5 Tips to Deliver a Marvelous Valedictorian Speech - Part I

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

High school graduation – among all of the accomplishments that one can achieve in life – is one of the most marvelous turnings of a page that one can pass through in life because it marks the closing of a learning chapter of life that propels the start of a new journey by which one’s unique talents come to life. Graduation is the affirmation that one is beginning their transition from learner to master. It's a moment by which each graduate can say – as one of our colleague’s Class of 2004 said when they graduated, “We can say that we finally made it… great job, everyone! A new journey is about to unfold!”

Thinking about the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that is featured at the beginning of the article, we here at GraduationMall would like to focus this article on the theme of graduation and provide some tips for those who would be preparing a Valedictorian speech for their High School Graduation Class. We know that this speech is one of the most important that can be given throughout all of the high school because it motivates every graduate to face the new journey with pride, courage, and a new sense of proactivity that finds victory over the fear of traveling into the unknown – into something new that naturally seems so… so… magical – but, so real. Let’s get right into what we think are some important aspects of a Valedictorian speech.

Remembering the Moments

One of the greatest ways to start a graduation speech is to remind each graduate of the most impressionable moments of the last 4 years of their lives; whether they are beautiful moments, funny moments, emotional moments, sad moments, or terrifying moments, reminding graduates of these moments helps to reinforce created memories in such a way that it is impossible for them to be forgotten. In addition to reinforcing such memories, these moments also provide the speaker with the opportunity to help each graduate appreciate the times in high school and to look forward to a new chapter in life. Those mutual memories we've preserved together are also prone to lay the foundation for our next encounter.

Pull Examples

Another way to motivate graduates during a graduation speech is to pull examples from high school that get everyone thinking about how they can overcome obstacles in the future. “Do you remember when…” is a good example of getting people to remember those times because it can be used as a catapult to a great “Believe in Yourselves” speech. If students remember past obstacles that they overcame, it'll motivate them to believe in themselves in the future since they will be entering a stage of life that they have never experienced before and will confront obstacles that they will most likely need to overcome. According to the theory of psychologists, people are inclined to more or less bounce back from problems, challenges, personal failures, and setbacks in ways that foster strength and growth. What you have learned from the end of a relationship or the placement rejection over the past four years and honed through persistent practice and discipline may build your resilience and mental toughness.