graduation welcome speech
How to Write a Graduation Welcome Speech
Writing a graduation welcome speech doesn't have to be a stressful time. For a valedictorian, being given this opportunity means a huge deal, and Buzzle will help you frame the right speech for the ceremony.
The wonderful and exciting years of school stay with us for the rest of our lives. These years are filled with dedicating your time for studies, attaining knowledge from the teachers and professors, socializing with friends, and making innumerable memories. And when the day arrives where you get to walk on the stage, wearing the cap and gown, it's like no other feeling in this world. A sense of accomplishment hits you and the fact that the world is calling us to make our name, is overpowering.
But before you can face the challenges and find your path, there is one small, yet significant graduation ceremony which you need to attend. Many students look at this ceremony as a rite of passage; an acknowledgment that no one can take away from you. So when you are chosen to give the graduation welcome speech, doesn't the importance of this day increase tenfold? Sure it does. Which is why, you need to be prepared and come up with an unforgettable speech.
Tips on Writing the Graduation Speech
Before we can actually pen down what exactly the speech should include, there are some essential guidelines to consider.
- Make sure your speech is simple, to the point, genuine, and short. You don't want a dragging, long, and boring speech that tires the audience at the beginning of the ceremony.
- Include special thanks to your teachers, professors, and of course, the parents. If you feel that you might forget whom to thank, write down the names of people.
- Understand what message you are trying to send to the audience. Is this speech going to be an informational, inspiring, or entertaining to the audience? Accordingly, you can make a rough draft of the speech and work on it.
- Use simple English and don't over-complicate the sentences. Using complex sentences will only bore everyone and you might just lose the audience's attention.
- Add a joke or a funny incident, if you want, to your speech; but don't try to be funny throughout. Or, you can talk about an important event or incident that occurred in your school and you wanted to audience to remember it.
- Mention the fact that these days are going to be the most memorable and wonderful days of your life. This will give you the platform to talk about the students' future endeavors, goals, and challenges in life.
- Quickly end the speech by bidding the audience a farewell and thank everyone for coming to the ceremony and listening to your speech. Also, it would be a good addition to thank those people behind organizing the event.
In the beginning, welcome everyone to the graduation ceremony on behalf of the entire batch of (year of graduation). Thank the audience (that includes parents, teachers, professors, friends, classmates, and other family members) for joining you all today on this special occasion. Also, ask them if they could be a bit patient before the ceremony commenced and you could share few words with them.
Next, you will talk about the wonderful years you've spent in the school and how these memories will stay with you for the rest of your lives. Here, you can talk about the small incidents in school like eating lunch in the cafeteria, football games, prep rallies, drama club, and sitting in the classes, learning about the outside world. You can even mention a particular teacher/professor who, to you, made the most difference in your life (and of your classmates). Also, mention that all the teachers and professors make an exceptional team, and together they make sure that the students are well taken care of.
In the end, talk about how you all are waiting to see what the future holds. But wherever you all may go, these are the best days of your lives and they are the building blocks of your tomorrow. Thank everyone for coming and making this event a success.
Public speaking isn't everyone's forte. So a good way to relax and calm yourself during the speech: don't think that you're giving some test and you have to pass in it. The audience, people sitting in front of you, are your classmates, friends, and family. They are here to see you all graduate and take a big step towards your futures.