Valedictory Speech

T

ThomasJ

USMA Class of 2028
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Messages
206
What would you like to hear about as a valedictory speech/address at a graduation? I'm just brainstorming right now and would love some ideas. I want to provide meaningful insight to people, but I'd also like it to be interesting, and maybe not something they've heard before. What have been the best graduation speeches you've heard? Any feedback would be helpful. Thanks.
 
The best speakers are those who understand their audience and tailor the message to them. Therefore, with all due respect, you're asking the wrong people. Take a sampling of your classmates and their interests for a parting theme. Then craft a message that's authentic to you and to them. Best wishes.
 
With all due respect, I disagree. The best valedictorian speeches are those that speak from the speaker's heart, regardless of whether or not the audience or their compatriots agree with the content of the speech.

Be true to yourself and express yourself accordingly. That is all that matters.
 
@FutureAcademyDad?, unclear if your post was in response to mine. Either way, I believe we're saying the same thing. The speaker's message needs to be authentic to them -- and it needs to be of interest to the audience (whether or not they agree with the points made). Cheers!
 
My son thanked family, friends, teachers, administrators, coaches, teammates, and staff for providing him with the foundation to succeed.

He acknowledged and named the enlisted classmates, and asked the audience to give them a round of applause.

He named the top ten students, had them stand, and acknowledged that any one of them would have been worthy of being the valedictorian.

He wished his sister happy 21st birthday which was on that day.

He had people laughing - and asked his classmates to move forward treating people the way they would want to be treated, with an inclusive message.

It wasn’t long and boring.
 
Last edited:
Kierkegaard said:
Don’t talk about yourself, and cap it at 5 minutes.
Click to expand...
Five minutes? Not possible. A female instructor in an education class I took that said: Your speech should be like a woman’s skirt. It should be long enough to cover the essentials yet short enough to be interesting. @ThomasJ, rehearse and time your speech. I think 10-15 minutes is ideal. You'd be surprised how quickly time runs when practicing your delivery. I would also try to find out who the guest speaker is and not speak longer than him or her. Cheers.
 
@Kierkegaard I think hit the nail on the head. You might be Valedictorian, but you got through high school as a class. A personal anecdote or tribute is fine (as we are all people), but it should be focused on the class. Recognizing others is usually a hit. Try maybe thanking people like culinary workers and custodians as they are truly hardworking people and unsung heroes. Shorter is better because people will tune out (especially high schoolers who are one graduation ceremony away from grad parties and a summer full of memories before friend groups part ways).

I'd say practice for 10 minutes at most. Don't be the person who says "I'll keep it short" and then they are just starting to dive into the meat of the speech at minute 20. Make sure to give your speech in front of a couple people before doing it. It can sound great on paper, but it might sound odd out loud. Something reads weirdly, a joke won't land, etc. Also, you will have nerves on game day. People tend to speak a little quicker. If you are like 10:30-11:00, then you will be fine.

Also for subject matter, I would challenge people to think critically about the world and how they can better it and not just their own standing. Nothing is gained from relying solely on one's world view and going about life with no care about the greater community rather that be one's family/friends, city, county, state, country, the international community, or the earth itself.
 
Quote Dickens, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness blah, blah, blah

Just kidding, don't do that. Congrats to your school though for not canning the valedictorian in the name of equity.

The words for your speech will come to you. Don't overthink it. Just have a conversation with your classmates and acknowledge the parents, teachers, etc. Let us know how it went.
 
Devil Doc said:
Quote Dickens, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness blah, blah, blah

Just kidding, don't do that. Congrats to your school though for not canning the valedictorian in the name of equity.

The words for your speech will come to you. Don't overthink it. Just have a conversation with your classmates and acknowledge the parents, teachers, etc. Let us know how it went.
Click to expand...
My son made it a point to mention the staff - the janitors and lunch ladies loved him. The janitors would let him shoot in the gym when it was closed, and the lunch ladies gave him generous servings.
 
WT Door said:
Five minutes? Not possible. A female instructor in an education class I took that said: Your speech should be like a woman’s skirt. It should be long enough to cover the essentials yet short enough to be interesting. @ThomasJ, rehearse and time your speech. I think 10-15 minutes is ideal. You'd be surprised how quickly time runs when practicing your delivery. I would also try to find out who the guest speaker is and not speak longer than him or her. Cheers.
Click to expand...
5-10 minutes is the sweet spot. 15 is long for a student speaking at a high school graduation. Frankly nobody cares what the valedictorian has to say except his or her family. The graduates are there to please their families who are there to celebrate a milestone in a loved one’s life. Less is more. And as Mark Twain supposedly said (or didn’t say), “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead”.
 
Tell them what Elizabeth Taylor said to her husbands, "Don't worry, this won't last very long."
 
Rach3 said:
Tell them what Elizabeth Taylor said to her husbands, "Don't worry, this won't last very long."
Click to expand...
When President Carter spoke at my USNA graduation, this is how he put it when he recalled his own graduation from USNA.

We had a distinguished speaker, Adm. Chester Nimitz. As will be the case with you, I don't remember a word he said.

My one hope was that the graduation services would be brief. As will be the case with you, I was disappointed.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top