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Essay Samples on Graduation

Graduation is an exciting time in any student’s life. It’s a time to celebrate achievements, reflect on the past, and look towards the future. If you’re tasked with writing an essay on this topic, it can be a daunting task. However, with some helpful tips and graduation essay examples, you can craft a perfect essay about graduation.

One way to approach an essay on graduation is to focus on a particular moment or experience from the graduation ceremony. For example, you might write about the feeling of receiving your diploma or the emotions you felt as you walked across the stage. By focusing on a specific moment, you can create a more compelling and personal essay.

Another approach is to write about the broader significance of graduation. You can explore the importance of education, the challenges that students face, and the impact that graduation has on individuals and society. By taking a more philosophical approach, you can create a more thought-provoking essay that engages readers on a deeper level.

When it comes to graduation essay topics, the possibilities are endless. You might write about the history of graduation ceremonies, the impact of technology on graduation, or the role of graduation in different cultures. Whatever topic you choose, make sure it’s something that you’re passionate about and that you can explore in depth.

In conclusion, writing a perfect essay about graduation requires creativity, passion, and attention to detail. By using graduation essay examples and following the tips above, you can craft an essay that celebrates the importance of graduation and inspires readers to reflect on their own educational journeys.

How a Graduate Degree Can Help You Achieve Your Career Goals

Graduate degrees serve as powerful catalysts for propelling career ambitions to new heights. In a world where expertise, specialization, and innovation are highly valued, pursuing advanced education opens doors to enhanced opportunities and the realization of long-term career goals. This essay explores the symbiotic relationship...

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Career Goals After Graduation: Mapping the Journey

Career goals after graduation mark the beginning of an exciting journey towards professional fulfillment and personal growth. As the academic chapter comes to a close, the canvas of possibilities opens up, and graduates are poised to pursue their aspirations in the workforce. In this essay,...

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Gap Year: Exploring Paths of Exploration and Reflection

The concept of taking a gap year — a deliberate break between high school and further education or employment — has gained significant attention in recent years. This period of exploration and self-discovery offers both advantages and disadvantages that influence an individual's personal and professional...

My Convocation Day: An Experience I Will Never Forget

For most people, their graduation day is one of the memorable and the best days of their life the same goes to me. Many people have experienced the overwhelming excitement feeling as you approach graduation day, and for me, that was a day that I...

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What I Want To Do After My Graduation

Graduation is an exciting time for my life, specially a university’s graduation. When I think of family and relatives, friend gathering together to celebrate a gratifying event, I feel I accomplished my goal. Graduating from university give me a valuable outlook. So, you just graduated...

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A College Degree: The Next Step or a Mere Stepping Stone

In our modern economic climate it is a commonly held concern that continuously rising tuition prices will excel the financial benefits of possessing a college degree. Understandably, many people thus feel that pursuing a college degree is not worth the sacrifice of their time and...

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Prom Night and Prom Limo Rentals as Integral Parts of Graduation

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The Negative Preconceptions Surrounding the Prom Night

Prom is like the Met Gala of highschool, it is your exit from highschool and it is customary to look damn good on your way out. I remember when I was a sophomore, a girl in my grade was going to prom with her cousin...

The Search for a Suitable Limo for a Prom Night

For youngsters, prom is an extremely uncommon night, and thus, everything should keep running as easily as would be prudent. So for the individuals who choose to contract a prom limousine benefit, there are a few things that ought to be done before calling and...

Relevance of Changes in Canadian Employment Law

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Steven Spielberg Commencement Speech in Harvard University

Harvard University graduation, students, parents, family, faculty and friends anticipated the big speech by the famous film director, produce and screenwriter, Steven Spielberg. As he kicked off his commencement speech, he began with his Universal Studios dream job he was offered his sophomore year telling...

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How Well Do High Schools Prepare Teens for Life after Graduation

I knew that high schools did not teach teens how to do any checks, bills, etc. To begin with, did school teach you how to do any of those before you graduated? Schools do not get teens ready for the life of adulthood. I choose...

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Looking Back at the Many Years of a School Life

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My Highschool Reflections Before Graduation

Many people would tell us that our high school years “are the best years of our lives”. How when we walk across the stage in June, nothing would ever be the same, for the better or for the worst. As a graduating senior, I thought...

Graduation as a Transitional Experience and a Rite of Passage

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Improving Graduation Rates by Revamping Community College

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The Reasons Of Graduates Unemployment

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The Reasons I Choose To Pursue A Graduate Degree In Forensic Science

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Best topics on Graduation

1. How a Graduate Degree Can Help You Achieve Your Career Goals

2. Career Goals After Graduation: Mapping the Journey

3. Advantages and Disadvantages of a Gap Year: Exploring Paths of Exploration and Reflection

4. My Convocation Day: An Experience I Will Never Forget

5. What I Want To Do After My Graduation

6. A College Degree: The Next Step or a Mere Stepping Stone

7. Prom Night and Prom Limo Rentals as Integral Parts of Graduation

8. The Negative Preconceptions Surrounding the Prom Night

9. The Search for a Suitable Limo for a Prom Night

10. Relevance of Changes in Canadian Employment Law

11. Steven Spielberg Commencement Speech in Harvard University

12. How Well Do High Schools Prepare Teens for Life after Graduation

13. Looking Back at the Many Years of a School Life

14. My Highschool Reflections Before Graduation

15. Graduation as a Transitional Experience and a Rite of Passage

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Graduation Speech Essay

Graduation speech essay generator.

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

4+ Graduation Speech Essay Examples

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Defining Graduation

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

Defining Speech

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

Defining Essay

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

Defining Graduation Speech

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

Importance of Graduation Speech

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

Tips to Make a Graduation Speech

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why is a graduation speech so important?

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

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

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

Text prompt

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Craft a graduation speech reflecting on your proudest achievement during your time in school and its impact on your journey.

Compose a graduation speech inspired by a meaningful lesson learned from a teacher or mentor, highlighting its significance as you move forward.

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My graduation day essay 8 models

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

My graduation day essay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My graduation day

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

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

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

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

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

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

Graduation essay

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

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

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

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

Graduation day essay

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

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

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

Short essay about graduation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Short essay about graduation day

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

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

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

Essay about graduation day in elementary

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

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

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

My graduation day short essay

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

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

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

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

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

• Myself essay for college students

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16 Best Graduation Speeches That Leave a Lasting Impression

Some of the most impactful and inspiring sentiments are shared during graduation speeches delivered by the leaders we look up to. Graduation speeches from celebrities , entrepreneurs, authors and other influential thinkers are motivational, inspiring, thought-provoking and just might make you reach for the nearest tissue. After four years of hard work, stress, and exhausting self-discovery, lucky graduates are privy to a life-changing speech to top it all off.

Here, we rounded up up 16 of the best graduation speeches of all time, including words of wisdom from Natalie Portman, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and more.

1. Steve Jobs: Stanford, 2005

"You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. 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."

2. Michelle Obama: Tuskegee University, 2015

"I've found that this journey has been incredibly freeing. Because no matter what happened, I had the piece of mind knowing that all of the chatter, the name-calling, the doubting...all of it was just noise. It did not define me, it didn't change who I was, and most importantly, it couldn't hold me back."

3. Natalie Portman: Harvard, 2015

"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."

4. Amy Poehler: Harvard University, 2011

"What I have discovered is this: You can't do it alone … Listen. Say 'yes.' Live in the moment. Make sure you play with people who have your back. Make big choices early and often."

5. Meryl Streep: Barnard College, 2010

"This is your time and it feels normal to you but really there is no normal. There's only change, and resistance to it and then more change."

6. David Foster Wallace: Kenyon College, 2005

"Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. Think of the old cliché about quote the mind being an excellent servant but a terrible master."

7. Barack Obama: Howard University, 2016

"You have to go through life with more than just passion for change; you need a strategy. I’ll repeat that. I want you to have passion, but you have to have a strategy. Not just awareness, but action. Not just hashtags, but votes."

8. Kerry Washington: George Washington University, 2013

"You and you alone are the only person who can live the life that can write the story that you were meant to tell."

9. Conan O'Brien: Dartmouth College, 2011

"There are few things more liberating in this life than having your worst fear realized. Today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality … Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen."

10. J.K. Rowling: Harvard, 2008

"I stopped pretending to be anything than what I was. My greatest fear had been realized. I had an old typewriter and a big idea. Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life."

11. Oprah Winfrey: Harvard University, 2013

"Learn from every mistake because every experience, encounter, and particularly your mistakes are there to teach you and force you into being more who you are. And then figure out what is the next right move. And the key to life is to develop an internal moral, emotional G.P.S. that can tell you which way to go."

12. Joss Whedon: Wesleyan University, 2013

"You have, which is a rare thing, that ability and the responsibility to listen to the dissent in yourself, to at least give it the floor, because it is the key—not only to consciousness–but to real growth. To accept duality is to earn identity. And identity is something that you are constantly earning. It is not just who you are. It is a process that you must be active in. It's not just parroting your parents or the thoughts of your learned teachers. It is now more than ever about understanding yourself so you can become yourself."

13. George Saunders: Syracuse University, 2013

"Do all the other things, the ambitious things … Travel, get rich, get famous, innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunes, swim naked in wild jungle rivers (after first having it tested for monkey poop)—but as you do, to the extent that you can, err in the direction of kindness."

14. Nora Ephron: Wellesley College, 1996

"Be the heroine of your life, not the victim."

15. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Wellesley College, 2015

"As you graduate, as you deal with your excitement and your doubts today, I urge you to try and create the world you want to live in. Minister to the world in a way that can change it. Minister radically in a real, active, practical, get your hands dirty way."

16. Admiral William H. McRaven: University of Texas at Austin, 2014

"If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right."

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High School Graduation Essay | Inspirational Essay on Graduation on My Graduation Day

August 27, 2021 by Prasanna

High School Graduation Essay: Graduation is a memorable and beautiful journey of life. In the wake of moving on from life, individuals struggled. Something will consistently occur, regardless of how fortunate or unfortunate. Perhaps the most invigorating yet awful exercise is graduation. For some, secondary school graduation is an objective. It requires some investment and works to accomplish this objective. Over the long haul, it opens up numerous chances for individuals’ prosperity. Graduation is secondary school graduation and begins to live.

For the most part, there is a broad worry with respect to whether secondary school graduating classes are deficient with regards to the instruction and abilities important to prevail in school, current work environment and adulthood, requiring high danger graduation test I will encourage you. The reasoning is that the certificate ought to address groundwork for advanced education examination and vocation and if the understudy doesn’t have adequate abilities and information, the understudy ought not to be permitted to get recognition.

You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more.

My Graduation Day Essay

Many individuals have encountered the overwhelming energy that you feel as you approach secondary school graduation day, and for me, that is a day that I will always remember. The measure of feelings that you feel on graduation day is unimaginable, and I still can’t seem to encounter whatever else like it. I can recall feeling restless to commend the large day with my loved ones, while simultaneously I was freezing pondering strolling across the stage before that many individuals.

Then, at that point, the more I contemplated the truth of graduation day, I began to get inquisitive, yet anxious, about having the option to begin another part in my life once graduation day had passed. There are a few reasons why I, still right up ’til the present time, consider secondary school graduation the very first moment of the most intriguing days of my life. However invigorating as it seemed to be to at long last alumni secondary school, I actually had some blended feelings about it.

At the point when they called my name, I strolled to the side of the stage, where I needed to stand by in a short line before really crossing the stage.

I was unable to hold back to get that confirmation in my grasp, however, I truly thought I planned to have a fit of anxiety on the stage before that occurred. I, at last, made it up onto the stage I shook the standards hand one final time as he gave me my certificate, and made it ease off the stage without anything humiliating occurring.

At the point when I sat down, I felt help that I had gotten that part done, and could partake in the rest of the graduation. At the point when the graduation service reached a conclusion, I raced to the theatre to celebrate with the entirety of my loved ones.

I was unable to accept the number of individuals who came to praise our graduation day with us. I knew my companions close families, however, I had the opportunity to meet everybody’s more distant families, and hear anecdotes about them that I will always remember. Then, at that point, I took what felt like 1,000,000 pictures, and embraced everybody I knew, and took off to my graduation celebration to proceed with the festival with the ones that I cherished the most. That evening I think I grinned and giggled more than I at any point have in my life. As the night’s end moved toward us, I was unable to quit contemplating the number of blended feelings I had about beginning an entirely different part of my life.

I was unable to hold back to attend a university, meet every new individual, get a degree so I could begin my profession way, however, I realized that implied I needed to bid farewell to my two closest companions, who were moving a few hours from me. This was probably the hardest thing I had at any point needed to do in my life. We as a whole cried a little, and afterward made vows to stay in contact, and afterward, we were off into this present reality! I was exceptionally glad to be now in my life, however, I was terrified where it counts inside. At the point when I think back on this day now, I actually recollect everything about it in case it was yesterday.

I was so pleased and glad to have the option to celebrate a particularly astonishing day with the entirety of my loved ones. I realize I will always remember how humiliated I was strolling across the stage before those individuals, feeling renowned in the wake of taking such countless pictures, gaining our last experiences together at our graduation celebrations, and afterward being a basket case when the time had come to go out into the world without my closest companions next to me. Secondary school graduation day was an extremely passionate day for me, however, it was by a wide margin the most thrilling day I have at any point experienced in my life.

FAQ’s on High School Graduation Essay

Question 1. Why is high school graduation important for us?

Answer: Expanded instructive fulfillment gives people the chance to acquire higher pay and access better everyday environments, better food varieties, and medical care administrations. Generally speaking, secondary school graduation can possibly further develop populace wellbeing.

Question 2. What graduation means?

Answer: Graduation is the fruitful consummation of a course of study at a college, school, or school, for which you get a degree or recognition. Graduation is an uncommon service at college, school, or school, at which degrees and certificates are given to understudies who have effectively finished their examinations.

Question 3. What is the value of high school education?

Answer: Secondary school is a period for youngsters to take in important abilities for life from friends and experts. School days occupy time with fun, educational exercises and plan youngsters for the universe of work.

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Home › Inspirational Graduation Speeches

Inspirational Graduation Speeches

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Do you have a graduating son or daughter? A high school or college graduation is a major milestone in life that should not be ignored. The graduation ceremony celebrates hard work and encourages students to move into the world to achieve great things. This hopeful message is further cemented through an inspirational graduation speech.

As you celebrate graduation day and wish your student good luck, consider the following commencement advice you can share as well as inspirational quotes for a happy graduation.

Here are the best graduation speeches and inspirational message graduation quotes to inspire you and change your life.

Page Contents

1. Barack Obama – Howard University, 2016

You have to go through life with more than just passion for change; you need a strategy. I’ll repeat that. I want you to have passion, but you have to have a strategy. Not just awareness but action. Not just hashtags, but votes. Barack Obama

During his graduation message, Barack Obama spoke with hope. He urged the graduating students to be hardworking yet pragmatic as they sought justice, equality, and freedom. Howard University is one of the nation’s most distinguished and historically Black universities.

In 2020, Barack Obama also shared a graduation message to the Class of 2020 as part of Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 . These students had to learn to overcome obstacles and challenges that classes before them had not had to deal with due to the pandemic.

The disappointments of missing a live graduation, those will pass pretty quick…What remains true is that your graduation marks your passage into adulthood—the time when you begin to take charge of your own life. It’s when you get to decide what’s important to you: the kind of career you want to pursue. Who you want to build a family with. The values you want to live by. And given the current state of the world, that may be kind of scary. Barack Obama

Obama goes on to offer hope and support as graduating students set out to navigate a very new landscape and shape a new world.

2. David Foster Wallace – Kenyon Graduation Speech, 2005

There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys. How’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually, one of them looks over at the other and goes, “What the hell is water? David Foster Wallace

In this commencement address, Wallace reminds us that we often forget, or take for granted, the most obvious things around us. He acknowledges it’s difficult to stay aware of what’s happening in the world, especially when you’re too busy dealing with the monologue inside your head.

That’s what a college education is about, according to him. It’s learning how to think and exercising some degree of control over your thoughts so you can choose what to pay attention to.

Our thoughts affect our realities, and the ability to choose how you “construct meaning from experience” will determine the lenses from which you see the world and how you react in return.

3. Natalie Portman – Harvard Graduation Speech 2015

Sometimes your insecurities and your inexperience may lead you, too, to embrace other people’s expectations, standards, or values. But you can harness that inexperience to carve out your own path, one that is free of the burden of knowing how things are supposed to be, a path that is defined by its own particular set of reasons . Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman majored in psychology at Harvard University because she believed it would help her acting. She graduated in 2003. In her commencement speech at the 2015 graduation ceremony, she spoke of her own self-doubt and gave an inspiring, funny , and wisdom-filled speech for the graduating class.

Portman said even though she was a successful student and went on to find success as an actress, she still struggled with her own worth but eventually learned to set her own goals.

4. Ellen DeGeneres – Tulane University, 2009

Never follow anyone else’s path, unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path and by all means you should follow that. Don’t give advice, it will come back and bite you in the ass. Don’t take anyone’s advice. So my advice to you is to be true to yourself and everything will be fine. Ellen Degeneres

This is one of the funniest graduation speeches ever! All humor aside, this speech shows why  it’s better to be true to yourself instead of trying desperately to be a second-rate version of someone else.

For years, Ellen thought being bisexual might prevent her from being a successful stand-up comedian, but it’s just not the case. Ellen proved that you could be successful, whoever you are, if you worked hard and learned from your past experiences— even one as sad as the death of a loved one.

5. Charlie Munger – University of California Law School, 2007

*Skip to 4:08 for the actual speech

You’re not going to get very far in life based on what you already know. You’re going to advance in life by what you’re going to learn after you leave here. Charlie Munger

Education doesn’t stop after you graduate from college. It doesn’t stop after you finish your MBA or PhD either. Munger says, “Wisdom acquisition is a moral duty. It’s not just something you do to advance in life.”

It’s a moral duty because it’s only through continuous learning that we can add to the vast knowledge of man kind. If we stopped learning, progress in all industries—computers, finance, engineering, biology, stops as well.

6. Michelle Obama – Eastern Kentucky University, 2013

If you’re a Democrat, spend some time talking to a Republican. And if you’re a Republican, have a chat with a Democrat. Maybe you’ll find some common ground, maybe you won’t. But if you honestly engage with an open mind and an open heart, I guarantee you’ll learn something. And goodness knows we need more of that, because we know what happens when we only talk to people who think like we do — we just get more stuck in our ways, more divided, and it gets harder to come together for a common purpose. Michelle Obama

As far as inspirational speeches go, Michelle Obama’s speech is very actionable. Her advice is simple (not easy), talk to each other with an open mind.

Different religion, race, political stand, it doesn’t matter. We can all learn from one another.

7. Jim Carrey – Maharashi University of Management, 2014

This is one of my favorite motivational speeches because Jim Carrey is such a good example of his message.

So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that that was possible for him, and so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an account. Jim Carrey

Carrey’s father lost his accounting job when he was 12, and it was then he realized that failure is inevitable , whether you’re doing what you want or not. If that’s the case, you might as well take a stab at doing something you love.

8. J.K Rowling – Harvard Commencement Address, 2008

I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. J.K. Rowling

This is probably one of the most inspirational videos for writers and creatives everywhere.

Rowling was suffering from depression when he wrote the Harry Potter books. But through grit and patience with herself, she was able to complete the first Harry Potter Manuscript and, stay motivated to continue even when feeling down. Thanks to her drive and imagination, the world has Harry Potter !

9. Bono – University of Pennsylvania, 2004

In case you don’t know him, Bono is the lead singer of the famous band U2. Of course, being the rock star he is, he leads his speech by saying, “My name is Bono, and I am a rock star.”

In his speech, he urges graduates to carefully consider their big idea, in saying:

What are you willing to spend your moral capital, your intellectual capital, your cash, (and) your sweat equity in pursuing outside of the walls of the University of Pennsylvania? The world is more malleable than you think, and it’s waiting for you to hammer it into shape. Bono

Being a rock star, I thought Bono would talk about the perils of fame, the road to stardom or something to that effect. But instead, he talked about big ideas and changing the world.

10. Amy Poehler – Harvard University, 2011

Life is like a heist that requires good drivers, an explosives expert, a hot girl who doubles as a master of disguise, and this is a hard and fast rule. If the Rock shows up, they’re on to you . Amy Poehler

During her commencement speech at Harvard University in 2011, Amy Poehler expressed her surprise at the invitation to do so. She delivered a speech with jokes, advice, and insight as she looked out at the graduates.

She told them to head out into the world with love, light, joy, and laughter. Finishing off her speech in true Amy Poehler fashion, she also says, “please don’t forget to tip your waitresses.”

11. Meryl Streep – Barnard College, 2010

This is your time, and it feels normal to you, but really there is no normal. There’s only change, and resistance to it and then more change . Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep is an actress most famous for Sophie’s Choice , The Devil Wears Prada , and Mamma Mia . She was asked to deliver the commencement speech to Barnard College in 2010. Her speech was dripping with extreme personality, honesty, and bluntness.

Streep shared her own personal stories and emphasized the importance of empathy. The audience was all women, so the speech was directed at them, but she shared many graduation messages that applied to everyone.

12. Kerry Washington – George Washington University, 2013

You and you alone are the only person who can live the life that writes the story you were meant to tell . Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington is an actress, producer, and director. In 2018, she was named the eighth highest-paid television actress and has won several awards, including the President’s Award.

In her commencement speech at George Washington University in 2013, she urged graduates to go beyond their comfort zones and live their own stories.

How to Create Your Own Inspirational Graduation Speech

Do you need to write your own inspirational speech or curate the perfect graduation message? Here are a few tips on how to do just that, so you can inspire others like the commencement speeches above.

Start With a Quote

Start with a relevant quote. This sets the overall tone of your speech and grabs your audience’s attention. A good example of this is a quote by David Brinkley, “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.”

Provide Scenarios

Now that you have drawn in the audience, present a what-if scenario to encourage the audience to continue following your thought process.

You can also provide a scenario encouraging the audience to put themselves directly into it. Suggest that they imagine doing something and ask what they would do if it doesn’t go as planned.

If you are giving a graduation message, ask where they see themselves years down the road or what they picture success as. You can then offer advice and insight based on your own experience.

Ask Questions

You should also ask questions, whether they are literal or rhetorical. When you present a question to someone, the person intuitively answers it, keeping them engaged with what you have to say.

Pause for Silence

When giving an inspirational speech, it also helps to pause for a few seconds after important points. This pause allows the audience to react to what you have to say and settle down before you continue with your next statement. The pause is also a good way to draw attention to what you want to say.

What Makes an Inspirational Graduation Speech?

The best graduation speech should have a very uplifting message that leads with education and wisdom. The graduation speech should focus on the graduates’ achievements and accomplishments. It should highlight the sacrifices that may have been made.

When writing a graduation or inspirational speech, ensure a strong theme or message is conveyed to keep your audience’s focus and attention.

Do you remember the speaker on your graduation day? What pearls of wisdom did he or she share?

Related Reading : Don’t forget what you worked so hard on in school! Check out our 150 Education Quotes for Teachers and Students , too. These gems are good for any graduation card when offering congratulations.

Natalie Seale

3 thoughts on “Inspirational Graduation Speeches”

Am really inspired by these brief messages,indeed education has no boundary; therefore, I say to you,” education is immeasurable, regardless of what disciplines or background we find ourselves.

These are very inspiring. My favorite is from J.K. Rowling. Thanks for sharing

Actually Very Inspiring ……thanks for sharing

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University Graduation Ceremony Deliverance Essay (Speech)

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It is a real pleasure for me to welcome you at this graduation ceremony. I am happy to have the privilege to address you on this special occasion. I have been waiting for this day for several years and I cannot say that it was an easy time. I want to thank all of you for coming here and to greed those who studied these years with me. I also want to say thank you to parents and teachers from all students as you are those people who supported and taught us during these complicated and challenging days. I think I may speak for all the MBA graduates who share this event today with me.

I want to thank the staff of the University for the time and effort they spent on us. It was a great pleasure to study under your supervision and I want to hope that you also enjoyed working with us. All the success we managed to achieve and the goals we are going to reach in the future are partially your merits. The university staff helped us when we had problems, they directed us during these years of study, they supported us when we had doubts and encouraged when we were disappointed.

I want to thank parents for their support and assistance. The years of study are really difficult and sometimes we had problems which could be solved only by our hard work and desire to succeed. However, our parents are those who have always been with us. Even when we made mistakes, when our decisions were wrong and we suffered from the outcomes, our parents always tried to assist us. Thank you for your presence.

I know that sometimes were difficult children and students, sometimes were wanted too much. There were moments when we gave up, but your support helped us cheer up and go forward. The fact that we are present here today shows that we managed to achieve our first big goal. Nevertheless, there is much to do for us.

Graduation is just the first step on the way forward. Having graduated from the University, we are free to choose our way. University is just the preparation stage which just informs us about our future life, still, we are who to make a decision. Having graduated from University we are both free and bounded. We are free in our actions, however, we are bounded with the responsibility before our parents, our teachers, and our country.

One of the main purposes of our studying is to gain success and become useful. These notions are interconnected as those who achieve success manage to be useful for their country. I want to contribute to the development of my country as I feel that this is my mission.

The university has not only given me knowledge and skills which cannot be overestimated, it has made me a personality. I became an individual with personal intentions, desires, and experience. While our studying, the university staff did all possible to make us the individuals with personal identity, they never imposed their ideas on us and encouraged us to think. Thanks to the University, I will always remember the time spent here, the people I used to know, and the knowledge I received.

These years taught us to become friends and I hope that graduation will not become the reason to lose friends. Student life is an inestimable experience we will carry throughout our entire life. The years spent here were not wasted and I am sure that I will be able to prove it by my future actions.

Working for the benefit of my society, I want to do all possible to improve the life of my native country. I entered the university to get knowledge and I also gained skills that will be useful for my future career. I believe that to change the world society, to improve life in the country, to reduce the number of crimes, etc. we are to start from our lives. I am sure that my desire to change this world and my opportunity to start doing it from myself is a good beginning.

Choosing a profession I will always remember what I studied here. If everyone believes that he/she can change the world, together we will achieve great results. We should believe in our actions, in ourselves. The world is a group of people. If I and you, and you believe that we can change everything, we will do it, no matter what our occupation is and how wealthy we are. We are just to make a try.

In conclusion, I want to say that graduation is both the best and the worst day of my life. On the one hand, I am really happy to have an opportunity to start my new life with a degree. Graduation is like a door and today I will open it with my key. On the other hand, I will always miss these days, as they were the best ones in my life. Thank you for studying with me, thank you for your support and presence. I hope was useful for you as well.

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Graduation day is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication, when graduates don their caps and gowns and proudly walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. It is a time of celebration and reflection, marking the end of one chapter of life and the beginning of another. Family and friends gather to witness this momentous occasion and share in the pride and joy of the graduates. It is a day filled with emotions and memories that will be cherished for a lifetime.

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Graduation Speech Ideas: How to Inspire Your Class

Did you know that the shortest recorded graduation speech in history was a mere 19 words long? Yes, you heard that right! While brevity can sometimes be a virtue, when it comes to inspiring your fellow classmates and leaving a lasting impression, well-crafted graduation speeches can be a powerful tool. As you stand before your graduating class, you have the opportunity to ignite a spark of motivation, instill a sense of purpose, and propel your peers toward their future endeavors.

Graduation Speech Ideas: Short Summary

In this article, we will explore a variety of graduation speech topics, along with practical tips and easy steps to help you craft an impressive speech. With these tools in hand, you'll have the power to captivate your class and leave an indelible mark on their hearts and minds. Get ready to create a commencement address that will resonate for years to come.

Graduation Speeches: Exploring the Purpose

Graduation speeches, with their grand stage and eager audience, serve a purpose that extends far beyond mere formality. They are a culmination of years of hard work, growth, and shared experiences. These speeches are a golden opportunity to reflect on the collective journey, celebrate achievements, and inspire the graduating class as they step into the uncharted territory of the future.

According to our paper writing service experts, one of the key elements in crafting a memorable graduation speech is selecting a theme that resonates with the graduating class. Graduation speech themes can range from resilience and perseverance to embracing change and embracing diversity. By choosing a theme that reflects the unique experiences and aspirations of the class, the speaker can create a unifying thread that connects with the hearts and minds of the audience. These themes serve as guiding principles, offering nuggets of wisdom and inspiring anecdotes that reinforce the central message of the speech.

The purpose of a graduation speech is multifaceted. It is a beacon of hope, reminding graduates of their potential and the endless possibilities that await them. It is a heartfelt tribute acknowledging the contributions of teachers, mentors, and loved ones who have played an integral role in their educational voyage. Moreover, a graduation speech is a platform for wisdom and guidance, a chance to impart invaluable life lessons and ignite a fire of motivation within each listener. It is a powerful tool that has the ability to instill confidence, inspire action, and encourage graduates to embark on their unique paths with passion and purpose.

How to Start a Graduation Speech: Essential Preparation Tips

Stepping up to the podium to deliver a graduation speech can be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. As the spotlight shines upon you, it's crucial to capture the attention and hearts of your fellow graduates, faculty, and parents right from the start. The key to a remarkable beginning lies in careful preparation. By employing essential tips for starting a graduation speech, you can set the stage for an impactful and memorable address. From gathering relevant details to brainstorming graduation speech ideas and crafting a well-structured outline, these preparation tips will empower you to confidently begin your graduation speech, leaving a lasting impression on your audience.

Gather Relevant Details

As per our custom essay writing service , the first step in preparing to start a graduation speech is to gather relevant details about the graduating class, the school, and the overall graduation ceremony.

• Determine the Speaking Time : Find out the allocated time for the graduation speech topics. Knowing the time limit will help you structure your speech accordingly, ensuring that you deliver a concise and engaging message within the given timeframe.
• Identify the Audience : Consider who will be in attendance at the graduation ceremony. Will it primarily consist of fellow graduates, parents, faculty, or a mix of all? Understanding the demographics of the audience can help you tailor your speech to their interests, experiences, and expectations.
• Know the Introducer : Find out who will introduce you before your speech. This allows you to establish a connection with the person responsible for setting the stage and can provide an opportunity to coordinate and align the introduction with the theme or key points of your speech.
• Determine Other Speakers : Inquire whether you are the only speaker or if there will be other individuals delivering speeches. This information helps you gauge the overall time allotted for speeches, ensures you don't overlap content, and allows you to adjust your speech accordingly to offer a unique perspective.
• Check for Microphone Availability : Verify if a microphone will be available during your speech. Understanding the audio setup will assist you in projecting your voice effectively and ensuring your words reach the entire audience.
• Consider the Use of Speech Notes : Determine whether you can use speech notes or if memorization is expected. Some graduation ceremonies allow speakers to refer to notes, while others encourage a more natural and memorized delivery. Knowing the expectations allows you to plan your preparation and delivery approach accordingly.

Brainstorm Ideas

By delving into the following diverse aspects of college life, your brainstorming session will yield a rich tapestry of memories, anecdotes, and themes that can be incorporated into your graduation speech, infusing it with authenticity, nostalgia, and the spirit of previous graduation speech examples.

• Food and Dining : Delve into the culinary adventures of your college days, from the unique offerings at dining halls to the beloved local restaurants that became student favorites.
• Campus Hangouts : Explore the cherished spots on campus where students congregated, shared laughter, and forged lasting friendships.
• Social Events : Recall the vibrant social scene that shaped your college experience, from parties and festivals to club activities and campus-wide celebrations.
• Notable Classes : Highlight the classes or academic experiences that left a lasting impact, whether due to exceptional professors, intriguing subject matter, or memorable assignments. Personalize your speech by weaving in anecdotes from your own autobiography example , showcasing the transformative power of education.
• Significant Memories : Reflect on the special moments that stand out in your college journey, be it late-night study sessions, impromptu adventures, or milestone achievements.
• Landmarks : Take note of the iconic landmarks on campus that became synonymous with your college years, contributing to a sense of pride and belonging.
• Current Events : Consider any noteworthy events or happenings that unfolded during your time at college, shaping the collective experience of your class.
• Shared College Experiences : Embrace the shared experiences that defined your campus community, such as the ritual of purchasing scantrons, the melodic chimes of the Old Main bells, or navigating the virtual realm of Blackboard.

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Create a Graduation Speech Outline

By following this outline, you'll learn how to write a speech about yourself that leaves a lasting impact on the graduating class and the audience. Infuse your speech with your personality, emotions, and unique perspective, creating an authentic and heartfelt reflection of your journey and the aspirations of the graduating class.

I. Introduction

A. Welcome the audience: Begin your speech by warmly welcoming the graduating class, faculty members, parents, and esteemed guests. Set a positive and inclusive tone from the start.

B. Introduce the theme: Clearly state the overarching theme or message that will be the foundation of your speech. This will provide a sense of direction and purpose for your discourse.

C. Engage with a captivating opening: Start with a relevant and engaging story, joke, or anecdote that connects to the theme and captures the attention of your audience. This will help create an immediate connection and pique their interest.

II. Personal Reflections and Shared Experiences

A. Share personal anecdotes: Draw from your own experiences as a student, highlighting significant moments, challenges, or accomplishments that relate to the theme. This personal touch will make your speech relatable and genuine.

B. Incorporate shared experiences: Discuss shared experiences and milestones that the graduating class has encountered throughout their academic journey. These collective memories will foster a sense of unity and connection among the audience.

C. Add originality: Inject original and unique perspectives into your speech. Offer fresh insights, perspectives, or ideas that will captivate and resonate with the graduating class.

III. Key Messages and Life Lessons

A. Highlight key messages: Identify the key messages or life lessons you wish to impart to the graduating class. These can include resilience, perseverance, embracing change, or pursuing a passion.

B. Support with stories and examples: Illustrate your key messages with relatable stories, examples, or quotes. Make them vivid and impactful, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

C. Inspire and motivate: Use your speech to inspire and motivate the graduating class to embrace the future with confidence, pursue their dreams, and make a positive impact in the world.

IV. Conclusion

A. Express gratitude: Thank the audience, including the graduating class, faculty, parents, and any other individuals who have supported the students' academic journey. Show appreciation for the opportunity to address them.

B. Summarize your discourse: End your speech with a concise, one-line summary of your main message or theme. This will serve as a memorable takeaway for the audience.

C. Conclude on an inspiring note: Leave the audience with a final inspiring thought, challenge, or call to action, encouraging the graduating class to make a difference in their lives and the world.

Pick a Topic

When picking graduation speech themes, it is crucial to select one that complements your personality, experience, and attitude. Your chosen theme should align with who you are as a person and reflect your journey throughout your academic years. Ensure that the topic resonates with your values and allows you to convey your message authentically. This alignment will make it easier for you to connect with the audience and deliver a speech that is genuine and impactful.

Extra Tips for Preparation

When preparing topics for a graduation speech, consider incorporating graduation speech ideas that align with your personality and experiences. Practice vocal delivery and body language to ensure effective communication during your speech. Vary your tone and pace, and use gestures and facial expressions as punctuation marks examples to enhance your message. By injecting humor and personal touches, such as relatable anecdotes and witty observations, you can engage and entertain the audience. Remember to strike a balance, ensuring the humor complements the main message without overshadowing it.

To further captivate your listeners, engage the audience with interactive activities during your speech. Break away from the traditional format by asking thought-provoking questions, conducting a quick poll, or inviting volunteers to share their reflections on the theme. This interactive approach will foster a deeper connection and keep the audience actively involved in your discourse.

Finally, craft a memorable closing to leave a lasting impact on your listeners. Consider ending your graduation speech with a powerful, thought-provoking question, a compelling call to action, or an inspiring story. This will reinforce your main message and motivate the graduating class to embrace their future with confidence and determination. By incorporating these strategies, your graduation speech will be an unforgettable experience for both you and your audience.

Analyzing Steve Jobs' ‘ How to Live Before You Die ’ Ted Talk

Graduation speeches have evolved from being mere interruptions to becoming significant events, with Steve Jobs exemplifying this shift through his less recognized contributions in popularizing viral commencement addresses. In his Ted Talk titled "How to Live Before You Die," Jobs shares timeless wisdom that resonates with people of all ages, particularly students.

Drawing from his own life experiences, Jobs urges listeners to embrace their passions, trust their instincts, and live authentically. He emphasizes the importance of relentless pursuit of one's passion, encouraging students to remain true to themselves despite obstacles and societal pressures.

Moreover, Jobs shares his story of resilience, recounting how being fired from Apple fueled his drive for greater success. This narrative inspires students to view failure as a stepping stone to growth and to learn from setbacks along their journey.

Trusting intuition emerges as another key theme in Jobs' talk. He motivates listeners to have faith in their abilities and pursue their dreams boldly, even in the face of uncertainty. This empowers students to listen to their inner voice and to fearlessly chase their aspirations.

Additionally, Jobs advocates for excellence in all endeavors, emphasizing craftsmanship and attention to detail. He reminds students that true success stems from a passion for excellence rather than a pursuit of monetary gain or recognition. This serves as a valuable lesson, encouraging students to approach their studies and future careers with dedication, diligence, and a commitment to excellence.

🎯Graduation Speech Ideas For Elementary School

• Favorite School Memories
• Lessons Learned
• Gratitude to Teachers and Staff
• Friendship and Bonds
• Overcoming Challenges
• The Joy of Learning
• Class Achievements
• Inspirational Quotes
• Aspirations and Dreams
• Funny Classroom Moments
• The Power of Teamwork
• Special Projects and Events
• Growth and Change
• Thanking Parents and Guardians
• Favorite Subjects
• The Importance of Curiosity
• Community Service
• Classroom Traditions
• The Road Ahead
• Student Contributions

🎏 Inspirational High School Graduation Speech Themes

• Personal Growth Stories
• Influence of Teachers
• Extracurricular Involvement
• The Value of Hard Work
• Life Lessons from High School
• Memorable High School Events
• Balancing Academics and Social Life
• Future Plans and Ambitions
• Gratitude to Family
• Impact of Technology on Education
• The Journey of Self-Discovery
• High School Traditions
• Overcoming Adversity
• Role Models and Mentors
• Celebrating Diversity
• The Power of Resilience
• Lessons from Failure
• Community and School Spirit
• Inspirational Figures
• Hopes for the Future

🎓Senior Graduation Speech Ideas

• Our College Journey: From Freshman to Senior
• Finding Our Path: Lessons in Choosing Majors
• Building Lifelong Friendships in College
• Learning from Setbacks: Embracing Failure
• Beyond the Classroom: Real-Life Lessons
• Balancing Act: Academics, Fun, and Work
• Celebrating Diversity on Campus
• Giving Back: Making a Difference
• Dreams to Reality: Entrepreneurial Ventures
• Gratitude to Mentors and Guides
• Strength in Unity: The Power of Collaboration
• Taking Care: Managing Stress and Wellness
• Cherishing College Traditions
• Broadening Horizons Through Study Abroad
• Life Online: Navigating Technology
• Surviving Tough Courses and Late Nights
• Bouncing Back from Challenges
• Facing the Future: Ready or Not
• The Impact of College Athletics and Extracurriculars
• Lessons from Global Citizenship: Embracing Diversity and Inclusion

🎉 Funny Graduation Speech Ideas

• The Best Excuses We Gave for Not Doing Homework
• Hilarious Misadventures on School Field Trips
• Unexpected Lessons from School Cafeteria Food
• Funny Classroom Moments That Will Never Be Forgotten
• Comical Tech Fails During Virtual Learning
• Ridiculous Rumors and Legends That Circulated Our School
• The Most Embarrassing Moments of High School and What We Learned
• Amusing Stories of Last-Minute Study Sessions
• Senior Pranks That Left a Lasting Impression
• Funny Awards: Superlatives We Wish We Had in High School
• The Struggle of Finding the Perfect Prom Outfit
• Humorous Reflections on School Dress Codes
• The Wild and Wacky World of High School Clubs
• Laugh-Out-Loud Tales from Group Projects Gone Wrong
• The Funny Side of High School Dating
• Classroom Characters: The Class Clown Chronicles
• The Most Outrageous Excuses for Being Late to Class
• Tech-Savvy Fails: Our Love-Hate Relationship with School Wi-Fi
• The Lighter Side of High School Sports: Bloopers and Blunders
• Laughing Through Stress: Funny Ways We Coped with Exams

Graduation Speech Example

In this section, we have a fantastic example that perfectly showcases what makes a speech outstanding. We understand the importance of providing students with a clear vision of a remarkable speech, and in the following words, you'll find inspiration on how to engage your audience, evoke emotions, and create a lasting impression.

In conclusion, this article has equipped you with various graduation speech ideas and resources to create an exceptional graduation speech. From exploring the purpose and themes to offering preparation tips and examples, we've provided the tools you need to captivate and inspire your audience. Furthermore, if you're seeking metaphors and analogies examples to add depth and creativity to your speech, we have plenty of suggestions for you to consider. Congratulations, and may your speech inspire and motivate your fellow graduates as they embark on their future endeavors.

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How Long Should a Graduation Speech Be?

Should i memorize my graduation speech or use notes.

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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Feiler, B. (2022, October 16). This writer analyzed 100 graduation speeches — here are the 4 tips they all share . ideas.ted.com. https://ideas.ted.com/100-graduation-commencement-speeches-common-tips-advice/

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Essays on Graduation

When graduation is finally upon you it may seem that all troubles are over, and yet you still have a graduation essay to write, which can be pretty stressful in itself. Graduation essays are something you fail to prepare in advance, so they become a source of discomfort for most. Our graduation essay samples will give you some guidance throughout the process of your graduation essay creation. Provided samples will cover different topics that essays on graduation usually touch upon. Lost on words anyway? We can take the graduation essay of your hands completely, so you won’t need to stress about it anymore. Our essays are composed by skilled specialists, so high-quality is guaranteed.

In my reflection, I chose Maya Angelou's Graduation, Nancy Mairs' On Being a cripple, and Chang-Rae Lee's Going Home Again. Maya's experience as she graduated from the only black grammar school is described in Graduation. The essay from Maya Angelou's autobiography goes into length about the discrepancies in schools for...

The Study's Objective The study's objective is to compare the transfer rates and graduation rates of various universities. The data and information collected serve as a gauge of how satisfied students are with their educational institutions.Comparing Student Satisfaction To gauge the degree of student satisfaction at these institutions, data on admission, total...

Words: 1451

Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk This is an intriguing series that examines what is going on in higher education. It wants to know what happens before enrollment and graduation. It demonstrates so something has gone wrong. The documentary advocates for reform, demonstrating that the nation is in grave danger...

Words: 1774

Without remembering William Jefferson Clinton, also named William Jefferson Bly III, we can't talk about US presidents. In 1992, he became the 42nd US head of state and served until 2001. Born and raised in Arkansas, he attended prestigious colleges, including Oxford University, Georgetown University, and Yale Law School, among...

Words: 1839

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In his book Into the Woods, Jon Krakauer portrays a man who leaves his family home and heads into the forest. Chris McCandless, the story's lead, prefers solitude after graduating. Clearly, a core premise of this book is that complete self-sufficiency is unlikely in one's life. The assistance and care...

Words: 1108

The Fish Analogy: Seeing the Unseen The article underneath analysis was a speech presented in the course of Kenyon College's commencement ceremony. The presenter feels that customarily, it is standard practice for graduation speeches to start with didactic allegorical stories. Wallace begins with an educational analogy of two younger fish which...

The Cease of High School and the Start of a New Chapter The cease of high school marked an end to my childhood life. My mother and father always encouraged me to work hard and acquire the necessary grades to join college. After completing my ultimate exams, many of my nights...

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Speech And Debate

Graduation Essay

Last updated on: Feb 9, 2023

Graduation Speech - Write Your Best Graduation Speech

By: Cordon J.

Reviewed By: Jacklyn H.

Published on: Feb 15, 2022

‘How can I write a memorable graduation speech?’

This is a common question among graduating students. Graduation or the commencement day is an important day in the life of the students. If you are one of the students who are chosen to give the graduation speech from your batch and you must be anxious about it.

It is completely normal.

Writing a graduation speech is tough, provided that you are given limited time and you have a lot more to say, writing it could be more than difficult. However, we are here to help you with it. This blog will help you with it.

We have explained everything here and by following the tips given here, you can write a memorable speech easily.

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What is a Graduation Speech?

The graduation speech is a commencement speech given by one of the students of the batch. If you are chosen for it then it is your chance to shine and leave a mark on the audience.

You have been preparing for this day ever since you have been told that it is you who would be giving the speech. And the time is here now.

Ideally, your speech should be short but long enough to cover all the important points and ideas. The graduation ceremony is the time to celebrate your success and cherish all the moments and time you had in college.

It is your chance to share your experience and views about spending time in college. And for a good speech, it should have a good balance of humor and seriousness.

Here are the key elements of a graduation speech;

• Accomplishments
• Reflection, and

A good graduation speech must have all of these elements for a greater and everlasting effect.

Graduation Speech Outline and Structure

Here is how to create the outline for your graduation speech;

1. Be Grateful -  Show gratitude and thank the speaker who came before you. Thank your teacher and principal for the work they did for the school and for you.

2. Tell about Yourself -  Introduce yourself and tell the audience about who you are. This includes your full name and class.

3. Begin the Speech with a Quote -  Begin your speech with an inspirational quote or saying. This will set the stage for your speech and it will help you in bringing everyone together also.

4. Share a Good Advice -  Give good advice or share a good thought that you would like to add at this auspicious moment. Address the new students and talk to them about some of the challenges they might have to face.

5. Recollect Good Experiences -  Don’t forget to talk about the good and memorable moments you had in college. Talk about them and how they helped you develop into a better person.

6. Restate the Quote -  Restate the quote that you had begun your speech with and revert back to it. Explain how it is relevant to your speech and ideas.

7. Add a Call to Action -  End the speech with an appropriate call to action for the new students. This will help them in staying engaged and focused.

8. Thank the Audience -  Once the speech ends, thank the audience.

By following this outline, you will be able to create a good outline for your graduation speech.

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How to Write a Graduation Speech - 8 Tips

Here are the top 8 tips to write a great and memorable graduation speech;

1. Begin by Thanking Someone -  This ‘someone’ could be anyone like the parents, teachers, and friends. Thank them for appreciating the role they had played in your development.

2. Do Not Talk about Yourself Excessively -  Yes, we know that you are happy to graduate and to be selected to give the speech but, think beyond it. Talk about your classmates and appreciate their support and presence throughout the tenure.

3. Google other Speeches -  Before writing your own, it is a good idea to Google some other speeches given by famous people. You can also check the speeches of the previous graduates that you may find in the library.

4. Keep it Short -  No one is here for the entire day. This is why make sure that you do not make it unnecessarily lengthy. Stay relevant and try to say more in fewer words.

5. Choose Your Words Carefully -  Do not say anything that you would regret in the coming years. Do not try to call out any fellow student, teacher, or anyone else. It would be a bad decision and one that you would regret afterward.

6. Try to be Inspirational -  Try to inspire your fellow students by sharing your aspirations and the experience life is about to bring in your way. This will inspire them to do something great in their lives.

7. Use the Quotes Sparingly -  Instead of filling your speech with the quotes, use them sparingly and only those that are 100% relevant to your topic. Otherwise, stay original and do not add any quotes.

8. End the Speech with an Important Note -  End your speech with an interesting and inspirational note. Be specific and make sure that you are leaving something valuable for the audience.

By following these steps, you will be able to write your speech properly.

Here is a sample graduation speech for you;

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Graduation Speech Topic Ideas - 2022

Here are some graduation speech ideas and topics for your speech;

• Gratitude - Thank an Important Person in Your Life
• Accomplishments - Talk about a SIgnificant Milestone Your Class Achieved
• Humor - Recall a Humorous Incident or Experience
• Share a Story - Share an Interesting Story
• Convey an Important Message - Impart an Important Message
• Someone Who Inspired You - Talk about Your Teacher or PArent
• Praise Someone - Praise a Classmate or a Friend
• Show Appreciation - Appreciate a Teacher or a Friend
• Talk about Future - Talk about your Future Aspirations
• Thank Someone - Thanks to Your Teacher, Fellow Students, or Parents

Writing a graduation speech is an important part of the graduation ceremony. By following the steps given here, you will be able to write one successfully and on time.

Still, need help? Contact 5StarEssays.com for the best " write my essay " services.

Speech, Literature

Cordon. is a published author and writing specialist. He has worked in the publishing industry for many years, providing writing services and digital content. His own writing career began with a focus on literature and linguistics, which he continues to pursue. Cordon is an engaging and professional individual, always looking to help others achieve their goals.

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Higher Education — Graduation

Essays on Graduation

Graduation is an important milestone in a student's life, and one of the requirements for many graduates is to write an essay. Choosing the right graduation essay topic is critical, as it sets the stage for the entire writing process. The topic should be relevant, engaging, and thought-provoking. It should also allow the student to showcase their knowledge and skills in the chosen field of study. In this article, we will discuss the importance of choosing the right topic, provide advice on how to choose a topic, and offer a detailed list of recommended essay topics, divided by category.

When choosing a graduation essay topic, students should consider their interests, strengths, and goals. They should also consider the requirements of the assignment and the expectations of their instructors. It is important to choose a topic that is narrow enough to be manageable within the scope of the assignment, but broad enough to allow for meaningful analysis and discussion. Students should also consider the relevance of the topic to their field of study and its potential impact on the reader.

Recommended Graduation Essay Topics

Looking for some inspiration for your graduation essay? Below is a list of recommended graduation essay topics, divided by category. These topics cover a wide range of fields of study and are designed to inspire students to think critically and engage with important issues in their chosen field.

Science and Technology

• The impact of artificial intelligence on the future of work
• The ethical implications of gene editing technology
• The role of technology in addressing climate change
• The potential benefits and risks of space exploration
• The impact of social media on mental health

Business and Economics

• The impact of globalization on local economies
• The role of entrepreneurship in economic development
• The future of sustainable business practices
• The impact of automation on the future of work
• The role of corporate social responsibility in business

Health and Medicine

• The impact of technology on healthcare delivery
• The ethical implications of medical research on human subjects
• The role of public health in addressing global pandemics
• The impact of social determinants of health on health outcomes
• The future of personalized medicine
• The impact of technology on the future of education
• The role of standardized testing in educational assessment
• The impact of socio-economic status on educational outcomes
• The future of inclusive education
• The role of teachers in preparing students for the future

Arts and Humanities

• The impact of digital media on the arts
• The role of literature in shaping cultural identity
• The impact of globalization on traditional art forms
• The future of cultural preservation in a globalized world
• The role of the arts in promoting social change
• The impact of World War II on global politics
• The role of women in the Civil Rights Movement
• The significance of the Renaissance in shaping modern society
• The effects of the Industrial Revolution on society
• The causes and consequences of the French Revolution
• The portrayal of women in Shakespeare's plays
• The influence of mythology in modern literature
• The representation of race in American literature
• The use of symbolism in the works of Ernest Hemingway
• The impact of colonialism on African literature

Social Issues

• The role of education in reducing poverty
• The effects of globalization on cultural identity
• The challenges of immigration in the 21st century
• The importance of gender equality in the workplace

Choosing the right graduation essay topic is an important decision that can have a significant impact on the success of the essay. By considering their interests, strengths, and goals, students can choose a topic that allows them to showcase their knowledge and skills while engaging with important issues in their field of study. The recommended essay topics provided in this article cover a wide range of fields of study and are designed to inspire students to think critically and engage with important issues in their chosen field.

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Statement of Purpose (school of Government and Society)

Journey to sociology: music, social change, and academic pursuits, statement of purpose (oral maxillofacial surgery), personal statement, my motivation to get a degree in data science, a look at the factors causing inflation of education in the united states, erika's achievement in college, how i find inspiration in steve jobs' commencement speech, education in the future: a problem of graduation rate, mba vs emba, the reasons why prom is not worth it, the need to eliminate unwritten rules of prom dress code, graduation post: a thankful letter, my high school graduation speech, how this graduate degree can help achieve my career goals, the end of the school year: a reflection, life after high school: setting goals and exploring career options, the significance of prom night: tradition, expectations, and realities, prom and adolescent development: psychological and social implications, what's my plan after graduation, relevant topics.

• College Experience
• Student Loan Debt
• Liberal Arts Education
• Plans After High School
• College Goals
• Bilingual Education
• Academic Interests
• High School
• Studying Abroad

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Yale Daily News

PERSONAL ESSAY: On Graduating in a Pandemic

Contributing Reporter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kalina Mladenova

The New York Times

U.s. | message to graduates: times are tough, but you can make it.

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Message to Graduates: Times Are Tough, but You Can Make It

By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS and STEPHANIE SAUL JUNE 11, 2016

If commencement speeches reflect the times we live in, then this year’s entries point to struggles ahead. Still, there's reason for hope.

If commencement speeches reflect the times we live in, then this year’s entries point to struggles ahead. Still, there’s reason for hope.

Thousands of college graduates across the nation have gathered with families and friends over the past few weeks to mark not just receiving their degree, but a symbolic crossing from childhood to adulthood. Commencement speakers gave them their marching orders.

If commencement speeches reflect the times we live in, then this year’s entries suggest the times are bleak. The common themes are almost biblical. Among them are resilience, overcoming adversity, not fearing failure and taking risks.

But wait, graduates! Take heart, this year’s commencement sages go on to say. Just because you are leaving college in an uncertain job market during one of the most angry and unpredictable presidential election seasons in memory, and are quite possibly destined to return home to live with your parents, it does not mean that you will not ultimately profit from your experience of hardship and self-doubt. Do not give in to the forces of darkness and despair, the speakers urged the Class of 2016, for you will emerge stronger in the end. —ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS AND STEPHANIE SAUL

• ‘Choose Joy and Meaning’

“ For many months afterward, and at many times since, I was swallowed up in the deep fog of grief — what I think of as the void — an emptiness that fills your heart, your lungs, constricts your ability to think or even to breathe.

Dave’s death changed me in very profound ways. I learned about the depths of sadness and the brutality of loss. But I also learned that when life sucks you under, you can kick against the bottom, break the surface, and breathe again. I learned that in the face of the void — or in the face of any challenge — you can choose joy and meaning.”

Ms. Sandberg’s husband died suddenly last year.

Watch the speech

“ When life tells you no, find a way to keep things in perspective. That doesn’t make the painful moments any less painful. But it does mean you don’t have to live forever in the pain. You don’t have to live forever in that ‘no.’

Because if you know what you’re capable of, if you’re always prepared, and you keep things in perspective, then life has a way of turning ‘no’ into ‘yes.’”

“ On May 20, 1961, the same year that President Barack Obama was born, some of us on the freedom rides, black and white college students, arrived in Montgomery, Alabama, at the Greyhound bus station. We were met by an angry mob. We were beaten. We were left bloody. We were left unconscious, some of us. And later, we traveled by bus to Mississippi and other parts of the South where we were arrested and jailed.

We didn’t give up. We didn’t give in. We didn’t lose faith. We kept our eyes on the prize. And as students, as graduates, you must keep your eyes on the prize. You have a moral obligation, a mission and a mandate to do your part. You must play a role, help to redeem the soul of America, help create a beloved America, a beloved world where no one is left out or left behind because of their race or their class.”

“ Make failure part of your narrative and celebrate your rejections, whether you’re speaking on a panel, having dinner with friends, or posting on social media. Let it all hang out. You failed. Everyone fails. Sharing your failures will help us all stop fearing the ‘f word’ and to start celebrating it. No one’s real life looks the way it does on Instagram.”

“ It’s the rest of your life I want to really talk about. With a little luck you folks will probably live for another 70 or so years. Enjoy them, for God’s sake! Don’t bore yourself to death with a dull job or a dull partner. Take some risks — I don’t mean speeding at 90 or doing heavy drugs, but take risks to find an interesting, challenging, perhaps difficult profession. Don’t let money be the primary goal but rather interesting, enlivening activity. … Learn to take a hit now and then, and brush it off.”

“ The truth is, life can put your best-laid plans through the paper shredder. You may never get that dream job — or if you do get that dream job, it may turn out to be a nightmare. But maybe you’re meant to do something else. What seems to you like a catastrophe could be an opportunity.”

• ‘Invest Yourself Fully’

“ The great photographer Robert Capa, who shot some of the most iconic photos of the Second World War, put it this way: ‘If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.’ Now rest assured, parents, the message of your child’s graduation speech is not, ‘Go stand in front of a tank,’ or ‘Go report on a civil war.’ But the message is that if you want to have a deep impact on what matters to you, don’t do things at remove. Invest yourself fully. Get close.

Now, what does that even mean? First, getting close means moving beyond approaching an issue through the screen on your laptop or phone, or the filter of someone else’s interpretation, and instead finding a way to get to know the individuals whose lives are impacted.

“ I remind you, dear graduates, with all that is before you, that you decide to strive to live artfully. It is simpler than you think and is not to be left only to those classmates of yours who have chosen the arts and humanities as their fields of study and proficiency.

You see, art brings us together as a family because it is an individual expression of universal human experience. It comes from that part of us that is without fear, prejudice, malice or any of the other things that we create in order to separate ourselves one from the other. Art makes each of us whole by insisting that we use all of our senses, our heads and our hearts, that we express with our bodies, our voices, our hands, as well as with our minds.”

“ I didn’t realize it, but when I was your guys’ age, I had a belief that who I was and how I thought and how I felt was inherently uninteresting and flawed and not practical. Well maybe they were and maybe they still are. But it wasn’t until I embraced the person that I really was that my work as an actor got really interesting.

I’m not suggesting that you ignore the laws of … the rules of society or the laws of common sense or the actual law or textbooks or manuals or your teachers or your advisers or the internet or all the other sources that are happy to tell you the right and wrong way to go about doing almost everything. Just please be honest with yourself about what you think and how you feel about all of that, what you like and dislike, what angers you or scares you or saddens you or inspires you or delights you. Those feelings are called your instincts, and you ignore them at your own peril.”

“ As you prepare to leave here today, I urge you to draw strength from your inheritance. Never doubt that the smallest step can create the most sweeping change . Go forth into the world and explore the sciences that expand our world, the economies that keep it running and the laws that set us free. But never lose sight of our comrades in humanity on whose behalf we are called to work or the faith that will sustain us through it all. This is my call to you: to find your change and live it.”

“ 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.”

• The Election and the World

“ In this year’s presidential election, we’ve seen more demagoguery from both parties than I can remember in my lifetime. Our country is facing serious and difficult challenges, but rather than offering realistic solutions, candidates in both parties are blaming our problems on easy targets who breed resentment. For Republicans, it’s Mexicans here illegally and Muslims, and for Democrats, it’s the wealthy and Wall Street.

The truth is: We cannot solve the problems we face by blaming anyone. We are all in this together, and we all must be part of the solution. America’s power in the world comes not from the walls we build, but the doors we open, and it comes not from tearing down success, but building up opportunity.”

“ Don’t believe the doubters who claim that we have to make a choice between protecting the environment or growing the economy. That’s a lie. There are millions of jobs to be created, businesses to be built, fortunes to be made in tapping the potential of renewable energy, and I hope that many of you will share in that future.”

“ We also know that the shadows of the past have not completely disappeared. Despite all the progress we’ve made, I know that so many of you still see these shadows every single day. … Maybe it’s when the store you enter into, folks seem to keep an extra close eye on you as you shop. Maybe it’s when you walk down the sidewalk and folks cross the street when they see you coming. … Maybe it’s all those schools that, despite the laws, are still very much separate and unequal, or the criminal justice system that still doesn’t provide truly equal justice for far too many. …

I wish I could say otherwise, graduates, but the question isn’t whether you’re going to come face-to-face with these issues; the question is how you’re going to respond when you do. Are you going to throw up your hands and say that progress will never come? … Or are you going to take a deep breath, straighten your shoulders, lift up your head, and do what Barack Obama has always done? As he says, ‘When they go low, I go high.’”

“ In a year when politicians traffic in anti-immigrant rhetoric, there is also a Broadway musical reminding us that a broke, orphan immigrant from the West Indies built our financial system. A story that reminds us that since the beginning of the great unfinished symphony that is our American experiment, time and time again, immigrants get the job done.”

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