better understand what's going on now with compelling story, memory, and anecdote. It is my job to try to discern patterns and themes from history to enable us to interpret our dizzying and sometimes dismaying present.

For nearly 50 years now, I have diligently practiced and rigorously tried to maintain a conscious neutrality in my work, avoiding advocacy if I could, trying to speak to all of my fellow citizens. Over those many decades I've come to understand a significant fact, that we are not condemned to repeat, as the saying goes, what we don't remember. That is a beautiful, even poetic phrase, but not true. Nor are there cycles of history as the academic community periodically promotes. The Old Testament, Ecclesiastes to be specific, got it right, I think. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun. What those lines suggest is that human nature never changes or almost never changes. We continually superimpose that complex and contradictory human nature over the seemingly random chaos of events, all of our inherent strengths and weaknesses, our greed and generosity, our puritanism and our prurience, our virtue, and our venality parade before our eyes, generation after generation after generation. This often gives us the impression that history repeats itself. It does not. "No event has ever happened twice, it just rhymes," Mark Twain is supposed to have said. I have spent all of my professional life on the lookout for those rhymes, drawn inexorably to that power of history. I am interested in listening to the many varied voices of a true, honest, complicated past that is unafraid of controversy and tragedy, but equally drawn to those stories and moments that suggest an abiding faith in the human spirit, and particularly the unique role this remarkable and sometimes also dysfunctional republic seems to play in the positive progress of mankind.

During the course of my work, I have become acquainted with hundreds if not thousands of those voices. They have inspired, haunted, and followed me over the years. Some of them may be helpful to you as you try to imagine and make sense of the trajectory of your lives today.

Listen, listen. In January of 1838, shortly before his 29th birthday, a tall, thin lawyer prone to bouts of debilitating depression addressed the young men's lyceum in Springfield, Illinois. "At what point shall we expect the approach of danger?" He asked his audience, "Shall we expect some trans-Atlantic military giant to step the earth and crush us at a blow?" Then he answered his own question. "Never. All the armies of Europe, Asia, and Africa could not by force take a drink from the Ohio River or make a track on the Blue Ridge in a trial of a thousand years. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men, we must live through all time or die by suicide." It is a stunning, remarkable statement, one that has animated my own understanding of the American experience since I first read it more than 40 years ago. That young man was of course Abraham Lincoln, and he would go on to preside over the closest this country has ever come to near national suicide, our civil war, and yet embedded in his extraordinary, disturbing, and prescient words is also a fundamental optimism that implicitly acknowledges the geographical forcefield two mighty oceans east and west and two relatively benign neighbors north and south have provided for us since the British burned the White House in the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key.

Lincoln's words that day suggest what is so great and so good about the people who happen to inhabit this lucky and exquisite country of ours. That's the world you now inherit: our work ethic and our restlessness, our innovation and our improvisation, our communities and our institutions of higher learning, our suspicion of power. The fact that we seem resolutely dedicated to parsing the meaning between individual and collective freedom; What I want versus what we need. That we are all so dedicated to understanding what Thomas Jefferson really meant when he wrote that mysterious phrase, "The pursuit of happiness". Hint, it happens right here in the lifelong learning and perpetual improvement this university is committed to.

But the isolation of those two oceans has also helped to incubate habits and patterns less beneficial to us: our devotion to money and guns and conspiracies, our certainty about everything, our stubborn insistence on our own exceptionalism blinding us to that which needs repair, especially with regard to race and ethnicity. Our preoccupation with always making the other wrong at an individual as well as a global level. I am reminded of what the journalist I.F. Stone once said to a young acolyte who was profoundly disappointed in his mentor's admiration for Thomas Jefferson. "It's because history is tragedy," Stone admonished him, "Not melodrama." It's the perfect response. In melodrama all villains are perfectly villainous and all heroes are perfectly virtuous, but life is not like that. You know that in your guts and nor is our history like that. The novelist, Richard Powers recently wrote that, "The best arguments in the world," — and ladies and gentlemen, that's all we do is argue — "the best arguments in the world," he said, "Won't change a single person's point of view. The only thing that can do that is a good story." I've been struggling for most of my life to do that, to try to tell good, complex, sometimes contradictory stories, appreciating nuance and subtlety and undertow, sharing the confusion and consternation of unreconciled opposites.

But it's clear as individuals and as a nation we are dialectically preoccupied. Everything is either right or wrong, red state or blue state, young or old, gay or straight, rich or poor, Palestinian or Israeli, my way or the highway. Everywhere we are trapped by these old, tired, binary reactions, assumptions, and certainties. For filmmakers and faculty, students and citizens, that preoccupation is imprisoning. Still, we know and we hear and we express only arguments, and by so doing, we forget the inconvenient complexities of history and of human nature. That, for example, three great religions, their believers, all children of Abraham, each professing at the heart of their teaching, a respect for all human life, each with a central connection to and legitimate claim to the same holy ground, violate their own dictates of conduct and make this perpetually contested land a shameful graveyard. God does not distinguish between the dead. "Could you?"

[Audience applauding]

"Could you?" A very wise person I know with years of experience with the Middle East recently challenged me, "Could you hold the idea that there could be two wrongs and two rights?"

Listen, listen. In a filmed interview I conducted with the writer James Baldwin, more than 40 years ago, he said, "No one was ever born who agreed to be a slave, who accepted it. That is, slavery is a condition imposed from without. Of course, the moment I say that," Baldwin continued, "I realize that multitudes and multitudes of people for various reasons of their own enslave themselves every hour of every day to this or that doctrine, this or that delusion of safety, this or that lie. Anti-Semites, for example," he went on, "are slaves to a delusion. People who hate Negroes are slaves. People who love money are slaves. We are living in a universe really of willing slaves, which makes the concept of liberty and the concept of freedom so dangerous," he finished. Baldwin is making a profoundly psychological and even spiritual statement, not just a political or racial or social one. He knew, just as Lincoln knew, that the enemy is often us. We continue to shackle ourselves with chains we mistakenly think is freedom.

Another voice, Mercy Otis Warren, a philosopher and historian during our revolution put it this way, "The study of the human character at once opens a beautiful and a deformed picture of the soul. We there find a noble principle implanted in the nature of people, but when the checks of conscience are thrown aside, humanity is obscured." I have had the privilege for nearly half a century of making films about the US, but I have also made films about us. That is to say the two letter, lowercase, plural pronoun. All of the intimacy of "us" and also "we" and "our" and all of the majesty, complexity, contradiction, and even controversy of the US. And if I have learned anything over those years, it's that there's only us. There is no them. And whenever someone suggests to you, whomever it may be in your life that there's a them, run away. Othering is the simplistic binary way to make and identify enemies, but it is also the surest way to your own self imprisonment, which brings me to a moment I've dreaded and forces me to suspend my longstanding attempt at neutrality.

There is no real choice this November. There is only the perpetuation, however flawed and feeble you might perceive it, of our fragile 249-year-old experiment or the entropy that will engulf and destroy us if we take the other route. When, as Mercy Otis Warren would say, "The checks of conscience are thrown aside and a deformed picture of the soul is revealed." The presumptive Republican nominee is the opioid of all opioids, an easy cure for what some believe is the solution to our myriad pains and problems. When in fact with him, you end up re-enslaved with an even bigger problem, a worse affliction and addiction, "a bigger delusion", James Baldwin would say, the author and finisher of our national existence, our national suicide as Mr. Lincoln prophesies. Do not be seduced by easy equalization. There is nothing equal about this equation. We are at an existential crossroads in our political and civic lives. This is a choice that could not be clearer.

Listen, listen. 33 years ago, the world lost a towering literary figure. The novelist and storyteller, not arguer, Isaac Bashevis Singer. For decades he wrote about God and myth and punishment, fate and sexuality, family and history. He wrote in Yiddish a marvelously expressive language, sad and happy all at the same time. Sometimes maddeningly all knowing, yet resigned to God's seemingly capricious will. It is also a language without a country, a dying language in a world more interested in the extermination or isolation of its long suffering speakers. Singer, writing in the pages of the Jewish Daily Forward help to keep Yiddish alive. Now our own wonderfully mongrel American language is punctuated with dozens of Yiddish words and phrases, parables and wise sayings, and so many of those words are perfect onomatopoeias of disgust and despair, hubris and humor. If you've ever met a schmuck, you know what I'm talking about. [audience laughs] Toward the end of his long and prolific life, Singer expressed wonder at why so many of his books written in this obscure and some said useless language would be so widely translated, something like 56 countries all around the world. "Why," he would wonder with his characteristic playfulness, "Why would the Japanese care about his simple stories of life in the shtetls of Eastern Europe 1,000 years ago?" "Unless," Singer paused, twinkle in his eye, "Unless the story spoke of the kinship of the soul." I think what Singer was talking about was that indefinable something that connects all of us together, that which we all share as part of organic life on this planet, the kinship of the soul. I love that.

Okay, let me speak directly to the graduating class. Watch out, here comes the advice. Listen. Be curious, not cool. Insecurity makes liars of us all. Remember, none of us get out of here alive. The inevitable vicissitudes of life, no matter how well gated our communities, will visit us all. Grief is a part of life, and if you explore its painful precincts, it will make you stronger. Do good things, help others. Leadership is humility and generosity squared. Remember the opposite of faith is not doubt. Doubt is central to faith. The opposite of faith is certainty. The kinship of the soul begins with your own at times withering self-examination. Try to change that unchangeable human nature of Ecclesiastes, but start with you. "Nothing so needs reforming," Mark Twain once chided us, "As other people's habits." [audience laughs]

Don't confuse success with excellence. Do not descend too deeply into specialism. Educate all of your parts, you will be healthier. Do not get stuck in one place. "Travel is fatal to prejudice," Twain also said. Be in nature, which is always perfect and where nothing is binary. Its sheer majesty may remind you of your own atomic insignificance, as one observer put it, but in the inscrutable and paradoxical ways of wild places, you will feel larger, inspirited, just as the egotist in our midst is diminished by his or her self regard.

At some point, make babies, one of the greatest things that will happen to you, I mean it, one of the greatest things that will happen to you is that you will have to worry, I mean really worry, about someone other than yourself. It is liberating and exhilarating, I promise. Ask your parents.

[Audience laughs]

Choose honor over hypocrisy, virtue over vulgarity, discipline over dissipation, character over cleverness, sacrifice over self-indulgence. Do not lose your enthusiasm, in its Greek etymology the word enthusiasm means simply, "god in us". Serve your country. Insist that we fight the right wars. Denounce oppression everywhere.

Convince your government, as Lincoln understood that the real threat always and still comes from within this favored land. Insist that we support science and the arts, especially the arts.

[Audience cheering]

They have nothing to do with the actual defense of our country; They just make our country worth defending.

Remember what Louis Brandeis said, "The most important political office is that of the private citizen." Vote. You indelibly... [audience applauding] Please, vote. You indelibly underscore your citizenship, and most important, our kinship with each other when you do. Good luck and godspeed.

• Honorary Degree Recipients

Harvard grad who went off script to address Gaza protests said she quietly revised her speech last minute

A Harvard senior who went viral for her graduation speech, in which she criticized the school for its response to pro-Palestine protests, has shared new details about the lead-up to the moment, including how she planned the addendum the night before. 

In a dramatic moment at Harvard’s university wide commencement last week, student speaker Shruthi Kumar, 22, pulled a folded note card she had stowed away in her gown and addressed the university’s decision to deny 13 fellow seniors their degrees because of their involvement in a pro-Palestine encampment on campus.

“This semester, our freedom of speech and our expressions of solidarity became punishable leaving our graduations uncertain. As I stand before you today, I must take a moment to recognize my peers: the 13 undergraduates in the class of 2024 who will not graduate today,” she said.

“The students had spoken, the faculty had spoken. Harvard, do you hear us?” she continued, receiving thunderous applause and standing ovations from many members of the crowd.

The clip, originally captured in a university recording of the event, has reached millions of views after it made the rounds on social media over the past week.

Kumar told NBC News that she had written and practiced the speech over the course of a few months with the help of a committee of other students and faculty. Her speech, “The Power of Not Knowing,” was selected by the university over dozens of others.

But the evening before graduation day, Harvard announced its decision not to confer the degrees of 13 students “who are not in good standing,” overturning an earlier decision by a faculty body that recommended they should indeed be allowed to graduate.

“I knew that this was not just, it was not fair, and that I needed to say something,” said Kumar, who graduated with a double major in the history of science and economics. “I spent a lot of time talking to students that evening. And then at night, around 11:30, I prepared this note card.”

She said she shared the revisions with two faculty advisers, but the university deans who had previously approved her speech wasn’t aware she was making changes — and heard the new version for the first time as she delivered it to a crowd of tens of thousands. 

“I was worried I’d be silenced or my mic would be cut,” she said. “Thankfully, none of that happened. I’m glad I was allowed the opportunity to say what I needed to say. But looking back at the video, it’s clear faculty are not very pleased.”

Harvard’s student encampment, like the many that were set up on campuses across the nation in the last few months, protested the tens of thousands of civilian deaths killed in Israel’s strikes on Gaza and called for their university to divest from financially supporting of Israel.

“It’s not just Harvard students that are setting up encampments,” she said. “Whether it’s what people think to be a very liberal university on the East Coast, or a state school from Nebraska, there are protests everywhere, from different types of people, different regions in the U.S. That diversity itself should show that there’s some truth to what we’re speaking.”

Hundreds of undergraduate students walked out of Harvard College’s graduation ceremony on last Thursday, also in protest of the 13 students who were barred from graduating. 

Though she didn’t participate in the encampment, Kumar said her name appeared on a mass list of Harvard students doxxed by pro-Israel groups in the fall, which she touched upon in her speech.

She said her parents, who came from her home state of Nebraska to watch her graduate, were worried that her speech might draw similar backlash or violence. Kumar said that, so far, the response has only been positive from both the university and the massive international audience she’s now reached.

The past week has been a whirlwind, she said, but now back home, she’s excited to take a few months off traveling and exploring entrepreneurship before looking for job opportunities. She hopes to apply to grad school next year.

“I didn’t know it would blow up in this way. I didn’t know it would become such a moment,” she said. “I just knew I had to say something, and I did.”

Sakshi Venkatraman is a reporter for NBC Asian America.

UNLV president reacts to controversial commencement speech

L AS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — Unplanned remarks in a student commencement speech in May were the focus of a weekend letter submitted to University of Nevada, Las Vegas staff members. On Monday, the student who gave that address commented on the new remarks.

On May 11, Yvette Machado-Tuinier was  introduced on stage  for her undergraduate commencement address in which she strayed from her approved speech to remarks pertaining to U.S. involvement in international conflicts and her position on the war in the Gaza Strip.

UNLV President Keith Whitfield  submitted a letter  on Sunday to university staff providing his response to Machado-Tuinier’s unplanned remarks and statements made regarding the school’s ties with Israel.

“Unfortunately, what should have been a celebration for all in attendance has become the focus of scrutiny because of remarks shared during one of the speeches,” Whitfield wrote.

Whitfield said the speech delivered by Machado-Tuinier, whom he did not name in his statement, had spurred him to review the process of selecting student speakers as well as other university policies.

Prior to Whitfield’s letter, he said several groups met with him regarding the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza to “hear their concerns and perspectives.”

“Some have criticized me for my open-door policy,” he said. “And some have made assumptions and misrepresentation in the media or elsewhere.”

Comments regarding “misrepresentation in the media” follow an 8 News Now story that focused on emails from Whitfield , which showed his statements regarding student groups protesting the conflict in Gaza, the university’s response, and comments about better understanding the university’s financial investments with Israel.

Whitfield appeared to respond to claims of an alleged change to his stance on UNLV’s financial investments.

“This includes an (incorrect) assertion that UNLV will disclose our investments with any ties to Israel or that we would consider divesting from those investments,” Whitfield wrote. “We will not. I will not.”

Concerns of antisemitism at UNLV come following campus protests in relation to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza and a  lawsuit filed  against the university claiming the school has created a hostile environment on campus for Jews.

“We will not tolerate any form of prejudice, discrimination, threatening behavior, harassment, bullying or intimidation of members of our university community that disrupt education on campus,” Whitfield wrote.

Yvette Machado-Tuinier responded to 8 News Now following Whitfield’s letter to university staff, which characterized her speech as deceptive.

Machado-Tuinier did not deny she diverted from her approved speech with unplanned remarks that mentioned ongoing international conflicts.

“President Whitfield suggested my speech was intended to deceive,” she said. “Which is incorrect and dismisses my genuine intention.”

The statement provided addressed several points of contention she had with Whitfield’s letter, focusing on the intention of the speech.

“Accusations my speech was anything other than a reflection of resilience and love is unfounded,” she said. “And detract from the real issues…”

The real issues, according to Machado-Tuinier, centered around ongoing conflicts and U.S. international funding.

Machado-Tuinier also asserted she wants an open dialogue from the university regarding students’ opinions on international conflicts.

8 News Now requested more information regarding any possible reprimand of Machado-Tuinier’s straying from her approved speech, and a UNLV spokesperson referred 8 News Now back to Whitfield’s letter.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.

Nevada Today

College of agriculture, biotechnology & natural resources confers more than 200 degrees at commencement, college’s dual major barbara stankuté noted for her exemplary community service by president sandoval.

• President Brian Sandoval delivers his commencement speech at the College’s 2024 graduation ceremony. Photo by Robert Moore.

Students, faculty and family gathered on May 17 at the University’s historic Quad to celebrate the graduation of the 2024 cohort of the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources .

Prior to delivering his commencement speech, President Brian Sandoval led an applause for the students before inviting attendees to a spirited Wolf Pack chant. He urged the graduating class to aspire to make a difference in their lives and communities, while also calling on them to embrace humility through service that inspires others to reciprocate.

President Sandoval also acknowledged Barbara Stankuté, a first-generation college student who has demonstrated exemplary commitment to community service while excelling in her studies. She not only majored in both nutrition and biochemistry & molecular biology , but also volunteered in a trauma center and began training as an emergency medical technician, all while actively engaged in applied research projects. At a recent College award ceremony , Stankuté  received the Outstanding Senior Award in the Department of Nutrition .

This year, the College awarded 213 academic degrees, including 189 bachelor’s, eight master’s and 16 doctoral degrees, marking the culmination of years of resilience and hard work. Claus Tittiger, the College’s associate dean of academic affairs, congratulated the students as they prepared to move their tassels from right to left, symbolizing their new status as graduates.

In his closing speech, President Sandoval reiterated his call for community service.

“A small random act of kindness can brighten a person's day, unleashing ripples of goodness that can change a person's life,” he said. “A lifetime of service becomes the bedrock of a community … a community where everyone works together and comes together for the greater good – that is what we call The Wolf Pack Way.”

CABNR celebrates its graduating students – The Wolf Pack Way

• Graduates also wore cords, stoles and caps decorated to recognize their cultural identities and additional University accomplishments. Photo by Robert Moore.
• As part their commencement attire, the College’s graduates wore medals recognizing their academic successes received during the College’s Spring Celebration & Awards Night in April. Photo by Robert Moore.
• Lucas Phipps (right), pictured with his mentor, Professor Tamzen Stringham, donned a sorcerer’s hat to receive his Ph.D. in animal & rangeland science from the College. Photo by Robert Moore.
• Dillon Winkelman (right) received his Ph.D. in environmental sciences & health from the College, much to the excitement of his mentor, Assistant Professor David St-Jules. Photo by Robert Moore.
• The College’s graduates were recognized during the Friday afternoon ceremony, which was held on the historic University Quad. Photo by Robert Moore.
• In its 150-year history, the University has grown from recognizing three graduates in 1891 to conferring over 3,000 degrees this spring. Photo by Robert Moore.
• The University celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2024 in six commencement ceremonies held over the course of three sun-splashed days. Photo by Robert Moore.
• Nearly 190 of the undergraduate degrees and two dozen of the advanced degrees conferred by the University this spring were received by students in the College. Photo by Robert Moore.
• Arturo Macías Franco (right) was recognized with a Ph.D. in animal & rangeland science from the College, as well as a Master of Science in statistics and data science from the College of Science. Photo by Robert Moore.
• Barbara Stankuté (left), received degrees from the College in biochemistry & molecular biology and nutrition, as well as an honors baccalaureate from the Honors College. Grace Schmitt received her degree in biochemistry & molecular biology from the College, in addition to recognition from the Honors College as a Provost’s Scholar. Photo by Robert Moore.

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A Final Graduation Requirement: Making Sense of Protest

As students in Columbia’s class of 2024 received their diplomas, many of them were grappling with what intense activism on campus would mean to their futures.

At Barnard College, Mariame Sissoko, the student government president, began to question the value of always following the rules. Credit... Ahmed Gaber for The New York Times

Supported by

By Emma Goldberg

Emma Goldberg spent the weeks leading up to graduation interviewing more than a dozen students across Columbia’s and Barnard’s campuses and attending their graduations.

• May 28, 2024

Standing on the stage at Radio City Music Hall, Mariame Sissoko began to speak in a voice trembling, ever so slightly. Growing up in Philadelphia, Sissoko was outspoken, a high achiever, captain of the high school debate team. In other words, just the sort of person who would go to Barnard College, run for student government and wind up giving a graduation speech before an audience of 4,700 university officials, classmates and parents.

Sissoko, 22, who uses nonbinary pronouns, had been warned by administrators not to deviate from the speech they had turned in weeks earlier. But that speech was written before a pro-Palestinian encampment sprang up on the main lawn of Columbia (Barnard’s sibling school), before students occupied an academic building, Hamilton Hall, and the police made more than 100 arrests, before the campus became a locus of anger over the more than 35,000 people killed in Gaza during the war and of fear over rising antisemitism . Now, on graduation day, Sissoko put those warnings from administrators aside.

“To stand on this stage today is a privilege,” Sissoko said. “It is a privilege that over 15,000 children in Gaza will never receive.”

Sissoko’s classmates broke into applause. On Sissoko’s lapel was a poppy, meant to honor a 6-year-old Palestinian girl killed during the war and a 10-month-old Israeli baby taken hostage by Hamas. “I know that there are countless poppies with the names of children in Gaza who have been killed,” Sissoko continued. “They will walk across this stage with us.”

As Sissoko paused, classmates seated in the audience began to sing an anthem that was popularized during the civil rights movement and that pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia had now taken up: “We shall not, we shall not be moved.”

From the rows of family seating came cries of “Boo!,” a chorus that grew louder as the students kept singing. An automated voice came over the loudspeaker: “Today’s speaker shared personal views, which may not reflect the views and values of Barnard College.”

New chants rose from the audience: “Bring them home!,” referring to the roughly 125 hostages remaining in Gaza, taken on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants crossed the border into Israel and killed about 1,200 people . Others in the crowd called back, “Free Palestine!” One disgruntled parent shouted: “I have a reservation!”

Graduation speakers usually offer encomiums about how college changes people with its intellectual striving, its community of peers, its moral dilemmas straddling the real world and the textbook page. But this year, students faced a test that for some really was foundational — one that asked them to define what they stood for and what they were willing to lose, from clean disciplinary records to social standing .

In the weeks leading up to graduation, I spoke with more than a dozen Columbia and Barnard students about how the campus protests had shaped them. An aspiring comedian, Jackson Schwartz, did a stand-up set about being arrested and suspended for pro-Palestinian protest; he told me that he was now thinking about law school, moved by the resolve of the lawyers who had counseled him. A psychology major, Daniella Coen, an Israeli citizen, said she had asked her family not to fly to New York for graduation because she felt ostracized at school for being a Zionist. A student filmmaker, Chambit Miller, described feeling torn between a sense of thrill in supporting her protesting classmates and disillusionment about their capacity to create change.

I focused especially on students at the periphery of the protests — not those whose conviction led them to sleep at the encampment, but those who took it in from more of a distance, a bit uncertain and searching. Some of them said that what they had witnessed in the last months of college influenced how they viewed the world and their career choices.

Sissoko has always created change in a largely orderly fashion — running for student government, getting good grades — but watching the protests unfold called into question some of that commitment to rule following. Reading the words that deviated from the preapproved graduation script, Sissoko tried not to cry. Then they took in the applause, which felt as if it roared on for hours, though in reality only moments passed before the ceremony continued.

Caught in the Middle

The effects of being part of student protests can linger, for those involved, long after school ends.

In June 1964, more than 1,000 young people traveled to Mississippi to register Black voters as part of what civil rights groups called Freedom Summer . Two decades later, Doug McAdam, a Stanford sociologist, dug through applications for the project and contacted the volunteers, along with some 300 people who applied but hadn’t ultimately participated.

McAdam found that for the students who went to Mississippi, the experience was transformational. They were more likely than the group who didn’t participate to still be politically active in their 40s, attending demonstrations and local meetings for environmental, feminist and racial justice organizations; their incomes also tended to be lower, because they had taken community-oriented jobs.

Later, McAdam studied his own institution. He surveyed more than 500 students in the Stanford class of 2017 , starting before their first year and continuing over six years. Roughly 200 of the students reported being involved in campus activism. McAdam concluded that activism during a person’s senior year was a statistically significant predictor of whether that person stayed involved in social movements after college.

Why people became active in the first place, McAdam found, was a combination of their ideological predispositions and their peer relationships on campus. What his study did not delve into was the subtle effect of campus movements on students who did not jump in as leaders.

At Columbia, the pro-Palestinian protests have already left their imprint on Jeremy Faust, even though he wasn’t directly involved.

Faust, 23, grew up on Long Island, where he went to a Reform temple and Jewish summer camp. He felt unsettled by the entirely sunny view of Israel that both taught him. “The vibe was hummus, falafel and ‘Yay, Israel,’” Faust said. “It was presented as nonpolitical to be really into Israel.”

When he arrived at Columbia four years ago, he gravitated to the campus chapter of J Street , a center-left advocacy group that opposes the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and supports the coexistence of Israelis and Palestinians in two states.

Even before this year, Faust, a political science major with a dual degree in Jewish history at the Jewish Theological Seminary, was planning student events that challenged Israeli treatment of Palestinians, including a program with a group called Breaking the Silence, made up of former Israeli soldiers denouncing Israel’s settlements in the West Bank.

But Faust said he “felt caught in the middle,” especially after the Hamas attacks on Israel and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The left-wing group Jewish Voice for Peace rejected J Street for being Zionist, while some pro-Israel students said J Street’s hosting of programs critical of Israel was shameful.

Faust was most comfortable in the Jewish communal home where he lived with some 30 other students who pooled their money for groceries and cooked dinner in a kosher kitchen. There was an informal rule that nobody would talk about the Israeli-Hamas war unless they could confirm that everyone in the room wanted to have the conversation.

Faust’s sense of political isolation heightened over the past two months, as classmates erected tents at the pro-Palestinian encampment and called for Columbia to divest from Israel. Some of the protest slogans unnerved him. The chants of “Intifada revolution” brought to mind the hundreds of civilians killed during the second intifada.

Still, when one of his friends invited him to attend a Sabbath service in the encampment, which was led by a group called Jews for Ceasefire, Faust decided to go. As he sat on the campus lawn, surrounded by students in kaffiyehs, singing familiar Friday night Hebrew prayers, he felt immense gratitude to the organizers.

Videos of the Sabbath services captured jubilant students wearing yarmulkes and dancing. But Faust’s joy was quickly tempered. The next day, he saw that an Israeli assistant professor at Columbia’s business school had reposted videos of the services on social media, referring to those who participated as akin to the Jews who supported the Nazi regime.

Faust always knew he wanted his life after college to be filled with Jewish ritual. He even imagined that he might start a side gig leading tours of New York focused on Jewish history. But his struggle to find a politically inclusive Jewish community made him think more deeply about becoming a rabbi.

“The appeal of being a rabbi is you’re part psychologist, researcher, community leader and activist at the same time,” he said.

On Mother’s Day, as senior year sped to a close, Faust went home to Long Island. He submitted his last paper of the year at 5 p.m., went downstairs where his family was hanging out and immediately opened his laptop. He navigated to the portal for rabbinical school applications, while his family members told him to close the computer. It was time to rest.

What Should a College Be?

Julien Roa studied classics at Columbia, and he delighted in the arcane questions that anchored his seminars on ancient literature, poetry and philosophy. Campus social issues he treated with more distance, defining himself as the type of person who could argue any side of an issue.

But some of that intellectual distance dissolved as the intensity of pro-Palestinian protests deepened. Roa, 22, was with friends at a party in Midtown Manhattan on April 30, past midnight, when he got a text from a friend saying protesters were trying to enter Hamilton Hall, a campus building that has been a prominent site for activist occupation over the years. Roa called an Uber and headed uptown to witness a moment he knew would be historically important. He stood by with dozens of classmates until 4 a.m., watching as protesters overtook the building.

When the police removed the occupiers, he struggled to reconcile the university’s response with how proudly it had taught students about the school’s legacy of protest. “Nineteen sixty-eight is plastered all over Columbia’s websites,” Roa said, referring to the anti-Vietnam War protesters who took over Hamilton Hall 56 years ago. “They’ve subsumed it as part of their brand.”

In the weeks since, what has consumed Roa in conversations with friends and professors is the question — still esoteric, but also now deeply personal — of how colleges can live up to their promise of being spaces where students tangle with thorny ideas. After four years of abstract academic deliberating, he is alarmed to see schools quashing dissent, and wants campuses to stay open to free expression.

Roa hopes to find a way to research university decision-making, whether in law school or in his spare time. “Pretty much with every person I’ve spoken to in recent weeks, this is intellectually what’s on my mind.”

Pomp and Unusual Circumstances

In any normal year, graduation week is that liminal space of bliss between final exams and real-world tests. Not this year.

Columbia canceled its main commencement ceremony and moved its Class Day, a long-running tradition celebrating the graduates, off the main campus and uptown to Baker Athletics Complex, which the school said was meant to ensure a smooth event. The university’s president did not attend.

Some graduates crossed the stage wrapped in kaffiyehs and carrying signs that read, “Divest.” Roa held up a graduation cap with a picture of the university president, his way of gesturing that a school leader should show up and face students, especially when confronting acrimony.

At the Jewish Theological Seminary’s graduation, where Faust’s parents and grandmother waited eagerly for his name to be called, students and their families stood to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” They remained standing to sing Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikvah.” Administrators had worried that some students would protest, though none did.

While Faust listened to the speakers reciting prayers for Israel, he felt that now familiar sense of discomfort, though he tried to focus on his family, all abuzz with excitement.

At Radio City Music Hall, Sissoko’s speech was followed by remarks from Barnard’s commencement speaker, Ruth Simmons, a former president of Brown University. Simmons was visibly moved by what she had witnessed in the room. She pledged to match the senior class gift, which supports Barnard initiatives, of $8,100.

“I find myself unduly emotional,” she said through tears. “I will never forget having been here today.”

As soon as Sissoko left the stage, their parents, two sisters, brother and uncle and three childhood friends rushed forward with hugs. Sissoko’s mom had a bouquet of red roses. Sissoko’s middle sister, Kemi, through tears, texted the video of her sibling’s speech to friends. “They were like, ‘Yup, this is what we expected Mariame to do,’” Kemi said laughing.

During their four years at Barnard, Sissoko took classes on politics, speculative literature and women’s health, but they weren’t entirely certain where it all would lead. They had looked into doctoral programs in anthropology, but with ambivalence.

By the time Sissoko was posing for pictures in Radio City Music Hall, they felt confident in their ambition: become a college professor. It was a goal influenced by members of Columbia’s faculty, who had linked arms and surrounded the encampment organizers in a show of protection when the police first arrived.

“Seeing my professors show up for students, it’s like: Yes, I can see myself doing this in 20 or 30 years, for whatever the next world crisis is,” Sissoko said.

And after all the conflicting voices Sissoko absorbed and answered to, even a role as a university administrator seems possible: “I don’t think it’s completely off the table,” they said. “I have a very deep understanding of how universities work now.”

Emma Goldberg is a business reporter covering workplace culture and the ways work is evolving in a time of social and technological change. More about Emma Goldberg

The Campus Protests Over the Gaza War

News and Analysis

​The University of Pennsylvania issued temporary rules that significantly rein in protests on campus  and, for the first time, explicitly ban encampments, less than a month after the police cleared away a pro-Palestinian encampment at the university and arrested 33 people.

​Police officers arrested 13 people after pro-Palestinian protesters barricaded themselves  in the office of the president of Stanford University.

​Weeks after counterprotesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles, the university police made the first arrest related to the attack .

The Right Price for Protests:  ​At pro-Palestinian demonstrations, students have broken codes of conduct and, sometimes, the law. But the question of whether and how to discipline  them is vexing universities.

A Free Speech Champion’s Advice:  ​U.C. Berkeley’s leader, Carol Christ, has spent the last several months asking students  to consider the way speech and protest affect the entire campus community.

Making Sense of the Protests:  In the weeks leading up to graduation, our reporter spoke with more than a dozen students at Columbia University and Barnard College about how the campus protests had shaped them .

A Complex Summer:  Many university leaders and officials may be confronting federal investigations, disputes over student discipline  — and the prospect that the protests start all over again in the fall.

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Indian-origin student who shook Harvard reveals why she gave the speech: Exclusive

Shruthi kumar, a 22-year-old indian-origin student, delivered a hard-hitting speech during her commencement ceremony in support of 13 pro-palestine protesters who harvard university had barred from graduating. her speech shook harvard. shruthi, in an exclusive interview, reveals why she delivered that speech..

Listen to Story

• Shruthi Kumar, 22, shook Harvard when she went off-script for her commencement speech
• The Indian-origin student spoke in support of 13 students barred from graduating for protests
• Shruthi reveals what made her give the hard-hitting speech and how it worried her parents

On May 13, Shruthi Kumar unfolded a piece of paper and unleashed a voice in favour of civil disobedience and freedom of speech. The occasion was a graduation ceremony and the place Harvard University. The 22-year-old Indian-origin student delivered a speech that shook Harvard.

Shruthi went off the script as she spoke in support of 13 students who had been barred from graduating for engaging in pro-Palestine protests at Harvard.

Thunderous applause followed the speech from both pupils and faculty members, and about a thousand students left the ceremony as a mark of protest against Harvard.

SHRUTHI KUMAR'S PARENTS MOVED TO US FROM MADURAI

Shruthi was chosen to deliver the undergraduate class's English commencement speech. She shook Harvard when she took to the stage and went off-script in her speech.

To win the competition was not enough, she had to change the direction of her speech. She reveals that she had around 100 drafts of the speech.

"The committee then recommended that I consider including something about the current tension on the campus. Leading up to the commencement, I wrote and rewrote my speech nearly 100 times, trying to figure out the right words to say," adds Shruthi.

While preparing for her speech, Shruthi did not know if the Harvard corporation would listen to the demands of the students that the 13 students be allowed to graduate. She had to prepare a speech for either of the two eventualities.

JUST TWO PEOPLE KNEW SHRUTHI WOULD GO OFF-SCRIPT

Finally, the day came. Harvard denied the 13 students to graduate. Shruthi knew she had to support the students in her speech.

"The response of Harvard was something I found strikingly incorrect. Something I did not agree with. The faculty overwhelmingly voted that the sanctions against the students were incorrect," says Shruthi, conviction ringing loud in her voice.

Although the graduation ceremony calls for celebration, Shruthi did not want to celebrate the moment without thinking about her 13 friends and their worries.

"I cannot be celebrating my graduation when my friends are in deep anxiety and stress and their families are sad that they are not graduating. That's when it became really real for me. And when the corporation made the decision the day before, then it was very clear," says Shruthi.

A night before the commencement ceremony, Shruthi wrote her note card at 11.30 pm and sent it to her two coaches.

HARVARD FACULTY LAUDS SHRUTHI'S SPEECH, BUT PARENTS WORRIED

Following her heart and going off-script to deliver the hard-hitting speech was an act of dare-devilry for Shruthi Kumar. She risked facing repercussions from Harvard University, which had shown it wasn't going to go soft on dissenters.

However, Harvard didn't take any punitive measure against her.

"Since my speech, the university has not had any negative views towards me, not sent anything that would punish me."

Shruthi's peers and faculty are proud of her.

"The faculty have sent me emails, congratulating me. They reaffirm my speech, the faculty are on my side, the students are on my side, it is really the business side of things, the business corporation side of Harvard that took a different stance," she tells IndiaToday.In.

As for her family, they are both worried and proud.

SHRUTHI'S SPEECH GAVE HOPE TO STUDENTS BARRED BY HARVARD

They are trying to get their degrees. They see hope, but they still have a long battle to fight.

"I spoke on behalf of the 13 students and at least to give them a moment during commencement that they were not given by the University. The students received more hope. They are trying to get their degrees, it's not over for them. I did the least I could do. I'm in touch with them, I'm checking up on them. I'm hoping for the best," says Shruthi.

Shruthi Kumar's story is truly inspiring. It is a story of making your own path, Of being courageous and curious. Of living life for not just herself but for the rights and freedom of others. Published By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jun 6, 2024