You are reminding me more of the speech I heard at the end of an undergrad year more than the end of high school. Oh yea. I skipped high school grad because I hated high school with a depth of emotion I have rarely known in any other context.

Robin MacNeil formerly of the PBS news spoke. He advised us all in 1984 to take time off before starting a career. Travel. Goof off. The parents in the audience got very ruffled. "I never had to take time off" bloated cardiac candidates were heard to say later over the cheese trays.

Best advice - refuse the honour once elected to the postition.

I must disagree with you, as an individuals graduation from highschool is "really important" and is the "end of something spectacular".

Many people decide against a university education and have high school as their most meaningful education, so graduation for them is important. I would have to believe that individuals looking back on highschool with thoughts of graduation as neither important or spectacular are those same individuals that are unable to make up their minds on post-secondary education and career ambitions.

I believe high school to be equally important as any degree I have ever recieved.

So for the individuals that have goals to attain, highschool is an important first-step and is the end of something spectacular.

Booo. For the 96% of students not on student council, the band or the basketball team it was a burden to get over with. All I could think of was "ba-bye". Just an opportunity for a glory days "40 yard touch-down" kind of story to bore the kids with years from now if not kept in perspective.

I was in band and on the basketball team (not student council) and I was very glad highschool was over when the time came. I agree with each and every one of Dan's points. Particularly not taking yourself too seriously and avoiding those hilarious clichés

High School, like anything, is what you make of it. The trappings of High School are there to be enjoyed or despised as you see fit. I agree that the best advice for a valedictorian is to be yourself. Being valedictorian is an opportunity to express yourself, just like a poem or a song. (I think you can view Avril Lavigne's work as an ongoing "alternative" valedictory address). So express yourself to your colleagues the best way you can.

My only request is that you do not, no matter how uninspired you are feeling, quote the majority of "Oh The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss as the bulk of your speech. Think I'm crazy? It happened at my sister's graduation Thursday night.

For a fine example (not a valedictory address, but a commencement speech - close enough), see the <a href="http://www.february-7.com/features/conan.htm" title="Commencement Speech to the Havard Class of 2000 by Conan O'Brien">Commencement Speech to the Havard Class of 2000 by Conan O'Brien</a>.

That was good Steven. However, as Harvard commencement speeches go, my favorite remains Bono's.

The only thing valedictorian speeches do for me is make me sleepy and bored. Speeches suck. The only good speech was the freedom speech by Mel Gibson in Braveheart... or maybe the one by Jack Nicholson in Mars Attacks. "Can't we all just get along?"

I was actually very impressed by the speech given at my High School graduation that earned the standing ovation. However the complete opposite happened 3 years later at my sisters graduation when the speech entirely consisted of tears and only talking about her best friends.

This advice is great. But i am only in grade 8, and i am the valedictorian this year. i was wondering if anyone had anyideas about the speach i have to say. If you do can you please e-mail me at jennypooh2016@hotmail.com and make the subject valedictorian. Your help is greatly appreatiated

i need to write i speech any ideas yooooou all can share with me??

Did you delete me? I posted an inspired reply (Ithought). Well done Dan. I wish I had your courage when I was in grade 12; I had your brains, but the package wasn't as well bound :-)

<p>No Kevin, I didn't delete you :-). You had replied to another related post. Thank you so much for the compliments. I'm not quite sure I'm as unique as you say I am, history will tell.</p>

<p>For those of you interested - this post is getting viewed by approximately 25-35 valedictorians an hour.... The Internet is an amazing thing.</p>

I think what was meant to be said is that you are eunuch.

Wow, I was afraid of using cliches in my valedictorian speech, but I guess even what I thought wasn't predictable really is! Whoa, time to rework my thoughts.
I find this all quite amusing though, so many desperate students searching for ideas and so little resources available. At least I know what NOT to do... :)

Writing a speech for graduation is really hard. Maybe mine will be all cliches... totally unoriginal. In fact, I think I'll try to use all of them that were listed. Every one might hate the speech, but like it says.. high school is not a big deal and I probably won't ever see most of the people who hear my speech again after a few months. I just want to get through the speech and to the grad parties!

ok, ok...ive probably got the worst case of procrastination. but i have 2 days to prepare my speech and i (heavenforbid) am at a complete loss for words. i, like probably every other person who's visited this page, want a truly original speech. has anyone heard or thought of a topic or approach that really caught your eye? please email me as soon as possible, i really appreciate any help you can offer. thanks, Stacey.

I completely empathize with you, stacey and jp. I want my speech to be original, memorable, AMAZING...but i can't think of anything to say that would make it so.

I'm starting to think that being class valedictorian is more of a curse than a blessing.

It is ironic that i find the complete opposite of the advice i was given by my teacher. She said to use those cliche's, and be very positive, but the thing is, i have so much angerthat i want to express. So im stuck.. I dont know what to say in my speech, but my main goal is not to bore my friends... which is kinda hard cause i kinda have a mono-tone voice. Mah.. i agree with jessica here...

Wow, i need help. I have a couple weeks to write my valedictorian speech, and i simply dont know where to begin. People keep telling me to come up with a "theme", such as relating our class to lighthouses or paint palets and such, but to me, this seems too serious, too unlike me, and just way too fake in general, and it's not something i necessarily want to do. I want my speech to be semi-serious. Like you said, the end of high school is not the end of the world, but it is still and ending. I want a speech people will want to listen to, rather than fall asleep during it. Please help me, and give me a few ideas of how to begin the speech, i think i'll be fine from there. Please email me at Lissa2242@aol.com, with the subject as "valedictorian speech". THANKS!

Wow...seems like I'm not the only one in need of help for a valedictorian speech. I was informed I was giving a speech yesterday and have less than a week to write one. I'm co-valedictorian of my high school so I have this extra pressure on plus there's supposed to be more than 3,000 people in attendance. Any advice would be more than helpful. (I'll try not to quote Dr. Suess).

hi yvonne, monkeys rule! (yes i am a valedictorian, hard to believe i know)

It's funny, the first thing my mother recommended me doing when she found out I was validictorian was to quote that Dr.Seus book.

my situation is worse... my speech is due in 14 hours and I haven't started!

*checking watch* I'll be delivering mine for the student body and principle during class night practice in about... oh... 12 hours or less. Wish me luck on at least starting it. Thanks for the tips though, I think they'll help a lot.

ive got a little while untill i deliver my speech and im still pretty much just about done, all i need is the finishing touches and generic comedy would be apperciated
thx

I have a really strange, kind of off the wall, type of question; I need to give my senior valedictorian address, but I'm a class of one. I am homeschooled and live in Japan, but I will be graduating on the 7th and have many American friends attending from the US bases around us. Most are either seniors, younger students or adults curious about a 'class of one' graduation. I am very nervous. Any thoughts or tips about speaking generally to an audience?? Thanks...

sugar coating sucks, i will now remember my school year of how much i hated changing my speech to my teacher's liking

>_> Wow, I thought I had it bad.....I have a week or so to write the speech up. >_< My teacher told me, this morning, that you're supposed to have three parts, greetings, body, and good bye. Unfortunately, she just said that I should be as creative as possible with the body part, which is very elaborate (note sarcasm here). Does anyone have any idea what the body is supposed to be?

[jessica [9:04 PM June 2, 2003]
I completely empathize with you, stacey and jp. I want my speech to be original, memorable, AMAZING...but i can't think of anything to say that would make it so.
I'm starting to think that being class valedictorian is more of a curse than a blessing.]

Very true.

thank you for your tips and advice, i made a speech that made people laugh, and a lot of people liked it, i couldn't have done this without starting from your advice, i would have liked it more if i didnt have to revise it to be sugarcoated.... "graduate with reluctance" my as$

Oh my god!!! i have to write a stupid speech and i have no idea where to start!!!! Jessica... you said it straight up!! this is a curse!! not a blessing!!! uugghhh... o well... anyone... please... i neeed the help!!!

Don't try to make it special just make it personal. Talk about experiences you had as a class not just about you and your friends. Its more interesting if you base your speech on something you experianced personally than if you base your speech on a quote or a book by Dr. Seuss.

The time on this thing is wromg

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH help i don't know what to write about i need help!!!!! i need to ty 3 themes into one speech and they have nothing to do with each other!

Hey JN. The times listed are listed in the timezone I'm in AST.

dan james rules!

Dan James may rule but don't lend him string or matches...just don't, ok.

Hey, I'm from Nova Scotia in Canada, and i need a speech for the 26th of June and I find it really hard to start. Anyone have any ideas for starting a speech, cliche's or not. Thanks!

Whoa, I'm surprised by the number of the western world's finest that stopped this way. Alas, I too have to go through the drudgery of this so-called "wonderful opportunity" Unfortunately, I have until wednesday to come up with something and all I've got appears to be a script for a two-bit stand up comedy routine. This might or might not be a good thing, judging by the tips given above. ^.^ At any rate, thanks for the list of cliches, I'm planning on using every single one in a paragraph at the beginning to 'break the ice' so to speak. This should be fun. Good luck to the rest of you, I know exactly how you feel!

I have to give a valedictory speech this week and I'm nowhere near finished. What am I supposed to say to a group of people I don't care for? "Good evening class of 2003, I sincerely hate you. Thank you"? No, that doesn't seem quite appropriate. The advice about honesty is quite useful, though.

graduation is tonight. i started my speech this morning. talk about procrastination. i know i know. but then again, i wonder if anyone's going to listen, and if they do, will they remember the words that i will speak tonight. i highly doubt it. but then again, who knows? but this site really helped. very cool.

Wow...this has so much great info. i'm the high school valedictorian and i have till friday for my first draft. I too want it to be memorable, amazing, funny while being serious, and one people will truly admire. but it's so hard. I need to find a theme but i have no idea where to start. I need to talk to a million different sort of people while making them a whole... how is this thing possible? i totally agree with this maybe being a curse... but good luck with ur speeches everyone... now with something nice said about other how about some help! ;) please e-mail me with ur speech for inspiration or ideas to help me out! that would be great! thanks guys and this is a great post! ~Alexandra P

Here's a pretty good commencement speech by Jonah Goldberg of the National Review:

http://www.nationalreview.com/goldberg/goldberg.asp

wow- so many valedictorians seem to be procrastinators!! (how'd they ever manage to end up with such great grades?)

Valedictorians don't necessarily have great grades. Some of us just won a popularity contest...

where is valedictorian a popularity contest? i never heard of that? how does it work? anywho...this page is great..i'm going to use all the cliches...

Hello everyone out there. I'm in grade seven and yes I do realise that going from grade 7 to grade 8 is not a big deal but it is to me and my class mates. I was chosen as valedictorian and to say the leats I was exstatic. I am having alot of trouble you see because everyone EVERYONE says ooo in Kindergarten we blah blahed and I find that so BLAH so ive decided to do a little soemthing different like reminice about my friends yet also have to talk about my teahcers, i am quite confuised and if anyone could help me PLZ E-MAIL ME!!! thankyou so much, farrah

This really helped me a lot. I am in grade eight and chosen for this years valedictorian, however I was wondering if anyone had some ideas for valedictorian speeches for grade 8 and not high school. Thank you very much, and if you have any information please e-mail me at, got2dancelil@hotmail.com and please title it something to do with valedictorian. Thanks once again!!! =)

I'd first like to say that this site is awesome, and great help. But, the other day I was chosen to be valedictorian of my school. Everyone thinks that I should be really excited and honoured, but I'm really not all that excited. I mean, it's great to have been chosen, but I'm only in grade 8, and have only attended my school for 2 years. My mind is blank. I have no idea what to write about. If anyone has any ideas or examples of grade 8 valedictorian speeches, it would be greatly appreciated if you could email them to me. Thanks for all the help!

hey ppl my speech is due in o about 14 hours and all i have so far is a quote to end it with..:S:S
---->?"Yesterday is but a vision, and tomorrow is only a dream. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a dream of hope."

what do u think? cheezy? or ok?

hey ppl my speech is due in o about 14 hours and all i have so far is a quote to end it with..:S:S
---->?"Yesterday is but a vision, and tomorrow is only a dream. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a dream of hope."

what do u think? cheezy? or ok?

hi i was wondering if u could give me help for my grade 6 grad speech cuz i have no idea what to write!

hi it's me again pleaz write soon i need it for 2morow for my teacher 2 see

Hey, tomorrow is when the final decision for the class valedictorian is made. Boy, am i nervous! Being valedictorian has been my mindset ever since the 8th grade started. I think an elementary school valedictorian is an accomplishment, and high school valedictorian is the highest honour anyone can give you. If you are set aside as an example in scholarship and involvement for others to follow, that is something that you should take the greatest pride in. Maybe i am getting a little ahead of myself. I am not yet my class valedictorian, but i have worked hard and i believe that my hard work and involvement in my school community deserves to be recognized. I know i may sound that i am coming off as a little drastic, but to be known school wide and set aside as accomplishing something 99% of the class that didn't, is something i consider very special.

Hey! I have to write my valedictorian speech and I need a little advice on what I should talk about. One person says memories and another says future? What should it be?

Hey! I forgot to say i need my speech to hand in in two days!

hey, thx dan, great site.I think perhaps I will chek out the dr Seuss book meself tonite

Hey, I was just elected valedictorian today and have now started thinking about my speech I must give. To be honest, I don't agree with your comments about high school being insignificant. Easy for you to say since you're out and onto bigger and better things. But, when high school is the only thing you have, it certainly means a great deal to you. I would say to you, try to look at high school in perspective from when you were there and not where you are now! Anyway, those "cliche" lines of yours were very similar to what I had in mind for my own speech. Cliche as they may, it's what you get with a valedictorian speech. I most likely will continue with those very lines and thanks for mentioning some that I had forgot about. I stress to all potential or elected valedictorians to do the very same thing as I will be doing. As I stated at the beginning of this message, high school may not appear significiant when you're older, but it's what you have now and it's something important to you. I congratulate all elected valedictorians, it's an honour to represent your student body. Use those cliche lines in a tasteful manner and remember the reason they have become cliche is because they work. Best of luck to you all!

Hi Christopher,
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate the honesty. You are correct, to many high schoolers high school is VERY significant. I don't mean to cheapen the significance of it for those who think that. What I was trying to get at though is that in high school many people have a perception (i didn't) that high school is very important in the all encompassing sense of the word. I personally don't think that it is. Good luck with your speech, cliches and all :-)!

I've been working on mines for the whole night and when my sister read it she said it sucked! I'm only in grade 8 and I was chosen to be Valedictorian, which I never had planned to get! I took your advice, Dan about being honest but my sister said I shouldn't give the people everything they want! I was very honest in my speech and she just told me to give the speech to her and she'll write it! It seems to me that rather then allowing me to be Valedictorian, she's doing it for me!! I'm sooo defenseless since she's in University! What should I do?

Christina,
I'm sure your sister has good intentions. I'm also fairly certain that she'll add a lot of good ideas to your speech. You should work with her to mix her good ideas with your good ideas. Don't just let her rewrite the whole thing for you. Then, at the end of the process, you'll have a speech that will be better than if you just worked on it by yourself. In grade 8 I wouldn't worry too much about the advice I listed above. Make sure you have fun Christina. Make some jokes while being honest. You've got some great years ahead. Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

Hey everyone, I was just recently chosen to deliver the valedictory address at my high school commencement. I was so excited about it, but as i was trying to think of what to write, it became evident that this remarkable distinction is in fact extremely difficult to commence. I have been told that I am an above average public speaker, so the delivery of the speech will be as easy as pie. What i'm worried about is the content. Now, i'm from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and in my wierd province, our high schooling goes to grade 13 instead of 12. graduation takes place in grade 12 however because only a handfull of grade 12's go to OAC (gr. 13). (OAC is only taking if one wihes to go to university). This year, OAC has been eliminated; so, our class is the first class to actually leave school after grade 12 when every other year, the students would see each other again in September. This is the point i wish to stress the most. I desperately need some help in starting and finishing with a bang. can someone please email me at robertdtesta@hotmail.com or rtesta@uwo.ca wih some help (i probably wont look at this message board again. sorry, exams are close and i gotta study) thanx for all the help!!

I hid my sis speech for me but I'm not sure if i should give it back. She made me cry yesterday with this whole " your speech sucks thing!" And my teacger sent me home because she thought i had pink eye, and its all because my eyes were swallon because of my sister! i don't know if I should join her thoughts with mines because when I read out the speech people would kno that I didn't write it!

it was a good prant i pulled, but she ended up finding it! After 2hours we took your advice dan, and it worked! thanks

Hey Dan!! ur sites great!! :) i luv it since im the valedictorian and im so completly lost. Im in grade 8 and badly need suggestions! All is aprrectiated! THANK-YOU!! PLEASE REPLY EVERY1 AND TITLE IT GRAD OR VALEDICTIORIAN!!! LUV Y'ALL

Hi; I need a valedictorians speach. I don't know how to write it. I complete my Echo cardiograph course . It was 2 year program. I am the valedictorian in the class. So I have to speak. So please send one valedictorian speach for me as soon as possible. Thank you jinu

Thankyou for all the advice , i disagree with it somewhat though....my highschool is very different , and so am i , no better then anyone else , just different. I look like and do have a disability , but have strived to be noticed for my talents and have done so , i have a huge groop of friends , party and drink(yes , teenagers do, do this!) every weekend , i have broken theater boundaries and have been in 12 productions school wise and proffessionally , students council , spirit co ordinator, announcements guy , these are my traits and experiences i am leaving behind!...so to say a speech like the one i have to make does not have to be spectacular is kindof an insult towards those (like me) who do have expectations to live up to. My advice to everyone is we all have made am impact on the school we are leaving behind , small or large , our mark is there. some cliches are exceptable to put in your speech and some arent ..it all depends on wether it is really coming from YOU , and not from the net or someone elses words. im planning on using a few inspirational quotes , pretty normal right...follow my lead if you are not in my city..(thunderbay)..and have as many (suggest five) people you feel impacted the school aswell with you , to stand up and say a quote they wrote or found that coinsides with your speech one after another or sparacticley throughout your speech. this incorperates some of your class and makes the speech not all about you because it should be their moment too right?! good luck to all! im ready to blow everyones minds , go do the same..be yourself and thats enough!

HELP ME! MY SCHOOL JUST TOLD ME TODAY (MONDAY,23/03) THAT I WOULD BE THE VALEDICTORIAN TOMORROW NIGHT!?!?!! OF COURSE I FILPPED AND DECOIDED TO START ON IT STRAIGHT AWAY, BUT THE COMPUTER DELETED MY SPEECH, I WAS TOO MAD WHEN I WAS WRITING MY SPEECH I DONT REMEMBER ANYTHING I SAID IN IT.... HELP ME NOW!! please, write me back today, or early tomorrow... PLEASE! you could save me from a possibly very embarassing moment up there on the staqge in front of all those people (350 students graduating :S)
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH,
Amanda ConwAY

I am the valedictorian for my graduating class of grade twelves. I think I have a general idea of what to write, but it's hard to put it down so eloquently on paper. I want to make my speech funny and exciting; I do not wish to make anyone cry- from boredom or otherwise. Also, I've only been at this particular school for two years, whereabouts, the other graduates have been together since elementary school! I'm not sure how I can go and write about vivid memories the class shared together when I have no idea what they are. Anyway, I have to hand in a rough copy of my speech tomorrow for the rehearsal, and I haven't even started writing yet. Procrastination is my worst adversary. Good luck to all the other valedictorians out there!

Wow this is a crazy site. Yeah I wrote my speech already unlike some unluckies out there but yeah it was hell. Damn... me and the saluditorian both agreed that the speech almost seems like a punishment or something lol.. Like i kno its supposed to be an honor and all but like.. theres so much pressure. wow. Everybody - parents- kids - coming up to me like Yo I cant wait to hear your speech! In approx 14 hours im a gonna be doing my speech. So for all those nervous valedictorians out there I think the best mindset is to realize that this really isnt THAT importnat and in 3 months for real you prolly wont see these people anymore.

After my speech im gonna post it on my xanga site - my sn is Infectiouslikewo
For those people out there with no idea what to write about -
1. stay away from politics and religion
2. u can go with reminicising with the class and such - its safe i guess
but not all too original or interesting
3. most good speeches have an unoriginal inspirational theme but done in an original way
4. talk to people for ideas - talk to everybody - parents/friends/peers/teachers
if i think of anything else - ill post again
for now - GOOd LUCk - know what ur going through - lol

Hey fellow valedictorians,

My graduation is after the school year for some odd reason. It will be held in October of 2003. I have decided to not procrastinate on this valedictory address, despite the fact that I do on everything else. It is a highschool address. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to send me their former valedictorian speeches if a copy is available. If you would be kind enough to send it to me, it would not in ANY way be plagarized or copied. It would purely be for viewing pleasure and possibly for some direction. Thank you so much.

Hello;

I am a 41 year old mature student and have been taking a course in Business and Computer Technology for the past five months at a local Business College. We will be graduating next month and today the director asked me to be the valedictorian and to give a speech at graduation.

My class has 16 students and we are all between the ages of 26 and 56. Most of the students have children and there are only two men in the class. I personally like the idea that the students choose their own valedictorian but in this school the teachers vote based on the marks, work ethic and attitude of the students. They want me to work with one of the teachers on staff to proofread my speech. I think they are afraid someone will say something that will reflect negatively on the school.

I feel honored to have been chosen but do not like the idea of making a 10 minute speech for this small group. I am afraid that my class mates will be bored to tears. Also I do not feel that I would be the person selected if my classmates were given the opportunity to vote on this subject. Although I have worked very hard to be friendly and to help others, I have the feeling that I am resented at times for my high marks.

I would appreciate any advice or feedback that anyone has to offer.

Thank You,
Deanna

The only advice I can really give about a speech is there should be some personal memories and feelings in there. Your valedictorian speech should be for your school and not read as if it could represent any school. Once you write, just think about the little things, and the humour will come.

Thank you for your advice. The Director wants me to write an inspiratonal speech and another students will be speaking to thank the teachers and to say something about the members of our class. I guess I have to stop worrying about what everyone else wants me to write and just get down to it.

Thanks,

Deanna

hi, i am graduating in june 2004 and i am pretty sure i am going to be awarded valedictorian and i have not a clue what to write. i know it's early and i have the whole year yet to write but i want it to be THE BEST!!! what should i write about? last years valedictorian wrote about how she thanks her mom and dad even though they are separated and stuff. it was sad and very touching. should i write something like that? i need help so if anyone could try help me my email address is tightbroad@excite.com

Hey Everyone,
I am my University Valedictorian and could use some advice. Is there any really great themes that people have used that have permiated the entire speech? What works? What does not work?

I NEED ADVISE ON A VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH AT MY COLLEGE PLEASE E-MAIL ME, THANKS.

ADVICE: DON'T SPEAK IN CAPS.

Hi. I am valedictorian this year and exprienceing the same problem as you guys. Can anyone PUH-LEESE e-mail me their speech. I was thinking of using it as a guide. any tips or ideas? Your help will be GREATLY appreciated. The email is rl124@hotmail.com. Put it under the subject "Valedictorian speech." Thank you. :)

Oh! I think I kinda suck in public speaking, so can you please advise me on that to?

Hi, I am valedictorian for my school and have to deliver my speech on Friday (Nov. 7). I actually think I have a pretty good speech, the only problem is I can't think of a good opening. If anyone has any ideas, I would really appreciate seeing them. Please send them to south_paw7@yahoo.com with subject 'Valedictorian Speech'. Thank you very much.

I've been elected as the valediactorian at my college, and there will be about 200 people there, and this is my first speech ever. Can anyone give me any ideas on a theme or anything else in that matter. Please email me with your ideas at abbott_bc79@yahoo.ca.

Well... first I was stuck for ideas... now I'm scared of my ideas. Everyone says to do something really original, my problem/question is how original do we go? As a drama student, it was been suggested to me to take a real dramatic spin on my Valedictorian speach (due in a week, egads), and turn it into an Absurdism piece (for those of you who don't do Drama, Absurdism is really quite bizarre and out-there and tends to have an almost pessimistic outlook). My fear is that no-one in the audience (except the drama students) will have a clue what I'm doing, and just look at me like I'm some sort of idiot. Then again, I don't want to be boring. A little Help?

Hey Snow. My personal opinion is that "acting" something may not go over too well. People can usually tell when someone has planned to act. Most crowds and people respond to people being real and saying what they actually think. If you can say what you actually think in a neat way, I think people will understand that. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

Well... I've already sent an e-mail to Dan, talking about what i thought of his piece of advice. I do agree with great part of it, but about the clichés, there are some of them that we just can't get rid of. What if high school has indeed been something unforgetable? What if there's nothing else to substitute the cliché. Avoiding is helpful, but there's got to be some tolerance on it. I guess i haven't used any of these key sentences and that was the more original i could get out of my brains. I hope i'll manage to draw ppl's attention, which is quite hard for the Valedictorian. Deep breaths is all i'll need, for i'm a graduate at an English course and speaking a foreign language in front of hundreds of people might be scary.

December 6, 2003
Hello Mr. Dan,
I am writing for a different matter than what has been said and replied in this website: http://www.ceoblues.com/archives/2003/may/valedictorians
I have 3-daughters, Class 12, 10 and 6. My eldest is doing comparatively well as of now and wishes to be enrolled in any modest college in USA, Canada or any other developed world.
She will appear her Higher Secondary School Certificate Examination by the middle of 2004. Could you please let me know how I can send my daughter to one of the colleges in one of the "developed" countries of the world?
Look forward to ehar from you at your convenience.
Best wishes from Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Muhammad Hafiz Ullah
CEO & Managing Director
SLS (PVT) LTD.
24 Station Road, Tejgaon,
Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh
HP: +88 0171 594153, 011-842547
PH: +88 02 9121977, 8116991
FAX: +88 02 8119232, 9131405
E-mail: info@sls-bd.com
URL1: http://www.sls-bd.com/
URL2: http://www.citechco.net/sls/

hi im being selected as a valedictorion from my dept n now nothing abt it i just caught the sight of ur sight so how can u guide me in it? waiting for ur reply soon
tahira

My school does the whole valedictorian selection thing different and instead of being chosen, you get to audition for it! I'm graduating in 2004, but my speech is due for the audition in about two weeks. The advice I've read so far is awesome (Bono's commencement speech is really good) and now I'm seriously considering putting some personal experiences in my speech (I didn't want to at first cuz I thought that'd be pretty self-indulgent and boring). I might keep you guys posted on how it goes.

Hey all. Haha this is funny cuz I'm in the same boat as Miss Vincci there, we're competing actually. Yes we audition to be selected for valedictorian. Since I was a wee little girl I've wanted to be this special speaker with such an honour. Sure it's hard and time consuming and it'll be picked over, and sure I probably will get my dreams crushed and not win, but it's worth a try. I know I will regret it if I don't try and even though I had one day to write it and it kind of really sucks, I'm still handing it in and still auditioning....I just hope I don't lose my dignity.

wheres stupid people

I find it sort of ironic that valedictorians need help writing valedictorian speeches. Advice? Be truthful, and talk about what you have learned, and if your education to this point has helped at all.

If I were making the speech, I'd probably talk about manual transmissions.

I'm a little confused... I thought valedictorians are the ones with the highest grades in a graduating class. For example, I rank 1 out of 700 people in my graduating class. Therefore, I am known and will put on scholarship applications, etc, that I am the "valedictorian" of my highschool. Since when have people been 'elected' or auditioned for the spot? It is supposed to be something one has worked for, not who wrote the best speech.

I believed it was that way also, Sara. And the dictionary backs me up on that!

Wah wah, stop whining, just because my school does it differently doesn't mean you can complain about how "wrong" it is. Wowee, so your school just pulls out the smartest kid and tells them to write something, that's great. I think it's also great the way my school does it though, because by auditioning and having a panel of teachers and students vote, you get a person that might be a better reflection of the graduating class. Not everyone with the highest marks in school can write a good speech, or are a good speaker. If they can, well then, they'll win anyway, wouldn't they?

Hey, I guess I shouldn't be too stressed out about my valedictorian speech, since I have to give it in two months. Nevertheless, I have no idea where I should start, besides those cliches that you mentioned. There will be like three valedictorians, so we will inevitably be compared. Also, we have a huge school, so there will probably be around 3000 people at graduation. So I gotta make this pretty good. I would appreciate any input you could give. Thanks!

I completely agree with Dan. I'm soluditorian this year, and my friend, Amy (valedictorian) and I are going to give a speech together. We really have no idea what to talk about. Personally, I hate high school and I can't wait to be out of here. There is nothing good about this place, and I'm not terribly excited about graduation (just the graduating part). If anybody has any possible interesting topics that I could use, would you please e-mail me. I'd really appreciate it. thanx.

I'm a great writer..or so I'm told. I'm supposedly so "creative". Well, my valedictorian speech is due in less than two weeks..and all I have down is a lot of mumbo jumbo. Where's that creativity now?? I think high school is an important part of life...but it definitely isn't the most important and it sure the heck isn't the "best years of your life". I wish I could say how I really feel in my speech..if I could I would say..I've hated this school since the first day I set foot on campus. I can't stand half of my classmates and I'm ready to get the **** out of this place. We had some good times..and yeah it's kinda sad to say goodbye. In a few years, I won't even think about you. Anybody got any ideas of how I can incorporate that into my speech without getting suspended from school???!! l0l >:)

I have chosen to try to be the valedictorian for my school , but i have noe ideas on what to do ..........can u pleasse help me

hi i am a university valedictorian and like most of you have left the speech writing until two weeks before to start writing. this site has been a real eye opener and i have to say that after reading about all of the "things NOT to say" i don't feel that iam a very worthy graduate speaker.
as valedictorian of a business school i will be speaking on behalf of students from 4 different degrees (not to mention MBA's PhD's etc). for this reason i don't feel that it is very appropriate for me to speak about personal experiences as many of those i am representing i have never met and will never relate to. what would then be a good angle for me to take? any help would be most appreciated. should i use a theme?

I think what we need to do is have a website full of good observational jokes about general hihg school. Then we can look through them and say yeah that ones hilarious, and i see how it fits exactly into what happened at my school, and then we can make it our own. I beleive they call that plaigarism.. but the world is built on plaigarism, if no one plagiarised there wouldnt be any original shows on tv, like survivor, then the bachelor, then fear factor, or Ordinary joe.. yeah all thoes original things.. haha, yeah, screw originality.. what people want is something funny. Serious stuff is boring, and since no one cares anyway try to make everyone laugh their asses off.
My advice is, that if you feel touched by what you are saying.. no one gives a shit. Not to say that that kinda stuff isnt good, but keep that between you and your girlfriend.
Second. If you have a 5 minute speech you need five funnny things.. maybe not laugh my ass off funny, but huh thats funny, funny.. and if you can make them laugh my ass off funny then go for it!
Also, you wont miss anyone.. if you like them well enough to miss them then your gonna keep in touch with them in some respect.
you know the stuff you talk about with your friends in the halls, you knwo the nonsence stuff thats just hillarious.. bring some of that upo, maybe not everyone gets it, but they do.. and if its good, you can subtly fill in everyone else as to what your talking about, and thats how memories work..
Hey, you know what.. this long speech i gave you gave me ideas.. thanks... umm me thank me, haha na, your ideas are alos good.. yeah i wont quote dr seuse.. ill quote joe dirt, life is a garden.. DIG IT,

Wow, this site was, agreed, a total eye-opener. Thanks for starting it. My school, like a few of the others above, has an election-type process for valedictorian. I believe that some schools do it this way because the person with the highest grades may not neccessarily be the most comfortable addressing over 2000 (or however many) people on graduation night. We haven't held our elections yet, although I suspect they will be announced soon and I am planning to run. The hard part for me is that we have to give a speech just to get elected. Not our valedictorian speech, ANOTHER SPEECH! I'm finding this one really difficult to write because I keep looking at it as saying a speech about giving a speech. Thats weird to me and I don't know how to approach this idea. I don't know if I'll be elected yet, although I hope I will be, but if I am, then I'll worry about the actual valedictorian speech when that time comes, lol, or as most people have said above, the night before. :) Not that that is a bad thing, some people work best under pressure. If anyone has any suggestions for me, please e-mail them to me. Thanks in advance for your time, anything would be appreciated.

that is a very interesting way of going about it. you seem to have a way with words that some people will never quite understand.

hey all, my name is Gail and i was chosen to be this years valedictorian of Jr. High. i have no idea what to write about and have a while (until march 13) to get my speach ready for the audience. i really would like ur opinions. u can e me at gdflybaby@yahoo.com. plz and thank u.

I was the valedictorian of the class of 2000 at my school. It was a great experience. I went to a lot of honors events and I got a scholarship to a university. I hope you all have as much fun as I did.

I was valedictorian in elementary school and high school. They were excellent experiences. I hear that some schools are going to get rid of the tradition of picking valedictorians. What do you all think? Would this be fair? I know that they are doing this because of the competition, but at my school, no one was competing to become the valedictorian. It just happened. I also heard that at my school, there could not be two valedictorians. Who can help if their GPA is exactly the same as another student's??? What are some of the other systems of picking? Please post information.

Hey, I just wanted to thank whoever's site this is. It helped me out a lot. I was just recently named Salutatorian at my HS (I kinda slacked off senior year and knew I wouldn't get Valedictorian...:).

Anyway, to "brian" up there from the 5th: TS Elliot once said, "Good writers borrow. Great writers steal." I wholeheartedly believe that.

Anyway, now that my speech is done, I wanted to post a couple tips I've amassed over the past couple weeks. First, do your research. Read other people's speeches. Now, I'm not saying steal them, but read a couple dozen speeches then start writing your own. It will give you an idea of the many different directions you can take your speech. Second, I agree with brian again--BE FUNNY. Have a few humorous aspects to your speech; one per minute sounds pretty good. Even if you're not an incredibly funny person normally, add some humor. If you present it as a joke, I grantee it will get laughs or at least chuckles; all the parents and family members will be very happy and will probably laugh at ANYTHING you say that remotely resembles a joke. Third, make specific references to things at your school--make it personal. It doesn't have to be a speech full of memories, but there should be at least one anecdote (you can make this humorous and kill two birds with one stone). Finally, presentation is KEY. Even if you are simply competing for Valedictorian and presenting the speech in front of 5 people, do it WELL! My trick was to memorize it and actually take a step or two away from the podium to show I memorized it. I swear, constant eye-contact coupled with a humorous personal speech that ends with a point, and you are golden...that is if you don't mess up your senior year with a B or two like me :), but then there's always Saluditorian.

happyman it's great that your speech turned out to be a complete humorous indictment. Lend me your talent. Tell how your speech recieved laughs and chuckles!!! I need to know!!

Hey, I'm also a valedictorian at my high school and am having some trouble writing a speech. I want it to be funny and original (doesn't everybody) but everything i come up with tends to be cheesy, and i can't for the life of me think of a theme. So if anyone has any ideas, i would really appreciate it if you emailed me (humble_fat_girl@hotmail.com) subject valedictorian...thanks

PLease help me i am the valedictorian, i am the most sophisticated senior, and class secretary to name a few things, everyone at my school expects my speech to be all great and not boring and i have nothing to say email me if u have any ideas and my speech has to focus on GOODBYE for some reason make valedictorian the subject so i won't just delete it thank you

Hey, like all these people I have to write a speech for graduation. Not a very fun task. I've been staring at a blank screen for too long, so I decided to ask for some help. I wasn't given any directions and I don't know how to start it. How do you start something like this? Please, e-mail me with any suggestions!!

I have to have my speech done in two weeks and am having a really hard time getting going with it. I just need some good ideas to go on. My classmates want me to be funny and my parents want me to be serious. If you have any ideas of how to incorporate the two, let me know. I would really like someone to send me a copy of their speech, preferably a funny one.

i am in grade eight and am trying to write ideas for my valedictorian speech. i want the begining sentence to be the most meaningful and catch everyones attention but i not as corny as some of those cliches listed. Any help? Anyone?

This was given in 2002. It was well recieved.

It hardly seems possible that 13 years have passed since we embarked upon the journey which will end here tonight on this very stage.
I’d like to thank my parents and grandparents for putting up with me these past 18 years and supporting me in every cause I’ve pursued. Without the love and support of all of you parents, none of us could be here today to receive this great honor. I’d also like to thank the Industrial ISD faculty and staff for imparting us with the knowledge we’ve equipped to face life’s many trials and tribulations down the road. Considering the wages they pay you, your patronage is much appreciated.
So, anyway, as I was sitting at my father’s desk at 2:00 in the morning last Thursday night, racking my brains, trying to come up with something witty and intelligent to say in front of everyone, I realized something. As it turns out I’m not all that witty and intelligent, so I scratched that idea.
Then I thought maybe I’ll just tell a few stories from our past to impart a feeling of nostalgia upon the graduates and their families. Upon further consideration, I realized nobody really wants to hear about the time back in fourth grade when Troy Stindt was bitten by an ant that had crawled up his shorts while he was playing 4 square. Whereupon he immediately ran to the teacher on watch and shed his shorts so that she might better asses the situation at hand right in the middle of the playground. And no one wants to reflect upon the time our freshman year when Jena Pair, Kayla Thereford, Ashley Patton, Erin McDonald and Jennifer Nelson came to one of Bob’s parties dressed as the spice girls and sang their own rendition of “If You Want to Be My Lover.” That kind of stuff is just way to embarrassing and improper for a graduation ceremony.
After that, I decided maybe I could concoct an illustrious oration filled with euphoric locutions rivaling the wails of the mythical Sirens. But I realized using big words just isn’t my style, besides such a pretentious display of utter pedantry would probably just evoke a gradual coagulation of antipathies and irksome ennui from my audience anyway. In other words, it’d just bore you guys stiff.
Upon bailing on the whole smart guy act, I decided the best way to give a graduation speech would be to share a bit of philosophy. So I came up with lines like, “the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step,” and “shoot for the moon because even if you miss you’ll always land among the stars.” However, I quickly realized there’s really no point in trying to impose your life philosophy on others. For each man finds his own philosophy in life. That which is best suited to his private niche in society. All one must do to develop a healthy philosophy is listen to their heart and let their conscience guide them though the many and varied difficulties life deals them through the years.
So since philosophy was out, I turned to humor, but nothing I wrote was funny. I tried and tried but it was useless. Every effort I made was completely unsuccessful, I couldn’t make anything work. I felt a lot like Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Patton must have felt this year trying to teach us AP Calculus and Physics. Everything was in vain.
When I finally realized I was beating a dead horse with that humor angle, I vied instead for the school spirit approach. I thought I’d submit a plea to the lower classmen to keep Industrial alive. This is our home, and up until now, it is the only life many of us have ever known. It would be comforting to us outgoing seniors to know that the Industrialite world which we’ve worked so hard at preserving will remain for future generations to experience and for us to fall back on if worse comes to worse. Keep the pride alive and help it to grow, is what I would’ve told them, but I decided they get plenty of those types of speeches from the coaches and Mr. Williams. Heaven forbid I sound redundant at graduation.
As my final option, I weighed the idea of leaving you with a few tidbits of advice to use out in the real world. I was going to say things like never get too wrapped up in your work to enjoy life, and always remember that true happiness is not gained through success, but rather from sharing love with one’s friends and family. I thought I’d advise everyone to take life one day at a time, and always remember on the bad days that tomorrow will come and one day soon that tomorrow will make every today worth the wait. I even had an ending this time, I though I’d end by suggesting that we let down all the barriers and spend the last few moments we have together as one united student body. That’s when I realized, hey, I’ve never done this before, what do I know of how we should spend these final moments and how can I presume to give any advice on the real world. I’m an 18 year old boy, not quite out of high school yet. I’m about as much of an authority on the real world as Bill Clinton is on marital fidelity.
By the time I’d sorted through all these options and shot down every last one, it was nearly 5:00 a.m. That’s about the time I decided this graduation speech thing was way too much of a hassle and gave up on the whole idea. So, thank you for coming out, but there will be no Valedictorian speech this year.

Dan, or anyone else that can give me some guidance, I ask you:

Is it bad at all to involve the audience in one's speech? I plan on starting my speech using every cliche phrase you have mentioned, but with a twist in assigning 1 person of the graduating class to yell "You suck!" and everyone following with "Boooo!", mainly because it's the only original thing I could come up with. People come to hear something original, and I just want to toy with them. After, of course, I have another speech memorized which I will say aloud, as if I'm giving the "illusion" of improvisation.

Is this a good idea, or should I just stick with my "real" speech?

Like half of the poor souls on this page i too must conduct a valedictorian speech for my graduation, and also like the other valedictorians i have the same desires for the greatness of my speech. I beg of any recollection of past speeches or advice that any of you might have. please e-mail me with subject valedictorian speech.

im going to write on hebrews 11:1. i live in the buckle of the Bible belt in southern mississippi, so i have no worries about stepping on toes. im just going to wing it and be myself. theres no one better to be. good luck to the rest of yall. i just need to find enough words for my speech, so far its about a minute long. grr.. i'll keep writing. have fun with it.

Great speech, clayton. I thought about the humorous "smart person" approach.. and I still think I might go with that (for a couple sentences anyway). Good luck to all you others.

Hi everyone, I too have been voted as Valedictorian of my graduating class. Our highschool is unique in the sense that it is brand new, and we are the first ever graduating class....I guess that'd make me the first valedictorian? I'm not here to ask for help, I just want to give some advice that I found helped me. Take some time, sit down, and just start writing any idea that comes to mind. It may be stupid, it may be brilliant, doesn't matter. Then when you're done writing, read everything over, see what rings a bell and what doesn't...add things, take away things. Talk to all social groups on your school, don't isolate anybody, and remember that people didn't vote you in so you could talk about yourself. I find that sitting down somewhere quiet, letting my mind wander over the past 4 years, and jotting it all down works very well....Good luck to all of you and your speeches, I still gotta finish mine!

I go to a small private christian school, and I have been working toward Valedictorian since middle school, but now that it's finally here, I'm freaking out. Yes I'm excited, but I (like lots of other people) really want this to be something my school will remember - something that will inspire them - something that isn't like "every other" valedictorian speech. I just want to say congrats to all you other Valedictorians, I know it's hard work and sometimes you don't get recognized enough, so WAY TO GO AND GOOD LOOK ON THE SPEECH!

Please somebody help me. I ALSO have been chosen for the worst speech ever i must have it ready by the 20th and have no idea what to write. I graduated from an alternative school in October and have to present the speech now with a class i dont even know i am the first valedictorian and want to make a good speech. Help Pleaseeeeee

wow- great speech, clayton. i wish you hadn't of done that, otherwise i'd love to have used it! anyhow, i have to have my valedictorian speech done asap - i have teachers asking me abpout it every day...it's not started, but i have unitl the 22nd. (i love that i'm not the only procrastinator out there!!) i was originally going to use some cliches (without even realizing it!-how sad!), but now i realized how fun this could potentially be....maybe....maybe not. I just wish mine could be as funny and fun as clayton's....! If anyone has any other specific advice, feel free to please email me!! I'm just a simple, happy-to-be-graduating girl with a barin block...! it's great to know i'm not alone though!!

Hi again, I was also wondering, if any of you guys have finished your speeches and when you guys read them to your graduating class, can you please post how things went for you here??? I don't grad until June 22nd, so it's still a long way off! Any post would be really appreciated!

Beth - I graduated along with 80 of my lifelong friends from a small rural high school. Trust me......no one attending your graduation will have heard my speech. Feel free to borrow and adapt. I dreaded that moment for four years and waited until the last week to write it. My brother has to deliver his V-speech May 28th and hasn't done anything constructive yet. Since it is due next Wed. and he would rather party than think - any ideas would really help him, too.

I'm another Valedictorian dreading speach time. I have no idea where to even start. But I have another problem....being co-valedictorian, what if I mocked all the cliches only to find out that the other valedictorian used some in his speech....

It seems like most of you are opting for the more casual approach on your speeches. However, do remember that for some people in your class, highschool will be the highest level of education they achieve. Maybe they would rather hear something meaningful than funny? Graduation is a formal event meant to celebrate an important milestone in a person's life, so the tone of your speech should be formal as well.

On a final note, the best advice I can give to help with your speeches is to talk to your english teacher, or someone like that, who can help you with ideas and edit your speech. They've been to many graduations before and know what do say.

Once again, it is another valedictorian who needs help with the speech. I have known for a good while that I would be valedictorian, and I have somewhat of an outline right now, but I need a finished version by the 24th. I like the casual approach, but I do want some serious stuff as well. Any advice, especially on the beginning, would be greatly appreciated. I have posted my email address so please write with all the advice you are willing to give.

I just wanted to let all the procrastinators out there feel a little bit better. It's 12 am right now and I have 8 hours until I have to submit my valedictorian speech for approval and I haven't started it at all. In fact I have no idea what I plan to say, I came to this site looking for advice and I just ended up procrastinating more and writing a reply. Well, best of luck to everyone out there having to write a valedictorian speech and just be happy to know you probably have more time than me.

I have the task of delivering my speech in a week. I think I would like to use the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. Do you feel that this would be a good way to thread my speech or is it too well known? I can't decide if I want the speech to be very familiar or completely original. Thank you for your input.

Hey, I am graduating next Saturday, the 29th. The rough draft of my speech is due tomorrow, and I at least have a very small start on it! I am totally lacking inspiration though. The final draft is due a week from today. I liked Clayton's speech, and I have considered taking a similar angle. I was also trying to think of a really creative analogy for graduation, but I haven't really thought of a good one yet. I really need some help with ideas, I am open to any suggestions! Please email me as soon as possible. Thank you!!

PLEASE HELP I HAVE ALREADY LEFT ONE MESSAGE ON HERE BUT NO ONE HAS REPLIED MY SPEECH IS DUE FRIDAY MORNING, I HAVEN'T STARTED. i HAVE NO CLUE WHAT TO WRITE AND I CAN'T MAKE MYSELF ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND THINK ABOUT IT PLEASE PLEASE HELP SEND ME AN EMAIL IF U WANT HEFTYCAT04@AOL.COM SUBJECT:VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH

Hey guys! This site has good stuff but i need some more help. I have not yet been chosesn for valedictorian, but i was nominated to be it. Now i have to do a speech on why i should be class valedictorian. But i dont want to sound stuck up. HELP ITS DO IN LIKE 9 HOURS!!!!!!!!!!! post something or email me!!!!!!!PLEASe

any ideas at all. im in 8th grade. anything at all email me plz. plz.plz. very desperate

I am the final valedictorian speaking at my high school graduation on the 2nd of June. I recommend keeping your speech light, short, and, above all, engaging. Graduation is a long ceremony filled with mostly boring speeches; another trite, clichaic, formulaic speech will not be remembered.

If you can pull it off, be funny. I have been to a lot of speech tournaments, invariably the speeches that do the best are the funny ones, especially in typically non-humorous categories. Everyone is expecting you to be serious, surprise them with humor. However, if you cannot be funny, DO NOT FORCE IT! Nothing is more horrendous than a potentially funny speech delivered poorly by a person incapable of conveying humor.

Be yourself. The people who are graduating with you have had at least four years to get to know you. Trying to portray yourself as someone you are not will likely annoy many people; no one likes a phony. However, do not be afraid to show another side of yourself. I am, by nature, a serious person, but I intend to show my class the lighter side of my personality.

Here is a draft of my speech. Feel free to borrow, but I doubt there will be much you can use. My speech was written by me, specifically for me. I have a well-deserved reputation of intense, but benevolent, arrogance (I prefer to think of it as pride) at my school, and I have written this into my speech. It needs to be fleshed out more, but this is just a draft.

Ladies, Gentleman, and [With rising volume] the 2004 Class of [insert school here]!

[Continue with normal volume] I am David [insert last name here], the resident smart as- I mean smart guy. You know the type, I’m the guy who complains about “only scoring a 95 on the last test,” while you stare down at the your ugly little 82. And, of course, I am the person who always wants to compare test scores. I might ask, “How did you do on the SAT?” and the reply is inevitably, “Shut up, [insert nickname here]! We all know you scored a 1600. Get over yourself.” Now what they fail to realize, is that [With a wide-eyed appearance of innocence] I am a truly humble guy and my only intention was to find out how well they did. By the way, did you know I scored a 1600 on the SAT? See what I mean? I’m just a humble guy.

I stand before you today because, well, because I have the somewhat ubiquitous honor of being a valedictorian. [With a heaping amount of sarcasm] See, EVERYONE knows valedictorians give great speeches. That high GPA just magically translates into FANTASTIC speaking abilities. O wait, it doesn’t, but that aside, I will attempt to prolong the already excruciating, Hibbert that means very painful, length of this ceremony. Please continue with your politely feigned attention.

My friends, and people I don’t know, this day has finally, FINALLY arrived, the day where we pick up that little slip of paper and we move on, on into the world of adulthood. Congratulations! Of course the ramifications of this new adult world has yet to fully sink in, so permit me to educate you. If you are going to college, you have a few more years of good times and mooching off your parents. I was at Notre Dame, the university, not the church, the weekend of Saint Patrick’s Day [Laughs]; now I’m not saying I did anything illegal [Wink-wink], but it was pretty crazy and a lot of fun. Yep, it was 2 o clock in the morning and we were heatedly debating the socioeconomic underpinnings of American politics. It was interesting stuff. [Confused outrage] WHAT? What did you think I was doing!?

No matter where you go, college is going to be awesome, just try to get in a little bit of studying in between parties. Now, for those of you going straight into the workforce, brace yourself for a strong dose of reality. Instead of going to school, you get to go to work, for eight hours a day, five days a week, for the next, oh [Looks at watch], forty-seven years of your life. Ain’t that a hoot?

[With expansive grandeur] Now, where is the great [insert name here], [Interjecting aside to the audience] that’s me for those of you just waking up, [Continue grandly] going to college? My top two choices, Princeton and Harvard, wait-listed me. When I found out, I was AB-SOL-UTE-LY DEVASTATED ? for a few days. Then I realized, you know, I have some pretty good backup schools: Willamette University, the University of Notre Dame, and Dartmouth College, an Ivy League school, by the way. I was leaning towards Dartmouth College and the Ivy League, when I got a letter from a little school down in California. Their financial aid package was excellent, and I decided that I just [With an air of great sacrifice] HAD to sacrifice the prestige Ivy League for the sake of my parent’s pocket book. So where am I going to college? [Deliberately understated] Its a little place called Stanford University. You might have heard of it, I hear it’s a pretty good school. [Huge grin]

Stanford is amazing: brilliant students, world-class professors, great weather, and an absolutely gorgeous campus. If you can get in, I HIGHLY recommend going. [With an air of imaginative imagery] Think of palm trees waving in a gentle breeze underneath a crystal blue sky and the sunlight reflecting off the red tile roofs of the stone buildings. It was honestly like that: paradise on earth.

Okay, this is where I am supposed to impart some deep meaningful sentiment, something you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, I couldn’t think of anything. Well nothing except for this: [seriously now] happiness is defined by others only if you allow it. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to Stanford, to Western Oregon, or to work at Mickey Ds, if you’re happy that is all that truly counts. There will always be someone out there smarter, cuter, and richer than you, but this can only prevent you from living a happy life if you let it. Bottomline: don’t take life too seriously, it’s not like you’re getting out alive.

Thank you for listening. Peace out.

End Speech

At this point, the speech is mostly about me, but I intend to develop this speech further in the next few days so there will be more about my classmates. I know this probably doesn't help you guys out there very much, but I thought another example might get your creative juices flowing.

PS- If any of the vals from WAHS see this post, this is who exactly you think it is. Please keep it to yourselves about my college choice.

Just a clarification.

PS- If any of the vals from WAHS see the above post, this is exactly who you think this is. Please keep my college choice to yourself.

Great speech, maybe I opt for the different approach, personally my advice to you all is NOT to talk about yourself, the less you talk about yourself the better. People didn't vote you in to talk about yourself, it is to speak to them, address the graduating class. Also, remember that not everybody voted for you just because you won, don't give into the illusion that you're the most popular person in school, chances are, there is someone out there that doesn't feel so hot for you. point being, dont talk about yourself, and dont isolate anyone. You are picked to REPRESENT the GRADS, ALL of them! Don't forget that, best of luck to the rest of you, I gotta finish my speech!

Tuan

I have realized that my speech is mostly about me, but I am still in the process of writing. This is just a draft, and the final product will probably look much different. My biggest problem is that I am a transfer student, so I do not have many common memories/experiences that I share with them. Valedictorians are not voted on at my school, it's strictly about GPA and meeting the requirements. Had it come to a vote, I am sure my classmates would have picked one of the popular vals.

As I said before, I am an intensely proud person, and the speech reflects the person. Part of the reason the speech is so much about me is the struggle I have had go through to get to this point in my life. Graduation, for me, is not about my classmates at all, its about finally overcoming the doubters and the naysayers. I am a val and I did it in spite of all those who believed/hoped/prayed I would fail.

In general, I agree with Tuan. The speech should not be about yourself, nevertheless the components of the draft will be incorporated into the finished product largely unchanged. I have no inspiring message, no nostalgic monologue, and no clichiac platitudes to bear to my class. What gives me the right to try to inspire my classmates? Who is to say I have trod a harder path than the 1.00 GPA graduate who had to overcome the vicissitudes of real life? I am not going to write the usual upbeat tripe about how great high school was, because it was only great to the denizens of the higher echelons of the artificial high school hierarchal social order. I refuse to sugercoat the accomplishments/talents of my class. We are just like any other average high school class across the nation; there is nothing special about us and to say otherwise is to indulge in fantasy.

For some people graduation is a very emotional, special day. For me and for my friends, it is simply a ritual to be completed on the way to bigger and better things. As there are multiple vals at my school, I am sure the platitude seekers will find a superabundance of cliches and meaningless anecdotes.

Sorry if I sound a little miffed. A few of the other vals at my school are somewhat appalled I have not given into the conformity and written the usual upbeat garbage as they intend to. As I have already demanded and received the privilege of speaking last, I believe they are afraid my speech will make a mockery out of theirs, especially if I add a proposed section dismantling/scorning the usual cliches employed in graduation speeches.

One last piece of advice. High school graduation is a one-shot deal; if you have something you want to say, just say it. This is your only opportunity to make a statement about high school. Say what you want and let the chips fall where they may. Graduation is about your class, but it is also about you.

I'm not quite sure why people keep saying "voted me in." Around here, you earn it with your grades... And to DYSH up there - I wouldn't suggest the bit about people who are going straight into the workforce. It doesn't seem tasteful.

I need help, just like everyone else here...I have a speech, but I still need help! My friends like it, my parents hate it, my teacher likes it, my assistant principal thinks it's trash. I am the last speaker at my graduation, saying the only speech that is not completely serious. Please make comments so I know what to change--is the bit about the blondes offensive? Do you get my point? Or is it too flippant?

Help!!

THanks bunches!

THis is the speech:

DEEP THOUGHTS BY LAURA

Hello everyone!

Before I begin, I just want to make something clear. Even though I am supposed to have some kind of secret knowledge that landed me here in the first place—I don’t. Contrary to popular belief, I am not the brightest crayon in the box. My darling sisters would readily tell you that I am a pineapple—brown on the outside, but undeniably blonde on the inside.

Being the valedictorian, everyone expects something of you. They expect genius. They expect perfection. But I am a pineapple—lacking in both genius and perfection. Whenever I am caught in my moments of blondeness, I will be forever reminded that I was the valedictorian. If I were to ask if cannibalism were illegal, I will get?“LAURA! You were the valedictorian?” When I sit there yelling at a computer for not working only to realize it was never plugged in, I will get? “You were the valedictorian?” And when I am 87 years old, looking for the glasses that are on my head and the dentures that are falling out of my mouth, I will get?“Grandma Laura was the valedictorian?”

But without my “duh” moments, I would not be me. I would not own the title as the queen of stupid questions. And I wouldn’t have been the valedictorian. No matter what you may otherwise hear, blonde moments can lead to moments of enlightenment. The following are three things everyone should know, but no one tells you—unless you ask a stupid question.

NUMBER ONE

Every time a fly lands on your food, it gags. Throws up. Regurgitates. Retches. That means that when you take a bite of that sandwich after you just swatted away a fly, in addition to that tasty goodness, you are also consuming fly throw-up.

And you know in the summertime when flies go into your eye and up your nose, and they never see the light of day again? Well, if you follow the logic, that means that chances are, those flies throw-up in your eye and up your nose.

But no matter if the fly flew up your nose or threw up on your sandwich; it made its mark—you won’t readily forget about. Although you may walk away with a face of disgust, that fly won’t easily slip your mind.

Act like a fly. Although we may not throw-up every place we end up, we leave a lasting impression. And just like those pesky flies that fly up your nose never to be seen again—one day you see us, and the next, we’re gone—all grown up and facing the world. But wherever life may take you, always make your mark and leave an impression.

NUMBER TWO

Studies show that 25% of this country’s population is mentally unbalanced. That means one in every four people is nuts. Think of your three closest friends. If they seem alright, then you’re the one.

But that’s okay—if the shoe fits, get another one just like it.

So fess up. So you’re a basket case...we move on. If you have an obsession with car batteries and Fig Newton’s, own it. Collect car batteries and fig bars! If you sleep with Bon Jovi’s head plastered to your pillow, it’s okay. If you go crazy over pumpkin pie, tell the world. Pumpkin Pie is sooo good!

Everyone’s peculiarities make them who they are, so be a nut and love it.

NUMBER THREE

Eric Hoffer tells us that the hardest thing to cope with is not the usual selfishness or vanity or deceitfulness?but sheer stupidity.

23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts.

Next time you have the sudden urge to photocopy your rear, please resist. Although something may be idiot-proof, someone is sure to make a better idiot. And if you happen to be one of us pineapple-idiots, remember it. Nobody cares that you are?unless you break their copy machine.

So if nothing else, be yourself. It’s okay to be different. And it’s a-okay to have a blonde moment every once in a while, because if you don’t, you’re missing out.

I owe the insight behind my three points to many wonderful people, whom I would like to thank for spicing up my life. To the many, many wonderful teachers that have put up with my many, many questions, to (list?) and most importantly, to my family and friends—Thanks for everything.

I would like to end my ramble with a quote that my father shared with me—it is an Irish saying, and my father is Cuban. But nonetheless?..as you slide down the banister of life, I hope you meet no splinters and that you don’t find a statue at the end that will hit you in the crotch.

Congratulations class of 2004—I wish everyone the best of luck!

By the way, graduation is the day after tomorrow so comments soon would help...

Thanks!

PLZ Comment.

It hardly seems possible that 9 years have passed since we embarked upon the journey which will end here tonight on this very stage. I’d like to thank my parents and grandparents for putting up with me these past 13 years and supporting me in every cause I’ve pursued. Without the love and support of all of you parents, none of us could be here today to receive this great honor. I’d also like to thank the -------- faculty and staff for imparting us with the knowledge we’ve equipped to face life.. Considering the wages they pay you, your kindness and support is much appreciated.

So anyways, a couple of weeks ago I found out I had to do a speech. I thought I would bring back some of our memories. Then I thought who would want to relive the infamous incident. We were going to lunch and pansing was a very popular way of fun. Well we never want to see something like that again. First thing that popped into my head was Donny and the infamous lady bug incident. Then I thought stories like those are too embarrassing and improper for a graduation ceremony.

After that, I decided maybe I could concoct an illustrious oration filled with euphoric locutions rivaling the wails of the mythical Sirens. But I realized using big words just isn’t my style, besides such a pretentious display of utter pedantry would probably just evoke a gradual coagulation of antipathies and irksome ennui from my audience anyway. In other words, it’d just bore you guys to sleep. As some of our teachers have.

Then I came up with another speech, it was really good. It was about a how I thought about having a speech centered around a couple of quotes. Like: reach for the moon, even if you don’t succeed you’ll land among the stars. Or something Alice Roosevelt said,“I think life is very simple: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches.” Or maybe something about we are the future. That s when I realized that were only teenagers, what do we know about the future. What do I know about how to enjoy our last couple of hours together. I felt like a teacher trying to explain math to a bunch of uninterested 8th graders. After all of this a really appreciated all the love and support our parents, siblings, friends, teachers, and love ones have showed over the last 9 years.
So thank you,
Ms. Bauer, for getting us through this year
Thankyou, Ms.C for teaching us about assuming
Thankyou Sr.Anne for our great Sports program
Thankyou Ms. Sargeant for the insightful stories about you life
Thankyou Ms. Lum for the great Chinese New Years party
Thankyou Ms Anderson and Ms. Brandon for taking us to fort Sutter
Thankyou Sr. Dolores for teaching us how to sing
Thankyou Ms. Easton for teaching us to read
Thankyou Ms.Medeiros (or Ms. Gallaway as we used to call her) for a great year
Thankyou Ms.L for putting up with us when we were just hyper little kindergarteners
Thankyou Ms. Barajas for watching over us since we were small
Thankyou Br. William for cleaning our messes
Thankyou Ms. Cornelious for working so hard
Thankyou Sr. Jane for being our principal
Thankyou to all the parents for all their love and guidance
Finally thankyou ------ Class of 2004. Thanks everybody for being great friends and helping me enjoy 9 years at -----School.

wat do u guyz think? plz comment! bigboi_baller@yahoo.com
any1 who wants to know about the 2 stories. in 1 a guy tried to smoke a ladybug rolled up in a leaf. and in the other a guys shorts and boxers where pulled down. (we saw a bunch of white fat).

PLZ COMMENT

one of the other candidates used parts of dans and claytons speech today at our nomination ceremony and i lost because of it.

i asked him if he knew about this website and he said he used it for research

fucked up

Val

I reread my speech and I decided that you were right about that bit about those people who are going straight into the workforce being a tad distasteful. So I decided to soften the blow by reminding the college-bound seniors of their eventual entry into the real world (and the work force) as well. Thanks for the constructive criticism.

To big boi--
it's good.

to Jimmy--
sorry, hun.

to everybody else--
please comment on my speech above, "Deep thoughts by Laura."

DYSH

hey, sorry if I sounded negative about your speech, that wasn't intended, really, I was just giving advice to everyone else. After hearing about your situation, I get where you're coming from now, it really is a great speech though, you'll do great. Personally, I come from a different situation. I am a highschool valedictorian, and I was voted in, there were no campaign speeches, you were nominated, and others voted. We're a small grad class, and we're also the very first class to ever graduate, so for me, its different, I'm sure that's why its so hard to give advice to other people, we come from different schools with different backgrounds, and we're all different people

Laura

AMAZING speech!! its funny, light hearted, simple, YET its veyr meaningful and clever. You'll ahve people's attention throughout, and I'm sure it'll go great, Nice Job!!!! I hope you do great!!! If you can, post here after grad, and tell us how it went!

Thanks Tuan!

Graduation is tomorrow so I'll tell everyone how it went...

ARIEL if u come to this site, this is who u think it is. HC'04

If u scroll up u can see my speech (plz read it and comment) critique it. I wanted to end off my speech with this. what do u think. plz comment.

One day, when I was a freshman in high school,
I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.
His name was Kyle.
It looked like he was carrying all of his books.
I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on aFriday?
He must really be a nerd."I had quite a weekend planned ( parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.
They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.
His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten
feet from him.
He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.
My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.
As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks.
They really should get lives.
" He looked at me and said, Hey thanks!
"Hey thanks!"
There was a big smile on his face.
It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen
him before.
He said he had gone to private school before now.
I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.
He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.
I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends.
He said yes.
We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books gain.
I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!
" He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.
When we were seniors, we began to think
about college.
Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I
was going to Duke.
I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a
problem.

He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on afootball scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class.
I teased him all the time about being a nerd.
He had to prepare a speech for graduation.
I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.
Graduation day, I saw Kyle.
He looked great.
He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.
He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.
Boy, sometimes I was jealous.
Today was one of those days.
I could see that he was nervous about his speech.
So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be
great!"
He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and
smiled.
"Thanks," he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began.
"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through
those tough years.
Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but
mostly your friends...
I am here to tell all of you that being a
friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.
I am going to tell you a story."
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the
first day we met.
He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.
He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have
to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.
He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
"Thankfully, I was saved
My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."
I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy
told us all about his weakest moment.
I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions.

With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
For better or for worse. We are in each other's lives to impact one another in some way.

Look for Good in others.
You now have two choices, you can:

"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble

remembering how to fly."

There is no beginning or end.. Yesterday is history

Tomorrow is mystery.

Today is a gift.

***DO U LIKE IT***
is it a good idea to end this way. plz comment

BigBoi, I wouldn't end with that story. I have heard it many times, and I'm sure many others have as well.

any other stories u can think of?

I agree with Val, you wanna be careful to avoid anything that makes people think "Which book did he pull that one out of" or make people think they've heard it somewhere before. Personally, I can't think of any stories, but instead of a story, why don't you end with a challenge presented to the graduating class for the future? A realistic challenge, something that'll mean something to them? that's what I did.

I'm a grade 8 student. I'm running for valedictorian. That story is awesome, problem is Most people are gunna think you stole it out of an e-mail. That story has been forwarded around so many times. Anyway, i'm trying to find inspiration for my speech, that's why i'm on this site.

Big boi--

the speech is good, but you posted another one that sounded like an 8th grade speech, and now this one sounds like a high school+ speech. I'm confused. But if the story in the speech isn't real, don't use it. Stick to what you know and if you don't know anything that you believe is interesting, then take a seemingly insignificant event and make it sound like it was a very deep moment. For example, I once wrote two different stories, one in which I told about the time my older sister "tried to kill me" by tripping me when we went for a run, my parents blamed me, she came to my rescue, I learned she'll always be there. HTe other was about when my younger sister and I were about 4 and 5 and we had this huge ball-bouncing competition that she kept loosing miserably so she scratched me across the face, my parents blamed me, she told the truth, I was off the hook, she got in trouble, happily ever after. Use your imagination, but be real.

I just gave my speech this past saturday and it was very well received. I am posting it below so you may feel free to use it for inspiration, but please don't copy. E-mail me with questions if you are unsure.

To all those other vals out there, it's not that bad going up there. Take a deep breath, and once you begin you'll feel great. AFter I was half way through, I felt like I could do this all the time. Just remember to adjust the microphone before you begin speaking, and don't read. Look at the audience and make eye contact.

Good Luck

My speech:

DEEP THOUGHTS BY LAURA

Hello everyone!

Before I begin, I just want to make something clear. Even though I am supposed to have some kind of secret knowledge that landed me here in the first place—I don’t. Contrary to popular belief, I am not the brightest crayon in the box. In fact, my darling sisters and dear parents wanted to make a speech of their own tonight?to make sure that everyone knew about all the idiotic things I have asked, said, and done.

But Ha! I get to tell my side of the story?

Being the valedictorian, everyone expects something of you. They expect genius. They expect perfection. But I am only a crayon—lacking in both genius and perfection. It was only the other day that I asked if cannibalism was illegal and insisted that the only way to rear end another car was by putting my car in reverse. I will forever get the comments? “Laura! You were the valedictorian?!?!??”

But without my “duh” moments, I would not be me. I would not own the title as the queen of stupid questions. And I would not have been the valedictorian. No matter what you may otherwise hear, outwardly senseless questions and “duh” moments can lead to moments of enlightenment.

I would like to share with you tonight three thoughts that I believe everyone should know, but nobody seems to want to tell you—unless you ask a seemingly stupid question.

NUMBER ONE

Every time a fly lands on your food, it gags. Throws up. Regurgitates. Retches. That means that when you take a bite of that sandwich after you just swatted away a fly, in addition to that tasty sandwich, you are also consuming fly throw-up. Not so tasty?

But that fly made its mark—you won’t readily forget about it. Although you may walk away with a face of disgust, that fly won’t easily slip your mind.

Act like a fly. Although we may not throw-up every place we land, we can leave a lasting impression. But as you face the world, and wherever life may take you, always remember to make your mark and leave an impression that reflects who you really are.

NUMBER TWO

Eric Hoffer, a self-educated American social philosopher, tells us that the hardest thing to cope with is not the usual selfishness or vanity or deceitfulness?but sheer stupidity.

Some things are just dumb. Especially when people do things simply because everyone else is. For example:

23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts. If you have the urge to photocopy you rear because everyone else is doing it, please resist.

13% of Americans actually believe that some parts of the moon are made of cheese. If you want to believe the moon is made of cheese just because your friend does, learn to think for yourself.

In Alaska, it is very illegal to wake-up a polar bear for the purposes of taking its photograph, the fine for this being rather high. However, it is perfectly okay to kill them. If you believe it will compensate for things you may be lacking to shove a dead bear’s head over your mantle, remember that just because it’s legal, doesn’t make it right.

Always have the courage to do what’s right and to persevere. No matter what. Period.

NUMBER THREE

Studies show that 25% of this country’s population is mentally unbalanced. That means one in every four people is certifiably nuts. Think of your three closest friends. If they seem alright, then you’re the one.

But that’s okay!

So fess up. So you’re a basket case...we move on. If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.

If you have an obsession with car batteries and Fig Newton’s, own it. Collect car batteries and fig bars! If you sleep with Bon Jovi’s head plastered to your pillow, it’s no problem. If you go crazy over pumpkin pie, tell the world and Mr. Gushanas that Pumpkin Pie is sooo good!

Everyone’s eccentricities make them unique, so be different and embrace it. Everyone’s oddities make the world interesting, so be unusual and stand out. Everyone’s peculiarities make them who they are, so be a nut and love it.

So suck up your pride and ask. Ask anything. You will never get an answer if you don’t ask. And always remember to be yourself. It’s okay to be different. And it’s a-okay to have a “duh” moment every once in a while, because if you don’t, you’re missing out on a potentially enlightening moment.

I owe the insight behind my three points to many wonderful people, whom I would like to thank for spicing up my life. To the great counselors and administrators here at Boca High, to the many, many wonderful teachers that have answered my many, many questions, and most importantly, to my family and friends who have always supported me—Thanks for everything.

I would like to end my ramble with a quote that my father shared with me—it is an Irish saying although my father is Cuban. But nonetheless, here it is?..as you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction. And I hope you don’t find a statue at the end that will hit you in your area.

Thanks folks!

And congratulations to the class of 2004—I wish everyone the best of luck!

Hey people, I have to give my speech this Saturday,so please give me your opinion on mine. This is actually the second speech I wrote because my guidance counselor found my first one insulting. There's barely any humor to it, and I think that's what he wants. Anywho...tell me what you think! Email me.

Good afternoon everyone,

Today, I would like to share a poem I have found on the internet one day. Written by Kit McCallum, this poem is called "Drifting."

Drifting
by Kit McCallum
I sometimes find I'm drifting
Through this life without effect;
I often wonder if I'm truly
Worth what I've been blessed.

I search through days that have been hard,
To try to understand,
The many trials that I have known,
The life that I have had.

You see me in my daily grind,
So confident and strong;
Yet when I am alone, I question
Just where I belong.

I often try too hard I find,
To analyze and guess,
To scrutinize, investigate
My life I will confess.

For somewhere deeper, there must be
Some meaning to this life,
Some way to make a difference,
Give a reason for this strife.

Is there some hidden meaning?
Some agenda to be found?
A greater purpose waiting
If I care to hang around?

It teases and it taunts me,
Always slightly out of sight;
A hazy vision out of reach,
Where darkness hides the light.

I struggle to bring clarity
To what awaits me there,
And yet this weak illusion
Always fades before my stare.

It seems the harder that I try,
To focus through the haze,
Just serves to add more questions,
Through my endless, tired gaze.

Perhaps I'm trying just too hard,
To understand it all,
For can we ever truly know
Just what we have in store?

Each incident, each moment passed,
Just adds upon the next,
But in the end, will I find truth ...
Or will I be perplexed?

Perhaps I make it harder
Than it has to be sometimes,
But will my searching bring to me
My meaning over time?

Or will it leave me broken,
And confused as I feel now,
While questions bring no solitude,
To this, my wrinkled brow.
Many of us feel the need to question life. We question our place in society. We question if we belong. We question our purpose in life and what our goals are. Sometimes we are fortunate to find the answers we seek, and sometimes we find ourslves just drifting, endlessly searching for the answers that seem to constantly elude us. For our entire life, we have grown and matured, however, this cycle will cease to stop. For our entire life, we have been taught to seek out answers by ourselves to questions we ask. From mathematics to english, we seek the answers in the textbook provided to us. But where is the textbook that has the answers to who we are and what our purpose is?
I would like everyone to look to your left and then to your right. I want you to look in front of you and behind you. Your friends and family is your textbook of answers. Growing up, who has influenced your choice in your career? Growing up, who has instilled the values that you hold today? Once you step out of here, the memories that you hold won't be the quadratic formula you used in Algebra 2 or which president came first. They do not contribute to the development of yourself. Instead, the memories of what you did with your friends and your families for the past 17 to 18 years are what contributes to the determination of who you are.
Today, many of us do not know what they want to be in the future. And that's okay. We are always reminded that high school is a turning point in our lives, but that doesn't neccesary mean we have to have to know what we are going to do in the future. To those of you who know what you want to do with your lives, that's great. You are one step closer to achieving it. To those of you who, don't have a clue, don't worry about it, because the same hard work and perseverance that has brought us this far will lead us into our futures.
Today, as we begin our life, remember that we have the ability to be whatever we want to be. To climb mountains, to reach the stars, to stretch as far as we can imagine. Our only limitations are those that we bring upon ourselves. Go for it, you have nothing to lose. In times of indecision remember Yoda and his timeless wisdom, "Do or do not, there is no try." Congratulations Class of 2004. I commend you for your achievements. Thank you and best of luck.

Ok, I have < four days to write a valedictorian speech. There are 5 other kids that are also going to be valedictorian. Don't ask. So I have to give a speech that will keep a thousand people awake. But my high school experience is nothing like most valedictorians. I got along with all the kids in my school, but I had no friends. The kids were all just my acquaintances. I preferred to keep to myself outside of school, especially after my fresman year. I did tons of extracurriculars, but I didn't attend games and dances and such.I basically don't have any fond memories, other than getting good grades. That's basically the only thing I liked about attending high school. The actual work and extracurriculars were just done out of neccessity. And I have nothing important to say about any good thing, as far as giving a speech. I fear that the administration might try to make all 6 of us give one speech, which leaves me even worse off. I have nothing in common with these kids. Three of them are super social, have tons of friends, boyfriends, probably loved everything about high school. The other two are drama and chorus enthusiasts, with a small number of close-knit friends, again probably loved high school. Most kids don't like them because they act all superior . I am a modest, humble kid who doesn't want to come off in any other way. I can't say cheesy things like "we'll never forget the time..." because I have already forgotten EVERYTHING! I have a horrible memory, and I can't even remember events or people from my childhood either. I don't have any cute or quirky stories to tell about my high school experience. I had to do a scrapbook about my high school career for an english class, and I spent more pages on summer vacation than the actual high school stuff. Vacation was the only thing I liked about the last four years. That and the A's, because I doubt I'll see that grade in college. This speech is all i have thought about since school ended on the 19th. i need help!!!! Please anyone just give me an idea that i can use that will still be true to who i am and my experiences.Thanks!

sk9286

If the administration tries to force you and the other vals to give one speech, object VEHEMENTLY. After four years of working hard, you deserve to have your own five minutes at graduation.

A modest, humble valedictorian? I am impressed; I did not think such a creature existed. Have you thought of downplaying the virtue of valedictorians? The only thing the val sash truly means is that you have somehow ended up with the highest GPA of your class. Grades are mostly about putting in the work and showing up. Being a val does not necessarily make you "better" or "smarter" than anyone. Be self depreciating and explain how small the difference between those sitting in the general student body and those in the val row really is.

If worse comes to worst, be honest with the audience. Explain that you have no inspiring message to bear or funny anecdote to share, thank those who have influenced you, and sit back down.

I am actually in a similar situation as you: I kept pretty much to myself in high school, formed few if any lasting bonds, and have already forgotten most of the memories of high school. My val speech is mostly about me though, which I do not think would fit well with your humility.

If you are well and truly stuck, just start writing and see what comes out. It usually works for me.

Good luck!

Hi! I was told monday that i need a valedictorian speech for graduation this thursday. i was told it couldn't be over two minutes long, but that was it. What am i supposed to say? i want it to be original, but i don't know what is expected or would be too original. if you havce any ideas would you please email me?

Man. I also have to give a speech.. it seems more of a curse than blessing. I managed to write something, but it sounds so corny. How can we be cursed and blessed at the same time? feels like i am writing an englsih essay all over again.. crazy. I have to speak for atleast 5 minutes.. which is shit crazy.. What if my jokes fall flat on their face? That will be even more embarassing? If i go all serious everybody will fall asleep. doesn't school realize that wehn givin this honor, they are also in a way hanging us to our death..

ello
i feel bad for u ppl, i have a valedictorian speech to give too and i have about 12 hours to write it, oh well. Having a bit of a writer's block, but this site really helped. Good luck everyone!!
Laura
i luved your speech, very funny, yet makes u kinda think.

Some advice to you guys who have to deal with editing boards. It's hard enough to be valedictorian, and once you are, you only have ONE shot to say what you and your fellow grads WANT to say. So who cares what the board thinks? I understand, don't be offensive or racist or anything, but be bold. If your principle was a Nazi, say it, if your teachers pressed you too hard, say that too. You're addressing your graduates. Your graduates voted YOU in to hear YOUR speech, not the editing boards. So yeah, they can edit what they want, and if it seems unfair to you, who cares, say it anyways. Once you're up there, they can't stop you!

Great site! I wish I had this while I was writing my speech! I agree 100% with Taun here. When I finished writing this speech, I told the truth, and was honest about our school and horrible staff. In the end, they made me cut out 3/4 of the whole speech. So, I went up there and read what they wanted, what happened? I barely got a response out of the audience. When I read my original to my friends, they LOVED it!!! So you know what everybody? Taun's right, you only got one shot, take it, and you'll never regret it!

OK, this is urgent!!!!!! I have a speech due tomorrow. How on earth am I suppose to finish it!!! It sounds so impossible. I got some idias, but to read for a whole 5 minutes, COME ON!
Please give me some advice, PLZ!

Hello????Anyone There PLEASE!

hi

You know big boi, you can at least HELP!

just go up there thank ur teachers. tell it how it is. be truthful. throw in a funny story or joke. and say whats on ur mind

read mine. just scroll up some.

I already did that, thanks anyway.

*this is my speech for this saturday, i think it still needs some help. lemme know what yall think*

Life as you know it is about to change.

You will never have an experience like high school in Tipp City again. For a lot of us, our entire existence has occurred in here in a small town world. For the past four years it seemed like the hardest things in life were waiting for summer and getting through exam week. The biggest events were Friday night football games and Prom. In a town with one small high school, most of us know everybody else in the class of 2004. We all know the unique experiences of growing up in a place like Tipp City. We have lived these out, many of us, for our entire lives. When we receive our diplomas today, everything will change.

This graduation morning we get to be carefree high school students for the last time. For the past twelve years we have had the dream schedule. We work seven hours a day and only five days a week, no overtime. There is at least four weeks worth of vacation throughout the nine-month work year. And, of course, we always get summers off to do whatever we want. The workload in high school does not come without a certain level of stress, but it pales in comparison to what responsibilities await us after school. Here at the end of senior year, life has just gotten easier and easier, up until today. It takes commitment to fight through senioritis to finish the year, but when we were done we were done for good. My only responsibilities for the last week have been putting together a valedictorian speech and deciding when to wake up. There is a reason why adults look back on high school and dream of being young again. Life is pretty sweet.

When we walk out of this gym today, the high school world gets left behind and the real world will come into view. Above all else, many of us will be thinking for ourselves, acting for ourselves, and speaking for ourselves for the very first time in our lives. It’s both scary and enticing to have all of the newfound freedom that comes with graduation. The world will be ours to shape and at the same time, ours to shatter. As the demands of high school fade the new demands of the real world have begun to hit us already: go to a good college, find a good job, buy a nice car, measure success not by the lives you improve but the ones you impress.

One of the biggest things that has accompanied growing up and graduating is the quest for more freedom. We all have complained about the restraints of being in school and living at home. Most of us would like graduation to be the final milestone in that quest. We’d like to think that by some turn of a tassel or toss of a cap, we become adults. As we enter the real world, this supposed freedom we have wanted for so many years may not be what we expected. The real world demands of us utmost obedience and in our struggle to grow up-to leave our parents, to get into colleges, to become independent-we happily oblige. So we leave high school imagining we are free only to begin to understand, even now, that in the afterglow of detentions and GPAs, we may become more restrained than ever.

I’ve been trying to put things in perspective for a day like today. In the past eighteen years, it has seemed like graduation is destined to be the single most important day of our young lives. If the majority of our lives have been spent at school, this stands as the pinnacle event of all those years of work. In reality, however, after today graduation will not be the most important day, it will be a stepping stone. We will all move on after today with high school as a mere memory. We all have a clean slate for the future.

With that being said, I feel I should offer some words of wisdom. A wise person once said, "Our character is not determined by what has happened to us; our character is determined by what we do about it." Leave high school behind and move forward, using both your accomplishments and your mistakes on which to base sound decisions as you build your life. It will only be as good as the effort you put into it. We have accomplished much already and have our whole lives ahead of us.

I’d like to express my gratitude to my family, teachers, friends, and the class of 2004 for everything they've ever given me. Here we are poised on the threshold of our future. Just before we take that first long-awaited exhilarating step-I’d like to be the first to congratulate all of you. Thank you and good luck!

hey everyone...I came upon this website today and I really need your help. In exactly 2 weeks I have to stand in front of my senior class and give what everyone expects to be "the perfect speech." Getting to where I am today hasn't exactly been easy. I plan to be honest with everyone and tell them of the obstacles I had to overcome, proving that my life is, indeed, not perfect like everyone seems to think. I want to keep the speech as real as possible without sugar-coating anything. What I'm looking for is subtle humor, inspirational story, or even just a good theme to base my speech on. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Please e-mail me at dancerof00@aol.com Thanks.

I gave a speech last Saturday that was extremely well received. An audience of about 7,000 listened very intently, in very strong contrast to the Salutatorian's speech. I don't want to post the whole thing, but here's a general idea of what it was:

* brief overview of what grade-school education was, what it means for the future, and how we can use it
* walked through the past four years of high school, highlighting the many moments and showing how we matured; I used funny things, like adapting to the new dress code
* asked a set of inspirational rhetorical questions
* talked about "yeah, I'm a Valedictorian, and I can do this and that, but I might never do [insert a talent you don't have], like [insert someone's name who is good at that talent];" this was EXTREMELY well received and got people interested; I addressed it to 3 people
* talked about how everyone has a talent
* make big dreams and don't be afraid of the haters
* talked about importance of friends/family and to never forget them
* closing, using "we" many times

Make the speech your own, make it inspirational, and don't use huge words. They know you're "smart" enough to do so; there's just no need to use them. More people listen if it's on a level they can understand.

Wow, what an active post, heh.

I feel like I've just discovered a club I didn't know I was a part of. How cool.

I need to write a speech for the day after tomorrow, and I'm thrilled to have found this page. I was convinced that I would be forced to resort to Cliché City, but now I see that there are so many different directions I could go with that.

Rockin.

**********THIS IS MY FINAL DRAFT. I HAVE 2 DAYS TILL GRADUATION. TELL ME WHAT U THINK.************

It hardly seems possible that 9 years have passed since we embarked upon the journey which will end here tonight on this very church. I’d like to thank my parents and family for putting up with me these past 13 years and supporting me in every cause I’ve pursued. Without the love and support of all of you parents, none of us could be here today to receive this great honor. I’d also like to thank the Holy Cross faculty and staff for imparting us with the knowledge we’ve equipped to face life. Your kindness and support is much appreciated.

So anyways, a couple of weeks ago I found out I had to do a speech. I thought I would bring back some of our great memories. I thought about: First thing that popped into my head was Donny and the infamous lady bug incident. Remember that one time at Lunch, with the crushed crackers and cookies and the straws. Yeah you get the picture. The thing I remember most about this year is someone brought one of those really strong electric zappers to school. We messed with it all day. We shocked people during in line, at recess, and even during tests. We had a great time. When lunch came around, we were all thinking how we could make it stronger. So we hooked it up with paper clips and staples, it didn’t make a difference. Then someone yelled out foil. Someone should put their hand on the foil and zap the foil. Wow! What a great idea. Now who’s going to do it? This is were our local Vanilla Ice steps in. We all know who he is; he acts like he’s from Malibu’s Most Wanted. He volunteered to test the foil and find out if the foil makes the zapper stronger. The power of the zapper got stronger a lot stronger. He completely flipped out, it was way too strong. He kind of tweaked out for a couple of minutes. I think it effected his brain, because he hasn’t been normal since. Then I thought stories like those are too embarrassing for a graduation ceremony.

After that, I decided maybe I could concoct an illustrious oration filled with euphoric locutions rivaling the wails of the mythical Sirens. But I realized using big words just isn’t my style, besides such a pretentious display of utter pedantry would probably just evoke a gradual coagulation of antipathies and irksome ennui from my audience anyway. In other words, it’d just bore you guys to sleep. As some of our teachers have.

Then I came up with another speech, it was really good. It was centered around a couple of quotes. Like: “reach for the moon, even if you don’t succeed you’ll land among the stars.” Or something Alice Roosevelt said,“I think life is very simple: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches.” Or maybe something to the extent of “we are the future”. That’s when I realized that were only teenagers, what do we know about the future. What do I know about how to enjoy our last couple of hours together. So lets just enjoy life and take everything 1 day at a time.

I got kind of frustrated. I felt like a teacher trying to explain math to a bunch of uninterested 8th graders. After all of this a really appreciated all the love and support our parents, siblings, friends, coachers, teachers, and love ones have showed over the last 9 years.
So thank you,
Ms. Bauer, for getting us through this year
Thankyou, Ms.C for teaching us about assuming
Thankyou Sr.Anne for our great Sports Program
Thankyou Ms. Sargeant for the insightful stories about your life
Thankyou Ms. Lum for the great Chinese New Years party
Thankyou Ms Anderson and Ms. Brandon for taking us to Fort Sutter
Thankyou Sr. Dolores for teaching us how to sing
Thankyou Ms. Easton for teaching us to read
Thankyou Ms.Medeiros for a great year
Thankyou Ms.L for putting up with us when we were just hyper little kindergarteners
Thankyou Ms. Barajas for watching over us since we were small
Thankyou Br. William for cleaning our messes
Thankyou Ms. Cornelious for working so hard
Thankyou Monica for our lunches
Thankyou Fr. Chad for just being so helpful
Thankyou Sr. Jane for being our principal
Thankyou to all the parents for all their love, guidance, and support
Finally thankyou Holy Cross Class of 2004. Thanks everybody for being great friends and helping me enjoy 9 years at Holy Cross School.

To conclude my speech I would like to share a story I a true story someone sent me. This is what it said.

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd." I had quite a weekend planned ( parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives. " He looked at me and said, Hey thanks! "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him. Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!" He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) andsmiled. "Thanks," he said. As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends... I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story." I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile."Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable." I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it's depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. We are in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. Look for Good in others. There is no beginning or end.. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift. I would like to leave you guys with a quote by the great Muhammad Ali,"You learn a lot of things in school, but if you don't learn about friendship you didn't learn anything at all.
Thankyou and Congratulations Class of 2004.

***PLZ COMMENT***

BigBoi ur speech is great. really inspiring. I would advise every1 2 read it

-HK

your speech is waaaaaayyyyy too long make it shorter, and add some humour

i would cut out the story at the end, i agree with pamela on the length. put in a personal story u had. don't worry about it being as earth shattering as that tho. this is one of those ones that everyone has been emailed before, including me. so maybe i'd email it instead of putting it as a main chunk of ur speech. don't worry tho, the rest is pretty good. i too am struggling with a grad speech i'm giving in a couple of days. it'll come...hopefully

****************Thanx. I took ur advice and cut the end, but I added a little something else. Just tell me wat u think. I have to give it on Friday, so plz reply quickly. So check out my last final draft. PLz Comment**********************
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It hardly seems possible that 9 years have passed since we embarked upon the journey which will end here tonight on this very church. I’d like to thank my parents and family for putting up with me these past 13 years and supporting me in every cause I’ve pursued. Without the love and support of all of you parents, none of us could be here today to receive this great honor. I’d also like to thank the Holy Cross faculty and staff for imparting us with the knowledge we’ve been equipped to face life. Your kindness and support is much appreciated.

So anyways, a couple of weeks ago I found out I had to do a speech. I thought oh man, A speech in front of everybody. And on one of the most memorable days of our lives. And everyone’s going to expect it to be the perfect speech, because I get good grades and do good at school. But I had a hard time thinking of what to write. Couldn’t think of anything at all. I wanted to start out by to thanking God for all of our talents and gifts. God blessed us all with many gifts may it be academic, athletic, social, or anything else. Then I realized I can’t give the perfect speech, because I’m not perfect. I’m probably never going to be able to do my hair like Zenaida or James; or rap like JD; or be as tall as Trevor. We all have our gifts and we should use them to succeed and be as good as we can be. I realized that this speech is my last chance to say what I want to say. So this is what I have to say:

First I thought I would bring back some of our great memories. First thing that popped into my head was Donny and the infamous lady bug incident. Remember that one time at Lunch, with the crushed crackers and cookies and the straws. Yeah you get the picture. The thing I remember most about this year is someone brought one of those really strong electric zappers to school. We messed with it all day. We shocked people during in line, at recess, and even during tests. We had a great time. When lunch came around, we were all thinking how we could make it stronger. So we hooked it up with paper clips and staples, it didn’t make a difference. Then someone yelled out foil. Someone should put their hand on the foil and zap the foil. Wow! What a great idea. Now who’s going to do it? This is were our local Vanilla Ice steps in. We all know who he is; he acts like he’s from Malibu’s Most Wanted. He volunteered to test the foil and find out if the foil makes the zapper stronger. The power of the zapper got stronger a lot stronger. He completely flipped out, it was way too strong. He kind of tweaked out for a couple of minutes. I think it effected his brain, because he hasn’t been normal since. Then I thought stories like those are too embarrassing for a graduation ceremony.

After that, I decided maybe I could concoct an illustrious oration filled with euphoric locutions rivaling the wails of the mythical Sirens. But I realized using big words just isn’t my style, besides such a pretentious display of utter pedantry would probably just evoke a gradual coagulation of antipathies and irksome ennui from my audience anyway. In other words, it’d just bore you guys to sleep. As some of our teachers have.

Then I came up with another speech, it was really good. It was centered around a couple of quotes. Like: “reach for the moon, even if you don’t succeed you’ll land among the stars.” Or something Alice Roosevelt said,“I think life is very simple: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches.” Or maybe something to the extent of “we are the future”. That’s when I realized that were only teenagers, what do we know about the future. What do I know about how to enjoy our last couple of hours together. So lets just enjoy life and take everything 1 day at a time. After I read through this speech is sounded really corny.

I got kind of frustrated. I felt like a teacher trying to explain math to a bunch of uninterested 8th graders. I realized how hard it must be to be an educator. After all of this a really appreciated all the loved and support our parents, siblings, friends, coaches, teachers, and loved ones have shown over the last 9 years.
So thank you,
Ms. Bauer, for getting us through this year
Thankyou, Ms.C for teaching us about assuming
Thankyou Sr.Anne for our great Sports Program
Thankyou Ms. Sargeant for the insightful stories about your life
Thankyou Ms. Lum for the great Chinese New Years party
Thankyou Ms Anderson and Ms. Brandon for taking us to Fort Sutter
Thankyou Sr. Dolores for teaching us how to sing
Thankyou Ms. Easton for teaching us to read
Thankyou Ms.Medeiros for a great year
Thankyou Ms.L for putting up with us when we were just hyper little kindergarteners
Thankyou Ms. Barajas for watching over us since we were small
Thankyou Br. William for cleaning our messes
Thankyou Ms. Cornelious for working so hard
Thankyou Monica for our lunches
Thankyou Fr. Chad for just being so helpful
Thankyou Sr. Jane for being our principal
Thankyou to all the parents for all their love, guidance, and support
Finally thankyou Holy Cross Class of 2004. Thanks everybody for being great friends and helping me enjoy 9 years at Holy Cross School.

I thing the most important thing we have learned at Holy Cross is friendship. We could have learned all about loyalty, trust, and forgiveness out of a bunch of boring text books that no one really paid attention to, but here at Holy Cross we have learned all these things through trial and error. We have all had our share of arguments and unforgettable moments. Over these last 9 years some very strong friendships have been formed. With every small gesture we have changed each others lives. For better or for worse. "Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.” After you guys leave here I want you guys to think about something: Its something Muhammad Ali said, “You learn a lot of things in school; but if you don’t learn about friendship you haven’t learned anything at all.” There is no beginning or end.. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift. Thankyou and Congratulations Class of 2004.

Phew! I actually read all of these entries. All of your speeches were great! Big Boi, good move by cutting out the story! I had heard that story many of times before. What you put at the end was much better and personal. The selfish dud e up there,Dude, your speech rocks. Something I would never try to pull of, but it workd for you. Laura, your speech was really great. Hey you know what's funny is how many of us Valedictorians are procrastinators. I need my speech by Saturday and am no where near being completely done. No worries though. If I have done it all these four years of high school, ehy not give it one last shot, before college (eek). Good luck with your futures people. God bless

I am a salutatorian at my school and my English teacher advised me to choose a theme.
When you have a theme, you can be more centered, bring your ideas through quickly and clearly and it will be easier for the audience to listen to what you have to say.

Good luck on your speeches everybody!

I think I am the selfish dude Cookie G is referring to, if so, thanks for seeing the humor in my speech even without hearing the delivery. Everyone here is obsessing over the speech itself when the delivery is what makes or breaks it.

I gave the second to last speech at my graduation on the 2nd of June. It was a huge hit. Everyone came up to me after graduation to shake my hand and tell me how wonderful my speech was. It was unanimously the best speech at graduation and more than a few people told me it was the best one they had EVER heard. I was sick at graduation and still am today, but I still managed to pull off a flawless delivery.

I didn't change my speech as much as I thought I would, but here is what I actually said at graduation.

*****************************************************************************

Before I begin, I would just like to say I am a little sick today. So if I cough up a lung, that’s okay I have another. If my voice cracks or makes any strange noises, it’s NOT because I’m going through puberty again, it’s because I’m sick. So with that, let’s begin.

Ladies, Gentleman, and [With rising volume] the 2004 Class of [School Name]!

[Continue with normal volume] I am David [last name], the resident smart a- I mean smart guy. You know the type, I’m the guy who complains about “only scoring a 95 on the last test,” while you stare down at your ugly little 82. And, of course, I am the person who always wants to compare test scores. I might ask, “How did you do on the SAT?” and the reply is inevitably, “Shut up, [Nickname]! We all know you scored a 1600. Get over yourself.” Now what they fail to realize, is that [With a wide-eyed appearance of innocence] I am a truly humble guy and my only intention was to find out how well they did. By the way, did you know I scored a 1600 on the SAT? See what I mean? I’m just a humble guy.

I stand before you today because, well, because I have the somewhat ubiquitous honor of being a valedictorian. [With a heaping amount of sarcasm] See, EVERYONE knows valedictorians give great speeches. That high GPA just magically translates into FANTASTIC speaking abilities. O wait, it doesn’t, but that aside, I will attempt to prolong the already excruciating, Hibbert that means very painful, length of this ceremony. Please continue with your politely feigned attention.

My friends, and people I don’t know, this day has finally, FINALLY arrived, the day where we pick up that little slip of paper and we move on, on into the world of adulthood. Congratulations! Of course the ramifications of this new adult world has yet to fully sink in, so permit me to educate you. If you are going to college, you have a few more years of good times and mooching off your parents. I was at Notre Dame, the university, not the church, the weekend of Saint Patrick’s Day. Let’s think about this for a second: college kids, Saint Paddy’s Day, and NO adult supervision. I had a great time there. [Smiles and pauses, then continues] Yep, it was 2 o clock in the morning and we were drinking Pepsi and discussing philosophy. It was interesting stuff. [Pause, then confused outrage] WHAT? What did you think I was doing!?

[People began applauding] No matter where you go ... [Applause dies down because I didn't pause] No, go ahead and applaud, it's okay with me. I like it when people appreciate my talents. [Grins. Applause continues more loudly than before]

[Begins again after applause dies down] No matter where you go, college is going to be awesome, just try to get in a little bit of studying in between parties. Now, for those of you going straight into the workforce, brace yourself for a strong dose of reality. Instead of going to school, you get to go to work, for eight hours a day, five days a week, for the next, oh [Looks at watch], forty-seven years of your life. Ain’t that a hoot? Hey college kids, don’t be laughing too hard, your time is coming in another four years, except you’ll have a little thing called college loans to pay off.

[Seriously now] High school is over and this ceremony, with all its pomp and solemnity, symbolizes the passing of an era within our lives. With the tossing of this tassel, the last vestige of childhood is gone. Our future now lies outside these walls and my only advice is this: Carpe Diem. Seize the day! Figure out what you want in life and then go after it. There will be people out there who will tell you that you are not smart enough, good enough, not this, or not that; ignore them. My second grade teacher told my parents that I was “developmentally challenged.” She recommended that I be held back a grade and be placed into “special” classes. All I can say is, I’ll try to remember that when I head off to Stanford University.

I will leave you with one final thought. Happiness is defined by others only if you allow it. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to Stanford, to Western Oregon, or to work at Mickey Ds, if you’re happy that is all that truly counts. There will always be someone out there smarter, cuter, and richer than you, unless you’re me, but this can only prevent you from living a happy life if you let it. Bottomline: don’t take life too seriously or you’ll never get out alive.

Thank you for listening and congratulations class of 2004.

*****************************************************************************

This speech doesn't look too special written out; but with the right pauses, hand gestures, facial expressions, and voice command, it becomes a great speech. Good luck to you vals out there who still have speeches to write/deliver.

i need help seriously..
i dont know how to begin nor start.. HELP!

Hi!
I have been chosen to write and present a valedictorian speech at my Gr.9 grad, wich is in two weeks! i know it is not as important as a highschool one,but i am lost at what to put in it! If you have any ideas please email me! thnx a ton!

-- Jalene

Hey ever1 just gave my speech (Scroll up to read it). it went great. use humour. don't stress out. don't expect ur class mates to laugh direct the jokes toward the parents and audience. bout halfthrought u realize how ez it is and think u could do it a thousand time. thnx to all those who helped. peace out. -Hammad K

Ya Hi, I'm only 13 and I know middle school is like nothing compared to high school but I got picked to be Valedictorian and I like hated my school for the all of this year so I sorta feel like I have to sugar coat things cuz I really can't be brutaly honest or I'll sound like a jerk so I'm not sure what to do, so I was wondering if u all might be able to help. -Issa

My Speech

Hi everyone. I’m real nervous and a bit unsure of what I’m going to say so here it goes. Life is what you make it, I’ve heard this before and I thought it sounded really true even though we can’t control life. I hope that you’ve made this year or the past years at Ridgeview count for something. Maybe even something that you’ll remember. I doubt that anyone can say they haven’t had a bad day at this school but some people might even say they’ve had a day year, I know for a fact that there were times when I wanted to quit school completely and never come back but some things have a way of turning out for the better.
If you know that using our mistakes only build to make a brighter future you know that there’s nothing wrong in making a few mistakes in life, that’s why pencils have erasers. Everybody has to learn somehow so as we go on to grade 9 we should remember the important things in life and not give up on our dreams.
A really smart person said to never underestimate the power of your actions. God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. Look for the Good in others.
I really do believe that we’ll reach our goals and succeed in High School because we are very ready for the this and if you’re all as excited as me to get there it’ll be no problem at all. We made it through 3 years here so what’s 4 years over there going to be. One word? Awesome. So I’d just like to say Congratulations!

I'd Really like to know what u all think of it so Please comment on it good or bad. I just need some thoughts on it.

There's quite a few spelling mistakes up there too eh. So I'll change them but I still wanna know what u think. -Issa

People still posting:

There are probably not very many valedictorians still viewing this site, graduation has come and gone for most people by now. The only I keep checking back here is because I am stuck at home with pneumonia and I need something to pass the time.

Marissa W.

Your speech looks okay. It is not earth-shattering or exceptionally good, but it will do. It is about the quality of some of the speeches I heard at my high school graduation. I would not worry too much about it. High school graduation is not that big a deal and middle school is even less important. No college is going to look at your middle school grades and a few even disregard your freshman year marks.

I would not recommend being brutally honest. Perhaps for a high school graduation, if you felt strongly enough, but you are not out of the public school system yet. No sense in burning bridges and offending people before you know if you need them. Realpolitick kid, be nice to people until you know you do not require their help anymore. Besides, it is truly hard to be brutally honest and not sound like a jerk.

I do think you need to develop your ideas a little further though.

"Life is what you make it, I’ve heard this before and I thought it sounded really true even though we can’t control life."

That is confusing. How can life be what you make it, if you cannot control it? I think it should be more like this: "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. It[life] is not about the adversity, it is how you react in face of that adversity." Acknowledge that there are events in life beyond your control, but state definitively that success and failure is based on oneself and one's character.

"I hope that you’ve made this year or the past years at Ridgeview count for something. Maybe even something that you’ll remember."

If I were you I would do a paragraph on leaving middle school behind. You could say "I hope you made these last three years count, because middle school is over and we are moving on." Reflect a little on what you are leaving behind, because high school is going to be different than middle school. High school is where the things you do start becoming important. Grades may or may not matter to your friends, but they will decide the universities you can get into. Extracurriculars become more difficult, require more time, and are taken more seriously and, whether you know it or not, extracurriculars are important on college applications. It is probably the reason I did not get into Harvard even with the grades and the SAT score.

"If you know that using our mistakes only build to make a brighter future you know that there’s nothing wrong in making a few mistakes in life, that’s why pencils have erasers."

You need to explain how using our mistakes build to make a brighter future because I do not quite understand how mistakes help anyone. I would say something like "No one is perfect and mistakes are inevitable, but we should never allow a few failures to halt our pursuit of our dreams."

One last thing, say something better than "a really smart person" at the beginning of the second to last paragraph. It sounds more than a little lame. Words like "really" and "totally" have been completely overused in that context, that it makes one sound unintelligent to use them. Say "a truly smart person", "a person of great intelligence," or an "Olympian of Erudition" as long as you do not say someone is "really" or "totally" anything.

Last word of advice, make sure you have a day or two to practice your speech. You do not have to memorize it, but you should be familiar enough with it that you only need to look down occasionally for reference. DO NOT JUST GET UP THERE AND READ YOUR SPEECH! Delivery is key and a "read" speech is the absolute worst delivery there is.

There you go, some thoughts on your speech. Good luck.

DYSH u've been a big help thnx a bunch i gotta go give my speech today and I know that Middle school is nothing. I still hate it. I was just really nervous talking in front of all those ppl. It's gonna be my first real big speech. THX again. down there my fixed speech.

Hi everyone. I was really nervous and unsure of what to say today so here it goes. Some people have said Life is what you make it, I’ve heard this many times before and I thought it sounded really true even though we can’t control life. I hope that you’ve made this year or past years at Ridgeview count for something, Maybe even something that you’ll remember. I doubt that anyone can say they haven’t had a bad day at this school, some people might even say they’ve had a bad year, I know for a fact that there were times when I wanted to quit school completely and never come back but some things have a way of turning out for the better.
If you know that using our mistakes only build to make a brighter future you know that there’s nothing wrong in making a few mistakes in life, that’s why pencils have erasers. Everybody has to learn somehow so as we go on to grade 9 we should remember the important things in life and not give up on our dreams.
A really smart person said to never underestimate the power of your actions. God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. Look for the Good in others.
I really do believe that we’ll reach our goals and succeed in High School because we are very ready for the this and if you’re all as excited as me to get there it’ll be no problem at all. We made it through 3 years here so what’s 4 years over there going to be. One word? Awesome. So I’d just like to say Congratulations & Good Luck!

hey, first time writer here, and i'm impressed with what u guys have come up with. i'm a valedictorian, graduating june 21st (how stupid, right?) so i have some time, but i'm so terrible at speeches and the last thing i want to do is be predicable. I'm not a comic genious to anyone but my friends, and i hate cliches, but then i feel like my only other option is to write about how hard it is to write a speech without humor or cliches. if anyone has any ideas about a new direction to take it in, or maybe even a funny quote to build off of, it would be so helpful.

Marissa W.

I am sure your speech went fine. Everyone seems to be at least a little nervous over giving a speech, but there is actually very little to be nervous over. No one is going to come up to you after a speech and tell you it was terrible, even if it was not your finest work. The audience is generally sympathetic to the speaker; they understand you are probably a little nervous and they will not hold it against you.

Kathryn

By saying you do not want to be predictable, you are being precisely that. No one wants to be predictable, clichaic, or boring; that is why this site exists, to help a bunch of valedictorians all wanting the exact same thing, to be unique. LOL. June 21st is a very late graduation, when did school start for you? Anyway, take at a look at Val's June 1st post, he did what I would have done if I had the time.

sit down, slap on some head phones, chill out, write what comes to you, and then yeah i fergot what this was about...

like many of you i am also hunting for ideas. i remember how the year 2000 valedictorian gave a speech about the graduating class being pigeonholed as "generation x" since they are the y2k class. The world didn't know what to expect of them, but the class will knock everyone off their feet. i thought the speech was a little cliche. it seemed to fit the criteria set by dan

then last year's valedictorian gave a speech about athenians versus trojans (i can't remember which greek mythology groups). It was about how both sides spent so much time fighthing that they didn't acknowlegde the finer points in life.

these recounts aren't advice just what i remember. take it however u like. i will continue to hunt around for more tips and ideas because after reading this my speech seems a little "cliche."

hey everyone... so i need to have my speech ready in 2 days, and i like so many of you have not really started at all. i have a couple ideas about what i want to put in it and i think ill put a draft up here when its actually done. i noticed that everyone on here procrastinates a lot, just like me. even though i have put up with a lot of crap from people for not doing it, i am not going to school next year. i just dont want to. and i was wondering if all of you valedictorians(oooh, ahhh) are planning on going straight out of highschool or are you lazy like me and dont want to go to school

I dont know how to start my speech or what to talk about and my speech is due in a few hours! I'm totally freaking out. Can someone help me?

Ian

I know exactly what you mean. When I told a few of my friends I was thinking about taking a year off they just about tore my head off. Gods, it is MY life and I will do as I see fit. Some people started quoting statistics [90% of people who take a year off never go to college, blah, blah, blah] and I felt like shaking them to see if they actually realized what they were saying. I am not the average Joe; if they think a year off will dampen my ambition and drive to succeed, they are badly mistaken. The average guy who takes a year off is probably ambivalent about going to college in the first place. I WANT to go to college, but I also want to experience a little more of life before I go.

hey guys, I'm in grade 8, and also valedictorian of my class of 120. I'm only half way done reading this, but i just wanted to say that if you have a good speech or tips can you post them on this instead of emailing them to the ppl who ask. I have like the same questions and worries as everyone else, and it would make alot more sense to post them since i never use my email. Thanx.

O and I also only have one more day to write it considering I kept putting it off because I have no idea what to write. Everyone is asking me to make it so they cry at the end. (I'm not kidding, like 20 ppl have asked me that). I want my speech to be touching but enjoyable and funny!
Casey (Thorold, Ontario)

O and my grad is not over yet

Um, am i seeing things or did this thing start more than a year ago?

Hey guys... Im in grade eight and I was chosen as Valedictorian. I was so lost and I didn't know what to write about until I read some of your speeches. Eddy I really liked your speech. I mean I liked the other speeches to, but I liked how you worked in a poem. I have to say my speech on the 23 of June. I have some ideas but I dont really know what to say because nobody in my class wants to go far in life... so I dont really want to just get up there and say... "O ya and good luck with the begging for money... If I see you I'll drop a few bucks in your hat for ya.".. I need some ideas on how to start my speech. If you have some let me know! I would really appreciate it. Thanks

Also how do I make my speech funny if nothing funny happened in my years of public school? Lets just say im happy im going to a different school then the rest of them!

Wow, okay, I had to write a speech for an english class as though I was valedictorian- I couldnt even spell the word! I made mine funny, because thats what Im all about. If you're a serious person, make it serious. If you're the class clown, make it humorous. Just remember that highschool is only ONE part of life, not everything. There is lots more exciting things out there that will happen to you. Add in some personal class jokes too. That makes your classmates really listen to what you are saying. If you hated school, then say that! But say it in a "not-so-mean" kind of way...

Here's mine.

Um... well that helps me out.. I didn't technically hate public school. Its just that I actually put some effort into my work. Everyone makes fun of me because im "preppy" and I do all my work so neat and organized. Im a perfectionist. Compared to them anyone is perfect. But thats not who i am. Saying this speech means a lot to me. I always wanted to be valedictorian. Ever since I knew what it meant. So how should I start my speech off? I know not a lot of people are going to check this website because they have already said there speeches. But Im hoping the people reading this reply. Id really appreciate it. Thanks

Im back. Im already done wit my speech, it went great. So i came back to help. All u guyz need to do is talk about something important u learned lke frienship or trust. Also some a some-what funny story, every1 will laugh at anything except for your classmates they will be too nervous to laugh. So make sure the jokes will make sense to the parents n other siblings. End with a challenge. Have a little emotional part that soft stuff, lots of people like it. Remember that the speech is not only about u its about the whole school. Good Luck. Check out brainyquotes.com for some awesome quotes i used muhammad ali(u learn a lot of things in school but if u dont learn bout friendship u havent learned anything at all). Feel free to read my speech its posted up there (look 4 the final draft). Good Luck again

i wrote my valedictorian speech and everyone loved it and i used half the things you said to not use.

I NEED HELP!! .. I have to give my speech for grade eight in three days and i havent even started!! i need help!! i need ideas!! ahh!! im freaking out!!

Hi. I am the Valedictorian my for 2004 graduating class. It is weird how our school board does graduation, but here we don't ahve graduation until the next fall, just before thanksgiving. This is both a blessing and a curse because I have tons of time to write my speech, but don't get to see too many of the graduates because we are all spread out come fall. Our school votes on Valedictorian and i was suprised to be chosen. We also keep it a secret until graduation, so i am finding it really hard not to ask my friends for some good advice on what to say. All the speeches posted above are really great, and I know it's really hard to vary too much from those ideas, but I want to do something that is my own, that people will expect from me, but without being to predictable. Is that too much too ask?

can someone send me a copy of their speech to me? pls..

if any1 is still on this site i need an idea for my grade 8 speech. i havent started an i have to give it in a few days. Help!!!

is any1 out there!? Help, need ideas!

Anybody notice that no matter how awful your speech is, people will compliment you? I hated my speech-- I didn't have anything that I wanted to say, yet everybody told me how wonderful it was.

My advice is to keep your speech short. Especially if you aren't much of a public speaker; you don't want to be up there, and they don't want to sit through twenty minutes of your "wisdom." Don't be phony or pretend to know everything.

Good luck- it's really not that bad. You'll live.

I would like to say that my valedictorian speech is more of a comedy act then anything else. Personally, I hate to be serious, I love to make people laugh. I've taken peoples views about the speech, and therefore decided to be myself. I have to present my speech in a couple days, so i'll let you know how my approach works.

i need help my speech is due tomorrow and i havnt wrote a thing i want it to be a funny speech
HELp me!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHH!

the comencement is dayafter tomorrow !

why did i have to come here now !?

please ignore my "stage notes" and jokes that only my entire class would understand and let me know what you think of my speech. Ill be giving it in 2 days time.

I was sitting infront of myhalf filled computer screen yesterday morning and all I could think was...graduation is tomorrow night. Talk about procrastination. I know, I know. But then again, I wondered if anyone was even going to listen PAUSE and if they did, PAUSE would they remember the words that I spoke?
I had some trouble starting this speech, after all, how do you reflect on six years of high school and inspire everyone for the future, all in under 3 minutes? PAUSE During most of our childhood, we walked down the halls and stared at the big kids. (LOOK AT CROWD) Do you guys remember that? on orientation day we stuck to the walls in single file and watched them walk in their groups and thought, to not walking down the halls in lines? If only we could be that lucky. And then, without realizing it, we became the big kids and were suddenly being admired. However, just like all good things, being admired comes to an end. There are mixed emotions about this end. For some there will be tears of sadness, and for other, they will be tears of joy, because they are finally out of here. I personally have discovered that the propect of university intimidates me, only when I realize that there will be no Tasha twenty feet away to keep me organized and on time. PAUSE

Let's reflect back...I can clearly remember orientation day, where many people disliked those who weren't from their elementary school, and our grade eight trip where Veinot was attacked relentlessly with water, lipstick and shaving cream. But, he took it all in stride....(LOOK UP)right Veinot? PAUSE Speaking of Veinot, the other night at the banquet he mentioned Aaron and I in his math class, without a pencil between us. It's funny he never mentioned that to us... until 4 years later. (PAUSE) I don't know if he was letting us explore or just wanted us out of his hair.....wait a minnute......PAUSE

I asked a number of class mates what they remembered over the years, and each never failed to mentioned Nick Ross always being the first to volunteer to cross dress, whether it be for a movie, play or just because he had to wear pants to supper in cuba because he couldnt find the key to get into his room...PAUSE (sarcasim) suuuuure Nick... but Matt & Ryan were the ones who dressed in drag on that class trip in grade 8, and I can't seem to recall an actual reason for it.

That's another thing about the grads, we're never overly concerned about what others think of us, whether we're letting our leg hair grow for 8 months, or willingly dressing guys up in skirts and viking hats to carry books around all day.We are who we are, and we love it.

Some of you might be listening to me talk and rolling your eyes because you look at me as "one of those people." You know the ones... Who get all involved in everything and maintain avergae marks. But I'm no different then the rest of you. I haven't ALWAYS loved school. I know for a fact there were times when I wanted to quit school compleatly and never come back. There were numerous ocasions when Id walk into Hazeltons room and hed ask me if I wanted to talk or just sit, and I'd say just sit as I tried to catch up with what was hapenning around me. I don't know if it was last year, or after the first set of exams this year but I was sitting in Lutz's room and I was amazingly upset and confused by things that were happening in my life. I didn't say anything to him, I just sat there in silence with tears streaming down my face. PAUSE He looked at me and said ....."so what are you going to do about it?" I got up then, PAUSE and I left because what he said was true, and as Ghandi said, you need to "Be the change that you want to see in the world." PAUSE I guess some things have a way for turning out for the better. PAUSE

I've learned from parents, friends, mistakes and myself that the world will beat you down, and that you will shed more than your share of tears, but after finding what it is that your heart burns for, keep with it and don't let other bring you down, create the best version of yourself. When something tugs at your heart, something that's your aspiration, your dream...you owe it to yourself to go for it and make it happen.

I'm aware that all of you can't say the same, but attending Hants North has been one of the best experiences of my life. And while some of us might not feel like it was the best experience of our life, after all, it was still school, I believe I can say that none of us regret our time here. Although I know there were times when we all felt like it was a bad idea....especially when we were taking one of Mr G's "quizzes", listening to Mr. Woodbury as he got a little off topic, or writng one of Mr. T's Chem exams...twice. All because Kyle e-mailed it to too many people...I mean....cheated.

But now's the time when popularity, personalities and discrepancies can all be left behind for new beginnings PAUSE after all, who wants to be remembered as the girls who drank at a dance and got caught? PAUSE Many new opportunities await us as we give up the past to prepare for the future. All of us here today have something to offer to the world. By creating new ideas (FASTlike white smarties and dip on the side of chips) we will take on the world instead of letting the world overtake us. The possibilities of what we can accomplish stretch endlessly before us.

It's been fun growing and discovering the world with you guys and watching people come out of their shells, even it it took a trip to Cuba, and a 50 year old man....right Frank? Time is too precious, and life is too precious to not enjoy it. PAUSE Don't forget to say "thank you" to those who have helped you here, and those who will help you in the future. In the words of William Arthur Ward, "the mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates and the great teacher inspires". I'd like to thank the teachers who have inspired me and the rest of the class of 2004.

Before I finish up I just wanted to share with you something that I wrote on my agenda on June 2nd... It says 23 up in the top left corner PAUSE thats my countdown until graduation. Then it says "do geology" with an angry face beside it... PAUSE I guess I was trying to scare myself into doing it. Then there's the part I really wanted to share with you all. It's a peice out of a conversation Allison and Leslie were having in Biology class, PAUSE dont worry G, it must have been one of those times they were talking but still listening and getting their work done. PAUSE They were talking about our ten year reunion and Allison had said "bettcha ill be married and have kids and a house." I remember Leslie looking at her and saying "I bettcha i'll be tanked." PAUSE I don't know who's parents need to worry more.

I want to leave you now, with a quote by Thomas Hughes...."We all have to learn, in one way or another, that neither men nor women get second chances in the world. We all get new chances until the end of our lives, but not second chances in the same set of circumstances; and the great difference between one person and another is how he takes hold of, and uses, his first chance, and how he takes his fall if it's scored against him." PAUSE Remember Grads, to succeed, you first need to try. PAUSE We should live for the future and yet should find our life in the fidelities of the present. PAUSE I wish you all the best, wherever you take yourselves in the future.

Carpe Diem.

To ashley666>>>your speech has charisma its likeable cuz it's personal but i would seriously question whether or not ppl. would find that joke about not shaving your legs for 8 months as funny as you intended it to be . . . maybe its just me . . . anyways . . . im desperate for ideas that aren't universally stupid/ cliche (like the ones i heard from my teachers who told me that the body of the speech does not contain any reminescing about the class or your friends) but since im in a co-valedictorian speech address half of its got to be better than my counterpart's who secretly had her parents write her half for her (this i know because she usually starts all her sentences with "well i feel this way because. . ." for every major writing assignment and all of a sudden, she's quoting mother theresa and her speech is the best my teacher has seen in eighteen years)p.s this is for a grade eight class

Isn't this fabulous? Here we all are, supposedly the best of our class, and yet none of us have any idea where to start. We seem to be the kings and queens of procrastination, yet somehow, our schools have picked us out as the number one person. Of course, by saying this I do not assume that I am any better; for crying out loud, here I am, along with hundreds of others looking up how to write this speech on the internet. And, like hundreds of others, I find the reading of all these comments a fantastic way to procrastinate and delay the writing of my speech. Look, I am spending time writing this reply instead of starting my speech. Ironically, this website has helped in profound ways; it has given my the utmost amount of courage by showing me that I am not alone. Even the best of the best have many doubts about their abilities. Good luck everyone in writing your speeches and congradulations on graduating top of your class.

I totally agree with Mike. It seems that we have sunk bottom when we all rely on the internet to generate ideas for that once in a lifetime high school valedictorian address. But at the same time I find hope that in finding this forum of ideas we can learn from one another and know that we, although chosen to represent our graduating class, can look to one another to find guidance and advice from those who have already given their speech. Good luck to everyone. I hope we are all able to bring out that special something that our classes will look forward to.
P.S. To Mike: to be valedictorian you do not have to graduate top of your class, sometimes it is just a popularity contest. but other times the class may gave just chosen the all round right person to speak on their behalf, which is what i hope has happend in the cases concerning all of us

I advise that once elected, all valedictorians refuse the honor. Its so much stress and anxiety! I have to write my speech, it really reeks. I'm probably not gonna show up to school tomorrow.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, THAT I ASK ALL PEOPLE TO STOP REFERING TO US BLACK PEOPLE AS "AFRICAN AMERICANS". IT IS OK FOR WHITES TO BE CALLED WHITES, BUT NOT OK TO CALL BLACKS BLACKS. TO ME THIS INDIRECTLY SAYS BEING CALLED OR BEING BLACK IS A BAD THING. SO PLEASE REFER TO THE DARK COLORED COMMUNITY AS BLACKS. EVERYONE PLEASE POST YOUR THOUGHTS OR EMAIL ABOUT THIS ASAP. PRAY FOR WORLD PEACE. HOLLA. PS:I AM/WAS ALSO A VALEDICTORIAN.

Hi, I'm from Australia, and needing a bit of help for a valedictory speech. I'm in Year 12, need to speak for 5-7 minutes but am not allowed to tell anyone I have got the award. Any suggestions?

hey ya all. i too am from aussie land, however i am not like you all in the way that i am a lucky person being picked out of many to do the valedictory speech. it is part of our last assessment piece in english in year 12. now i am not talented at all in english and not only in having to make my speech original yet really funny as we get marked down for bordism. i am naturally funny to my friends as making myself look foolish but nuthin is coming to mind for this speech. if sumone cud give me a few good funny lines maybe i cud wing it from there. thank you

HEY AUSSIES. WASUP, MATES?! FIRST OF ALL, MAYBE U SHUD READ THE SPEECHES ABOVE. SOME R VERY GUD. SECONDLY WILL SOME1 PLZ REPLY MY EARLIER COMENTS. BY THE WAY IM NOT THE SAME BIGBOI AS THE GUY WHO POSTED THAT SPEECH. 2 DIFFERENT PEOPLE. ANYWAYZ HOLLA BACK. PRAY 4 WORLD PEACE.

Hi there y'all... actually I was sent here not by the "Words I've said out loud" post but by this one. I am still looking for writing advice on graduation speeches and found this among many. I'm much older than high school age-- actually, I was asked by the director of my nursing school to say a few words at the grad ceremony. It don't help that I am the quietest person in the class. =:-o

This thread is still going? Heh, that's awesome.

Last spring, I was skimming around looking for a list of Graduation clichés and was happy to find the original post here.

I actually wrote two different speeches for my high school Valedictory address. I enjoyed writing the original (the list of clichés above was a great help), and I thoroughly liked the speech itself. I read it at graduation rehearsal (my class loved it, much to my surprise), but the principal forbade me from reading it at graduation.

Actually, he ordered me into his office and yelled at me for several minutes.

I was quite angry with him--I don't respect the man at all. I have never held any respect for him, and the idea that he was telling me what he wanted me to say was infuriating. He had given me three cliché-ridden speeches by previous valedictorians for "ideas." (Please, like anyone couldn't come up with one of those--I've written stock speeches for kicks, heh.) I came up with something I thought was at least entertaining--he thought it was offensive.

My classmates urged me to read the speech anyway. "It's graduation--what is he going to do, not let you graduate?" I suppose he could have withheld my diploma. One girl in my city did have her diploma withheld that year for something she said at graduation. It ended up being a big fiasco for her, I'm sure. I heard about it several weeks after graduation, and when I did, I was very happy that I had not put myself through that.

A couple people said I "compromised" my integrity by "giving in" and writing a different speech. That's not true. I did give a different, less "offensive" speech at graduation. Although I only did so because my English teacher (whom I do respect) asked me to do so. The principal...heh, I still have no kind words to say about him.

In any case, should anyone find himself in a situation like mine, here is my advice: Don't put yourself through any undue hassle, and stay true to yourself. If you cannot write a clichéd speech and feel okay with it, then don't. I couldn't--I ended up spending a long time writing two seperate original speeches. (Actually, they did not take long to write at all...when I actually sat down and wrote them. The first took half an hour, the second took an hour.)

My original speech (making fun of the clichéd) is this one:

HOW TO WRITE A VALEDICTORY ADDRESS

Mr. B**** has been asking me to write this speech for almost a month. I started yesterday. Now, lest you think me irresponsible, let me explain. Writing a valedictory address is easy. It hardly takes ten minutes.

You start by greeting everyone present. Now, you may not actually know everyone present, but don't let that stop you. List off several categories and hope you don't miss anyone. "I would like to take this opportunity to welcome family, friends, faculty, and especially fellow students." If you're feeling creative, you can mix it up a bit: "I'd like to welcome all teachers, students, parents, relatives, and friends." But why stop there? You can also welcome pastors, band members, bored siblings, and that guy in the back who only came for the free food at the graduation parties. Be careful not to leave anyone out. Remember: these people are all potential gift-givers, and you want to make them happy. Ask for guest list and name off individual persons if necessary. Your audience won't mind--they're here anyway, so they might as well hear their name during the speech.

After the greeting, the accepted procedure is to extend thanks to certain groups and individuals. This should also be done liberally and without regard to time. Thank anyone and everyone you can think of, whether or not they have had positive influence on your life: from the kindergarten teacher who taught you to read, to the Algebra teacher who finally let you move on to Geometry, to the school bully who only took your lunch money...<I>most</I> of the time. Everyone deserves thanks, and it's your job to give it to them.

When you've finished that section of your speech, it's time for nostalgia. This is the part of the speech that everyone's been waiting for, so make it good. Pull out all the stops. Dig through old yearbooks if you have to. After all, you've known some of these people since you were three years old--you have to have at least some embarrassing stories to tell. What about the time that one boy flooded the bathrooms at LuWiSoMo? Or when every girl in your fifth grade class had a crush on N*SYNC? It's possible that one person might have forgotten Phil's basketball speech from freshman English, and it's your job to remind them. Does everyone know about the time on the canoe trip when the van caught fire? What about when that one girl fainted during handbells? Everyone has heard about the 'Refills are double' incident...but why not tell the story one more time?

Talk about your classmates. Tell about the girl who actually bought an elevator pass--back when there was no elevator. Point out the idiosyncrasies of every person you can think of. From the boy who was gullible enough to believe anything, from the girl who slept through every class, to the kid who skipped school every Monday, to the one who never got a single tardy. What about the boy who screamed at the fish hatchery, way back in Biology class? Who was the biggest teacher's pet? Who was the most talkative? ...Did she ever actually <i>stop</i> talking?

When you've finished reminiscing about the past, be sure to talk about the future. This section can be as long or short as you desire. At this point in the address, most people reflect on the apparent uncertainty of life after high school, and many choose to share motivational messages, quotes from Life's Little Instruction Book, or Bible verses. Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord," and Isaiah 41:1 "Do not be dismayed, for I am your God," are among favorites.

When you've finally wrapped that up, be sure to end with a witty or inspirational one-liner. Don't drone on and on and just...<i>finally....stop talking</i>. Close with bang...or at least something that sounds like an ending. You want people to KNOW when you're done, so they can start applauding.

If you find yourself stuck while writing your speech, there are several places you can go for help. I even have a list of clichés you may find helpful--use these, and your speech will practically write itself: [Thanks to this site! The list made my life much easier!]

* We are the leaders of tomorrow.
* This isn’t the end--it’s a new beginning.
* We came into this school as strangers and are leaving as friends.
* Among us sits the scientist who will cure (insert bad thing here).
* We will cherish these days.
* We will look back and say that these years were the best in our lives.
* As you sit in front of me.
* We will all go separate ways.
* We’ve gained so much.
* We’ll look back on these days.
* As we start this new chapter in our lives.
* We'll never forget each other/or these years.
* Be true to yourself.
* We are finally out of here.
* Wear sunscreen.

That being said, I've run out of time to give my address. Now that I've explained the procedure, however, you may feel free to write your own.

-------

And there you have it. I love this speech, heh.

...This is the speech I agreed to give at Graduation. It was very corny...but at least it wasn't too full of clichés. The corniness made me wince every time I looked at it, but I did get a sadistic pleasure out of using the word "expect" forty times in two minutes.

WELCOME TO EXPECTATIONS

"Expectations is the place you must always go to before you get to where you're going. Of course, some people never go beyond expectations..."

There are many of you in the audience this afternoon that I don't know. I've never seen some of you before, and some of you have never seen me. It's hard to write a speech to give to people I don't know. People who have never heard me talk before.

I don't know what kind of response to expect from you. You don't know what kind of speech to expect from me. It makes for awkwardness on both ends, because I don't want to say the wrong things--but I don't know what the wrong things might be. You are expecting a certain kind of speech--but you don't know how to react if you're given something else. We all have certain expectations.

Each of you is here this afternoon for a reason. Those reasons are sitting in front of me right now, wearing purple robes and silly-looking hats. You know them. So do I. You've lived with them, played with them, worked with them. I've gone to school with them. In some cases, I’ve gone to school with them for ten years. They know what to expect from me--be it silence, laughter, or a good score on the last English test. In the same way, I know what to expect from many of them.

I know that I can expect laughter from Phil. I can expect stories from Michele. I can expect kind words from Elliott, friendliness from Desi, and humor from Josh. I'm being general and brief, because I also know that if I list off qualities of all fifty+ people in my class, I can expect to be pulled offstage.

But the past several years have not only taught us what to expect from each other. For as long as we've been at Lutheran High, we've known what to expect from it, as well. Chapel every Wednesday. Jokes from Mr. Bruening, Mr. Jensen, and Mr. Vogel. Occasional lectures on the dress code. Pizza on Fridays. The list could go on for several pages.

These ideas--these familiar listings of what we expect--no longer apply. We will never sit through another intercom devotion, never hear Mr. Vogel tell another geometry joke, never go on another spontaneous field trip to the Racine Zoo. I've had several people tell me this week that today feels like someone else's graduation. That it doesn't feel like high school could possibly be over...but it is.

"Expectations is the place you must always go to before you get to where you're going. Of course, some people never go beyond expectations..."

You've heard that quote twice now. It's from the book The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. (My friends know me well enough to expect me to quote children's books whenever the opportunity arises.)

The Phantom Tollbooth is something of an allegory. At its beginning, the character Milo arrives in the Land of Expectations. He wants to get somewhere else, but is told that Expectations is the starting-point for all journeys. The tricky part, he learns, is actually getting started and moving on--going Beyond Expections.

We've gone to school for the past thirteen years to learn what others expect of us. We're expected to know supply and demand, nouns and verbs, square roots, carbon compounds, the books of the Bible. We've taken thirteen years of exams to see if we know what others expect us to know. The fact that each of us has made it this far is a testament to learning...or possibly rote memorization.

But over the course of senior year, expectations have been changing. As graduation has come closer and closer, we've been urged to look ahead, make plans for life after high school. We've been asking ourselves for months--what do we expect from next year? What do we expect college to be like? Do we expect to keep in touch with all our high school friends? And even after today, even after high school, we will all continue to be tested to see if we hold to others’ expectations--be they the expectations of our families, our professors, or our employers.

But just for a moment, today, the question is something different. For a few hours this afternoon, at the beginning of the dangerous transition from child to adult, the world takes on a different cast. This afternoon, no one is going to ask you to conjugate verbs or find the lateral area of a prism. No one expects you to list off the fifth, nineteenth, or twenty-sixth amendments. The question today has nothing to do with what others expect of you...or what you expect from the world around you. The question today is something new, and the tiniest bit dangerous.

What do you expect from yourself?

Welcome to the Land of Expectations. Where you go from here is up to you.

-----------

If either of these helps anyone, I'm glad. Drop me a line, I'd love to hear from you--if you want to rant about having to give a speech, want advice, or just want to talk. Hey, whatever. ^_~

-Sara

I have been invited back as an ex-student to speak to my high school, I graduated 7 years ago! What a pain! I am meant to give them a taste of the real world, show them a glimpse of things to come.

But I agree with the part about once you leave high school you realise how spectacular the moment is {well compared to university and the rest of life}. But you are graduating after spenfing over 12 years of your life in school!

I have to give my speech in 2 hours. I better go think of something to say. Crap.

Hey! I just finished courses to get my Associate's. I made valedictorian and wasn't even aiming for it--I was very suprised I did that. Now I am trying to figure out what speech to make. I have to video tape it and send it to my school (which is about 2 states away from me). This post string is great--I've got a really good idea starting to churn in my head for my speech. I'm fixing to go start digging through all my course notes and materials and things. I'm going to reminisce about all the assignments and projects I did with various people--I'm pretty sure I'm going to find speech material there. Hope this gives someone ideas for their speech...

hi my name is jessica and i came to this site hoping for ideas on a sppech but all it was ,was ppl talkin bout things i dont are about i need ideas this site should give us ideas butit doesnt which makes this site suck and all f us SUUUUUUUUUUUCCHKKKKKKK ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

i agree with jessica this site doesnt give u any ideas.p.s. my name is pamela

i need help with a Valedictorian speech. I have no idea how to write one and if you could send me examples of ones to help guide me write one, i would highly appreciate that. thank you

Don't miss Paul Graham's <a href=http://paulgraham.com/hs.html>What You'll Wish You'd Known</A>!

is there a chance that perhaps you could post example graduation speeches? that is the main thing. i know what to do, and how to do it. but i would like to see a few end results in the other successful cases.

My valedictorian address is due tomorrow and I have no idea what to write!!!!

Wow, I don't know what you guys are talking about, I've gotten a lot of great ideas from this website! I'm graduating with my associate's this semester and I wasn't even going to walk at graduation because it's just a halfway point for me but I got a call from the Deans office that they wanted me to be valedictorian. How could I refuse? Onces the excitement wore off, I freaked about what I just agreed to do. I had two weeks notice (but unlike other valedictorians on here, I'm taking advantage of the full two weeks) and I also needed to get on the ball and rent my robes, order my announcements, etc since I hadn't done any of that because I wasn't going to go through this crap. Not to mention the multiple biographies they wanted from me and photo's to be taken. Well, long story much shorter, I've gotten some great ideas about what I want to do and what I DON'T want to do (which really is just as important as finding what I do want to do). When I'm done working out all of the kinks, I'll post a copy and maybe I'll pass on the same help that I've recieved. I think this is a great website because, not only did I get some ideas, I feel a lot better knowing that other people were just as lost as I was when it came to deciding what to say, and also that other people were feeling just as much pressure from it. I may have good grades and be valedictorian but who am I to impart my wisdom? Who says I'm wiser? This page has helped me a lot. Thank you ALL OF YOU who have posted ideas, advice, and even just their feelings.

wow... think about it... this forum is full of people that excelled above all their classmates. congratulations... i have known for a while that a have to give the valedictorian speech, and i'm sooo tired of school that i can't really think of anything motivating to say. i need help desperately... PLEASE any replies will be greatly appreciated :)

The fact that most of the above posts were written by prospective or actual valedictorians tells you a lot about the sad state of our academic system.

This is a college graduation speech I've been working on for a little while. Please let me know what areas need improvement. I would appreciate constructive criticism. Thank you very much!

The Heart Never Sets a Memory Free

The old adage proclaims that the true test of love is to â??give it wings.â? But when something is truly cherished, we can never fully set it free. It lives within us forever. On this most exciting day, we anticipate the future but also appreciate our past. Though we are leaving campus today, we have become a part of it. Cabriniâ??s heart has become our own.
Each of our irreplaceable experiences here have been based not only the education of our minds but also on the education of the heart. It began with our first visit to Cabrini. From the moment we entered Residential Drive, we knew we have found something exceptional. We passed the spraying fountain and drove through the parting trees. The bright blooming daffodils seemed to spring from each crevice. The campusâ?? serenity and peacefulness permeated the space. And, even on a most exhilarating day such as this, there persists an unexplainable peace throughout the campus. We knew we had found the perfect atmosphere to mold ourselves into prepared adults.
We were not disappointed with our choice. Cabrini gave us a unique education. Our core, distribution, and specialized classes gave us a broad base of knowledge and a varying array of experience. We had a curriculum that not only encouraged, but also required us to be well versed in many disciplines. We began to explore ideas we did not previously appreciate. We had dedicated, caring professors that helped us expand our talents and perfect our skills. They helped us reach far beyond our initial talents. They showed us that with persistence and dedication, we could achieve lofty goals.
We also had opportunities to become responsible citizens and proactive community members. Though we participated in our required Service Days and Community Learning Projects, we also became engrossed in societal projects on campus. We found a reason and a means for focusing our energies on seemingly unsolvable problems. We have achieved noble goals while at Cabrini. We served others and realized the value of compassion. We began to feel grateful for simple pleasures we had always enjoyed.
We did not only explore academics and activism at Cabrini. We have formed unbreakable bonds with the true hearts of Cabrini â?“ our fellow students. We have bonded over grueling 8:15 classes, midterm frustrations, and all-night study sessions. We have come to appreciate each person for his or her individuality. We have explored the limitless boundaries of friendship and created new expectations for our colleagues. Our friends have constantly reminded us that the future is only rewarding if we are enjoying the present. We have found our true friends at Cabrini and though we leave our school today, we will never leave them behind.
While we are enjoying our sweet moment of success, we recognize the bittersweet end we have reached. We thank God for our good fortune in helping us to find our true passions. We thank our families for the many sacrifices they have made in helping us succeed. We thank our professors for showing us what persistence can accomplish.
Our challenge now becomes much greater. We know we will never truly set our memories free. We must now continue our steadfast goals beyond these pristine grounds.
As qualified, caring graduates, we have the benefits of choice and the possibilities of tomorrow. We do not stand waiting to answer the call of destiny but ready to throw ourselves at itâ??s feet. We have been well prepared. We have experienced a unique education that has not only engaged our minds but embraced our hearts. We are ready to take positions of leadership with dignity, spirituality, and morality.
On this most anticipated of days, I urge you to create a goal for yourself. Take inspiration where you find it. Create a product to fulfill a need. Reach someone whom only your talents can awaken. Use your education to inspire another generation of respectful, grateful, and charitable individuals. As Cabrini graduates, we pride ourselves on knowing that we can and will make a difference in our world.
Your education of the heart has shaped and nurtured you into a well-prepared graduate. We have been fortunate to receive our distinctive education. Remember, you are never one in a million, or one in a crowd. You are once in a lifetime, which you must now begin to shape. God Bless the Graduates of 2005 in all of their future endeavors. May you fulfill them all with heart.

hello to everyone i really need to make a speech because im the class 2005 valedictorian of ous school. the theme is "Schools first initiative: Focus on the outcome, the graduates". Please help.

i dont have any draft and i need it as soon as possible

sorry that's yahoo.com

So I have a speech to give...not procrastinating....its in a month....I am a very sarcastic person, hate my school, hate cliches, and really dont want to give a speech. But i have to...because i am smart. dang. what do i do? how do i give a speech that is completely honest and fits my character but is not boring, cliche, and metaphorical???

Ya Im trying out for valedictorian and for all those of you who now know to avoid the doctor Suess book I wish I could do the same! Unfortunatly some Ginius at our school came up with that for our theme and it was voted for by our grad committee (not the one I voted for.) I have to give my speech in less then a day and Im only half done and oh ya we have to base the speech around the theme! Thanks for the other advice!

Hey. I, like most others here, am valedictorian of my high school. I'm a very quirky girl - soon to be double majoring in theatre and math education - and would like something a litte...out there. I'm an actress and director, so I have no problem with public speaking, but I don't want the usual lame cliches. If anyone has any crazy ideas for themes or ideas (or even props to use) for this speech, I'd appreciate it. I really want it to be good - the ceremony is at the Pontiac Silverdome and will be for a couple thousand people. Thanks! E-mail me at the address above and title it "valedictorian".

Buddy, you sound like one of those awful people who look down on life. Highschool is the end of something wonderful. I don't know about you but I worked my damn ass off to get through high school with a 90 average and be able to do the valedictorian speech. Yeah maybe university will be better but when you get old you'll look back and wish you were still in highschool. Just to hang out with your friends and have the time of your life.

Been working on my speech but my cynicism this last year about the ridiculously artificial environment of high school and self righteous administrators who have never spent a day outside of a school building of some sort has kinda tainted my zeal for positive emotion and glowing reminiscence. I know I could have written a better speech last year, I have some humor and some reflection but never it never seems to generate any intimate emotional connection/appeal like a graduation speech ought to do. Need more universality and foward looking happiness with a smiley look back on the last four years for the audience, but i'd like to have some subtle remarks conveying all my friends, non-friends, and I have been disliking about the changes at our "institution." Any thoughts,feelings, etc. pioneeringelements@gmail.com

I'm giving a speech in a month and I really don't want to wait until the last minute. The only problem is I have no idea how to make a speech that is not cliche and really is me....the actual problem is me. I haven't enjoyed the last year of high school due to immense construction and staff changes. The school found ways to get rid of our best teachers and I actually feel as if I have been deprived of my education. So I am not looking forward to this speech. But it has to be done. And I need help. I am smart and I am now cursed. Whoever said that toward the beginning of this page is a genius. So I don't know. need help..........help me make my speech real and me.

Isn't it kinda funny that there is a market out there for valedictorian speeches? You can just go click a button and pay a fee and you have a packaged speech... maybe a requirement for Val would be public speaking experience or some such. lol If they had done that I would be in this situation, that's for sure! Thanks for the great advice, Dan. I am actually getting excited about giving my speech now!

Okay that is sad... I am valedictorian and I made grammatical mistakes in my last reply. I should be shot :)

Hey guys I just thought I'd add my thoughts here like everyone else, i think this site is great i've gotten so many ideas on what 2 say now, the only problem is i don't know how im actually going 2 b able 2 drag myself on stage and actually read my speech, but yeah i hate public speaking, good luck 2 everyone else who has the "wonderful honor" of being valedictorian

I am a valedictorian for my class this year and seriously, I do not want to give a graduation speech. I mean, do I have to because there are twelve more valedictorians and I don't think the seniors want to hear 13 tedious speeches. They want to get out of high school already!

If you are selected to be a valedictorian do not brag. Bragging is verry bad. Be proud for you and others!

i think what im gonna do when i give my speech is pretend i have no idea what im doing for a minute or two...jsut long enough for my vice-principle to have a heart attack. then i wont have to finish it and everyone would have a graduation to remember.

For all of the valedictorians here, What graduation themes have you or your grad class chosen this year?

K, I read through this site a month ago and got ideas for my speech, I posted a response and said I would post my final draft when I was done. I've had a lot of people read it and they think it sounds good and sounds like me. My teacher said it was "gold" so that always good. Anyway, let me know what you think. I'm giving the speech tomorrow, it's only 3 minutes thank god. :) Good luck all of you!

Wow, standing up here, now I wish Iâ??d taken intro to public speaking for my humanities requirement. So, I was offered the opportunity to be Valedictorian so, of course, I accepted without hesitation. Then I thought about it. Write a speech? What do I possibly have to say to my fellow graduates? What pearls of wisdom do I have? Iâ??m just trying to play the game with some success just like everybody else. Well, I had no idea where to start in writing this speech so, true to Valedictorian form, I searched the internet. I found many pearls of wisdom out there. Use clichéâ??s-theyâ??re used frequently because theyâ??re classic. Donâ??t use clichéâ??s-no one wants to hear them anymore. Quote Dr Suess-he knew what he was talking about. You can find the darndest things on the internet, and no, as tempting as it was, I didnâ??t pay the $20 to have my Valedictorian speech written for me. My point is though, we are living at an incredible time; One full of opportunities and possibilities. Our world may have some problems but look at how much weâ??ve accomplished. The world is literally at our fingertips with the internet. A decade ago we could never have finished all of these research papers from the comfort of our own homes or college campus. Our world is a big place, yet itâ??s gotten closer. The opportunity to be part of something big is knocking on our doors! On our way out these doors, though, we should all take a second to thank our favorite professors. They donâ??t hear it nearly enough and they put a lot of effort into our education. Iâ??d really like to thank the hard teachers for your difficult classes. We may have moaned and groaned through the whole semester but we learned a lot and we shined brighter for having faced that challenge and succeeded. I have to thank the easy teachers too though, because without your classes, we never would have made it through those hard ones. Seriously though, we all have at least one favorite teacher, be it because they were particularly nice and caring and showed us personal concern, or because they were particularly funny and made us laugh and really enjoy class, or even because they were particularly hard and challenged us. They donâ??t receive thanks enough for the jobs that they do and, if I could inspire anything from my 3 minutes of fame up here, it would be that you take a minute to tell them thanks for making a difference in your life. Congratulations and good luck to all of you.

So what do you guys think? Fun and light without being pompous? Thats what I was going for at least. :) Thanks for everyone elses responses on here, they all helped.

WENDY!!! I really liked your speech, I thought it was fun and light hearted. Nothing to metaphorical or deep. After finishing college, no one wants to have to sit and think anymore. They want to sit and enjoy themselves, hear a good speech, and smile a little (maybe even laugh). I like the message in your speech and I think you did a good job. Good luck on giving your speech.

Hello from Southern Alberta, Canada. This is one of the best sites I've found for Valedictorian ideas. Good Job!
I'm in grade twelve and got chosen this year as my class valedictorian... I have two weeks to write a speech, and I have some ideas and questions. I want your guys' opinions.
Firstly, I don't want to write the typical "follow your dreams" or "work for your goals" speech... I want something different. I've been thinking, wouldn't it be neat to motivate people to be the kind of person they want to be... which is something we never hear our teachers talk about at school. However, I keep hearing that my speech has to talk about our high school experiences and I have to thank our teachers and stuff... do I really have to focus on that? And what type of things could I say to motivate people to be the kind of person they want to be? any ideas? I appreciate it.

I seriously need some help. I have no idea what these people are talking about with the class theme and all that. I actually think that my class does not have one. I have to write my speech in two weeks, I have absolutely nothing to say. I have hated high school and could really care less about speaking in front of all of these people. All I have been told is that everyone wants to hear the guests tell them about how "brilliant" this year's valedictorian is. Lot's of help. If anyone could give me any advice about just how to begin what promises to be the longest ten minutes of my life, it would be greatly appreciated.

Interesting advice here... I was recently informed I was the class valedictorian for 2005, although I had been expecting it for some time as I have been #1 in my class since last year when my old highschool split into 2 when a new school was built. I was told "yeah, uh, we usually come up with a theme for you but this year no one came up with one so it's all on you." Great.

Then suddenly today the principal at my school told me, "Uh, hey, we need a title for your speech in the next day or two, and I need a written copy of your speech by monday." Great. My 18th birthday is tomorrow, I have a college class to attend tonight and Wednesday, and over the weekend I am driving 7 hours to be at a party for my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary.

I'm still not sure what exactly I'm going to write my speech on, although I've just gotten an idea that fits me perfectly. I believe my speech is going to be themed on all the advice I have been given here at the last minute about how to write a valedictorian speech.

hey, im really glad I came to this website, I`ve gotton some really good ideas but im not sure how I should write my speech should it have more humor than anything else or should I involve more memories into the speech?
please answer as soon as possible!

hey, me again!
im realy not sure how to start it
becuase all that good afternoon / ladies and gentlemen
stuff is getting really worn out and cheesy
I need something a little more out there ...

PLEASE HELP!!! i am so not prepared to write this speech (its due next friday)...you're right cliches suck hardcore and i am trying to avoid them, which is hard in my situation. it is really hard to write a speech when you have no connection to the majority of your senior class. i'm a drama and debate kid, not as jock or cheerleader or goth or flat out nerd like the rest of my high school. what can i say that will not piss off the faculty or the other kids? cause i can't really reminisce about our great experiences without isolating myself from the rest of my class. if you have any ideas let me know by email with valedictorian as the subject.

hey, what do you guys think about this. A validictorian speech, where there are folk songs. You, know you write your speech. Then for certain events (i.e. Grade 9) you write a comedic song and perform it with a guitar and an accomplice. Is that acceptable sort of way to go?

WELL! jus lke everyone else here it sounds I'm having a little trouble. I have a few ideas. I don't think they are great. If anyone has any good idea that they have used It would be so awesome if you could e-mail me. Thank you

HAHA It seems like we are all having some trouble coming up with a speech... I want to do something funny, original, and uncorny. If anyone could give me some ideas that would be great because I am totally clueless.

Just found out i am to write a validiction and have no idea where i'm going.. im comfortable with public speaking and i constantly improvise and make up jokes on the go.. so im thinking of starting with a rough guideline and maybe adlibbing a little as the opportunities arise. I've had to speak in front of huge groups of people before and the best advice i can give is to relax. if you relax you will find it much easier. then.. start talking about the things that have defined your high school experience and relate them to those of the other students that are gradding with you. play around with it.. and don't force the humour because that rarely ever is actually funny.

ok im in gr 8 and i hafta write a speech obviously...i wanna talk bout me, every1's uniqueness, mention a couple names and their talents, and stuff...i have a couple questions...how long should my sppech be? and is it ok to talk about myself most of the time? also im afraid im gonna try and crack a joke, and nobody will laugh n ill look like an idiot...should i even try to add jokes?

hey im back...ummm i have a really important question...im talking about everyones uniqueness, talents and family in my speech...i feel pressured to talk about the past few years, even if i dont remember any particular jokes or anything like that...but doesnt a valedictorin HAVE to talk about that stuff? secondly, I would like to know how to organize my work. thx

this is a great source for commencement speech ideas! I'm a senior in high school and trying out to be class speaker. My audition tape is due the 13th. i'd love to hear any general ideas anyone would have!:) Great site!

JAS and anyone else that needs some general ideas

i had a lot of ideas and poits that i wanted to talk bout, but i didnt no how to make it organized, cause it sounded relli choppy....one relli easy thing to do is choose a theme...it mite seem hard at first, but if u have a good theme, itll really help....like my idea was to talk about science and realate stuff

I worked out a draft of a speech and I would love for anyone who has the time to read it and give feedback. It's between 3 and 4 minutes. here it is:

Good evening.

I am truly grateful to be speaking to and for so many. In our times, I'm glad to see all of you students, teachers, parents, children, wise people, and learners.

For those of you who aren't already asleep, I'll try not to bore you with the typical cliche of never giving up on your dreams. The truth is, many of the "dreams" we have today are not our own, true dreams. They are what we think are our dreams because we have not seen the real world, and we are prone to set our goals acording to others. Our parents tell us we are going to be lawyers; some of us even think we know how we will live the rest of our lives down to the color of paint our bathroom will be. None of us actually know what the rest of our lives will hold. As seniors, we have lived through wars, success of the cloning project, and explosion of the internet. Who knows what the next internet will be?

When I came to (my high school name is here) I had three goals: become valedictorian, be inducted in the National Honor society, and become a Thespian. i accomplished none of those things. That has made all the difference.

When we began in Kindergarten, we weren't worried about getting all "o"s on our report cards. However, it was essential that we picked just the right color to finger paint with. Sadly, as we got older, we were blinded by pressure to be on top. we have forgotten what is really vital in pursuit of an artificial prize.

this is due to our parents and teachers who don't want us to make their mistakes and want us to have better lives than they did. Now, since I am positioned in front of my class, let me speak for all of us when I say to my parents: get off my back! The only way we can really learn is from experience. As a teacher, Socrates explained: "I cannot teach anybody, I can only make them think." As much as we may want to, we can never lie to ourselves. Parents and teachers, never stop being guardians or giving guidance. But let none of us forget, we do see our mistakes and we all have the intelligence to learn from them.

In my family, with my sister being valedictorian, only A's are worth seeing on report cards. But to acccomplish this perfection or hope to is an all-too-common tragedy in our society. After freshman year, I was salutatorian. Since then, my rand and GPA have slowly but steadily slipped. Fortunately, my ego slipped along with them. I know I'm not invincible, and I do anticipate fiascos. since I'm getting more used to it, I can conquer failures with a strong face and high head. I actually appreciate it when i do better than others because it's not automatic. Would my family care that I was valedictorian if everyone could be? Accomplishments are meaningless without disappointments. You can't have the good without identifying the bad. After all, how can we define light without saying absence of darkness? The largest gold metal has no value until you scrape your face on the track as you fall an inch from the finish line at the Olympics.

Everyone, I wish you peace, congratulations, and as you watch your step out of the stadium tonight, remember what Robert Gallagher said: "even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward." (end)

Is it ok? cliches? theme? Is it ok to use contractios in tis type of speech? Please give me feedback.

good. really good. it wsa a little confusing tho. like "Who knows what the next internet will be?" i know what you mean, but i think there is a better pharse. and "When I came to (my high school name is here) I had three goals: become valedictorian, be inducted in the National Honor society, and become a Thespian. i accomplished none of those things. That has made all the difference." You said you wanted to become valedictorian, and then you said u didnt accomplish that goal. If you arent valedictorian, then you wouldnt be giving this speech...i dont no, i dont really get it. other than that it is relly good. I like how it is organized and straight forward...

Hey everyone! I am also a valedictorian, and need to make a speech in less than 2 weeks. I've read the above blog, and most of the entries. So i sort of have an idea on how to start mine. Now all i need is to make it longer. Here's the first 2 paragraphs of it:
I know everyone of you guys are wondering why Iâ??m up here. You might think â??what happened to that other girl,â? or â??I thought there was someone else,â? or better yet, â??who is this big Asian kid sweating like crazy up there talking to us?â? Well guess what. I asked myself that question when I received this â??honor.â? My friend Topher and I didnâ??t have a clue why Dr. T wanted us in her office, until she said â??congratulations!â? I wondered, at least it wasnâ??t something bad, like getting caught skipping or something, but it was worse when I asked what are they congratulating me for. â??Your valedictorian!â?

Iâ??ve known I wasnâ??t going to be valedictorian since the beginning of the year. I knew it was a girl, a cute girl might I add, that had everything going for her to become valedictorian: she had the grades, the activities, and that smile. I was happily placed at third. I was content with that because I knew I didnâ??t have to write any speech in which I will just sweat profusely in the stage and I was ranked high enough to still look good. So I rose from third to first. Wonder what happened to second, and why he didnâ??t move up. Just goes to show how the faculty of APR is really worth the money.

Please help me!

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP MMMMMMMMM
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII NNNNNNNNNNN
NNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDD
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are there any hot girls in this reply page because my buddy Clayden needs a date to the prom?

Hi again my web name is not Link Four some @#$%ing retard wrote that in the name and i did not write whatever in written above, sorry my bad.

with reference to my speech, I was not valedictorian, meaning highest GPA in my class. Also, anyone can audition to be "commencement speaker" and the winner is not called valedictorian. I hope that clears things up. Does anyone else have an opinion of my speech?

It sounds like everyone else here is in the same boat that i am in. I have the "great honor" of being the valedictorian of my class just because i worked harder than the rest of the slackers in my class. I have to give a speech in a couple of weeks and all i have written are the introduction and my thanks. I asked the principal what i should write about and he told me to make it a motivational speech. What i really feel like doing is going up there and telling my fellow classmates what losers and lazy bums they are and that i don't care if i see a single one of them after graduation. I'll probably end up doing what my principal suggested just so i don't make any one angry and get mugged or crucified. If anyone has any advice about what i should write or any tips about giving the speech (i hate speaking in public) drop me an e-mail.

i dont want to give a stupid, motivational, cliche'd speech, so anyone have some funny ideas for a speech, i want it to be funny HELP ME!!!!!!!

seriously though...this speech is a couple days away..i want it to be short and FUNNY...if anyone has a site they know of or a copy of a previous speech they gave or heard that was funny or cool...NOT TYPICAL CLICHE CRAP...please post it or something...im dyin here..thanks

Okay, so this web site has provided no ideas for the speech I have to write and it's due in about two or three weeks but I don't care because just reading all these messages have suddenly made me feel ten times better. It's like there's an entire underground movement of angry, apathetic valedictorians sweeping the nation.......amazing. If anyone else is in my boat and has no clue what to write about-wait, isn't everyone in my boat then or else why have we come to this site?-but anyway, if anyone finds a good website with ideas or simply more hilarious messages like these please post them here. I think at this point I'm ready to just show up at graduation in a toga and recite lines from Julius Caesar.....like I did once before at my school. (Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar!)

Ahhhhhh!!! I've been doing IB testing the last 2 weeks instead of the normal school grind and as a result have not stepped on school campus basically the entire time. I just got an e-mail yesterday saying that they need my valedictorian address ASAP (ie: yesterday)! Thanks for the heads up! lol. I'm thinking about taking a cliche and then ripping it to pieces, but in a politically/academically correct manner...that could be both entertaining (which my friends and I want) and inspiring (which my parents and teachers want) if I did it right. Any suggestions?

hi & thanks 4 the tips!!!

i have until the the 15 of june to make a speech and i have absolutly no clue what to write about the principal won't help me and neither will my teacher. I NEED HELP! and i don't really have much time to do it in the evenings. i want to make it funny but my sense of humor will probably make people think i need counseling. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!

Anyone who has any original and unqiue ideas, please email me!! I was thinking of basing the speech off a poem, so anyone who knows a motivational poem or a poem that fits graduation, please let me know. THANKS!!

Im Vallie, i dont really know what to write.

is it possible to do something that u think is funny, but others would think its vulgar. is graduation supposed to be like really uptight and nice and posh and blah.

I have an assignement in my speech class to write a "vallie" speech. This site is helpful for the speech that I have to write being that it only counts for a grade. I'm not sure how effective this information could be to anyone who needs this for a actual valedictory speech. It is very important to put your own little twist on everything that you do and make sure that the words that you speak are from the heart and what you really mean. Just keep your mind open to different possiblities and different ideas. Absorb your surroundings and what others might say. Listening goes a long way.

Hi everyone... I just want to say good luck in writing your speeches. I assume I'm in the same predicament as most people reading these messeages. Although I haven't gotten any real ideas, reading the replies has helped. Thanks

still have no clue what to right about will somebody please help me????????????

Hey i dunno what to say for my speech :(!

I really dunno what to right lol!!!please someone help me!!!

HELP DON'T KNOW WHAT TO RIGHT!!!!!!!

that's r e-mail adresses!! oh and mine (amanda) is amanda_love100@hotmail.com!!

I DON'T NEED HELP!
(anymoe)

dunno what to fucken right u bastards!

I have to give a valedictorian speech for graduation this year and wanted some ideas on how to make it creative yet memorable... Any ideas... E mail me christopherquill@hotmail.com

Hey everyone. Using the advice on this website and others I created a valedictorian speech that should keep everyone at my graduation happy and not get people mad at me. If you have any advice about how to improve my speech reply to the post or send me an e-mail. Here it is...

Andrew’s Valedictorian Speech

Members of the school board, teachers and faculty, friends, family, and fellow students, it is an honor to stand before you today as the valedictorian of the Mancelona High School class of 2005. First of all, I would like to thank a few people, especially my parents. Without them I would not have done as well as I did in high school. I would also like to thank my grandparents, siblings, and all my other relatives. Your love, care, and support enabled me to succeed in school. And last, but definitely not least, I would like to thank the teachers, faculty, and our principal for making our education a reality.
At first, I didn’t know what to write about for this speech. I thought it would be funny to copy a cartoon character that I saw on TV when I was a kid who read the entire Cincinnati phone book for his valedictorian speech, but my goal is not to bore you all to death. In early May, I visited a web site that gave advice on writing and giving valedictorian speeches. The site said to be yourself and to just talk about yourself. So that is exactly what I am going to do - talk about my personal experiences and the lessons that I learned from them.
The first and foremost experience that I would like to share with you today is the missions trip that I took this spring to Haiti with my father. When I first got to Haiti, I was understandably in culture shock. I wondered how people could stand to live in a flimsy shack made out of scrap metal that was surrounded by other similar shacks and rivers of sewage and mountains of garbage that they occasionally burned. I wondered how people could live in a place with no law and order and how they could scrape out a living by selling mangoes, art work, or straw hats. I found the answer from the Haitian people. The Haitian people do not focus on their own circumstances. Rather, they look at their future. They have an amazing amount of faith that their lives will improve as they work hard to better their lives. Some even go as far as to hop on a makeshift raft in an attempt to dodge the Coast Guard and start a new life in the U.S.
The greatest lesson that I learned from going to Haiti is to never take anything for granted: not your material possessions, not your friends, and certainly not your family. The old saying that you never know what you have until it is gone is true. Be thankful for all that you have and never take anything for granted.
The second experience that I would like to share with you is not really one event, but the overall experience of growing up in the small town of Mancelona. I’m sure you’ll never forget those pesky timed multiplication and division tests in fourth grade or the first time you legally drove with Mr. Elder, Mr. Nixon, or Mr. Ayres, who were always ready to use the extra brake at the floor of the passenger seat. I’m sure we will all remember the day when downtown blew up and the face of downtown was changed forever. The best advice that I can give to you from growing up in northern Michigan is to cherish the natural beauty of this area and the friendly people.
Another thing that I learned from living here and from traveling is that there is a lot more to this world than Mancelona. I know that my fellow classmates and I will be doing a variety of things after graduation and going many different places. Some people will continue their education at a college or technical school while others will start a career or join the military. Whatever you end up doing and wherever you end up, remember to be active in your community, to work hard, and to persevere. One final piece of wisdom that I would like to impart is that you should live every day to the fullest. I think that this point can best be illustrated by the quote found on a poster on the wall in Mrs. Mckaig’s room. The quote states that “Yesterday is a memory. Tomorrow is a dream. Today is the reality ... Make the most of it.”
Thank you

Hey, i just want to thank all of you for giving me something to do instead of my speech. It's nice to know that I'm one of the many procrastinating people out there. Congrats to all of you that have already given your speeches and good luck to everyone else. I, along with everyone else here, need a little help with my speech, but i do have an idea. Everyone has me stereotyped, and i want to break that by doing something funny, and probably embarassing myself. I was thinking about having a theme with music. Saying that everyone should have their own theme song, like superman, Indiana Jones, and of course Darth Vader. Then talk about how together we made our music together through out the years and everyone's tune has changed over time...I know it sounds really cheesy, but it's all i can come up with. I also want to tie in how we'll always be connected to the school and how it's helped us. Can anyone help me out? And be honest about the theme thing, if you hate it tell me.

here is some info i didnt post before

here is some info i didnt post before
im graduating 8th grade
i need help finding a topic
i need help writing it
my school is very pathetic if im the smartest student there
i need help writing it
oh and did i mention I NEED HELP WRITTNG IT?
ppppppppppppppppppllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee hhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllppppppppppppp

for those of you out there that keep writing "need ideas for my speech! need help" i just wanted to inform you that if you're in this site then what you see is what you get, trust me... if anyone has an idea and for some reason that person ends up on this site then it will be posted.... everyone has a different style of writing and is inspired in different ways. the harder you think about it, the harder you're going to find out writing your speech is going to be. if you were the one in the audience and some other unfortunate soul, who has been blinded by the 'being the valedictorian is a great honor' crap, has to give a speech.... what would you like to hear from him/her?
Personally, as valedictorian myself, the only thing i need to hear is that we are out and we don't have to remember any of the so-called 'best years of our lives' anymore.
one advise... give people what they want. you may or may not use cliches, but the message is going to be the same regardless. don't try to be funny if you're not... it will sound stupid. anyways... here's the speech i have to give next week... which by the way so far it has excellent reviews. it may not be different than any other speech, but if people like it... that's good enough for me.

VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH 2005
BY: me

Dear faculty, staff, honor guest, family and friends
Dear Graduates,

Today, on this very stage, we end the journey we started more or less 13 years ago. Although I can think of so many people that deserve this more than I do, I was given the honor of imparting the farewell address for the class of 2005. However, as I stand before you, I will not tell you how life is going to be now that high school is over. Nor am I going to recall how wonderful our last four years in (name of school) have been. Rather, I am going to remind you what we have accomplished and how important this day is going to be for the rest of our lives.
Like a runner, we too are running a race. The race for knowledge. Au contraire to his objective to arrive in the 1st place and win, our goal is to arrive at the finish line. Regardless of the position we arrive at, our performance and determination is shown by whether or not we achieve that goal. Today, however, we have just arrived to our first checkpoint. For those of you out there that thought that this was all there was to it? no. It is only the beginning.
Today, May 27, 2005, we have proven that we are worthy of wearing our caps and gowns. We have worked hard and we have proven that we can achieve every thing we put our minds to. Today, we show that we have become, or for that matter are becoming, mature young adults. Ok? maybe sometimes we think we know everything. But hey, we sure know more than we did four years ago. Today, when we look back, provably the first thought that crosses our minds is “ What was I thinking?!”. As inexperienced freshmen we probably didn’t really have a clue. Yet, that’s going to happen a lot form now on. Maybe in 5 years we’ll say the same thing about today. But that’s the beauty of it: keeping it real. We are far off better people than we were 4 years ago because we have learned from our mistakes and we have made the best out of every experience we have lived here at (name fo school).
The majority of this audience, to whom today holds special significance, receives no official recognition. Yet, if our presence in this graduation is dependent upon one single factor, it is the influence and intervention of our parents. They have been there with us since day one and this honor is as much theirs as it is ours. We would like to humbly express our gratitude, although it cannot be expressed with mere words.
To Mr. Kidd, faculty and staff: thanks to you we are here today graduating as a class. Being able to keep the school together wasn’t easy, but because of your efforts, today we become the first graduating class of (name of school).
To our teachers: today, regardless of detentions and calls to parents and such, your hard work has not been in vain. You taught us the skills needed to succeed in our designated career paths, and that is something that will not be taken away from us. Thank you.
As we walk out of those doors, we will feel accomplished, knowing that (name of school)has become part of lives. However realizing that we have a long way to go. Like the runner, lets run with endurance the race that is set before us.
I would like to leave you with the words that have inspired me for the past 4 years:
“All things are lawful, but not all things are advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things built up”
Today, we show that we have acquire the knowledge, either taught or by our own experience.
Tomorrow, it is up to us to demonstrate that we can use it wisely

Class of 2005, today we prove that we can.

-please, let me know what you think about it. any feedback is highly appreciated :)-

Wow, I"M not alone on this whole, I need help thing. -relief- Thanks for the site, it's helped me get to gether some ideas and write my speech, that I havn't even written yet. Personally I think the only hard side of being valedictorian is the speech, but whatever, for me it's just talking to a whole bunch of people at once, than opposed to individually... but its still hard. TWO weeks and counting, yee haa. Also for some advise, the best way to go is to be yourself, and use an experience that is more personal, that way the crowd will have a better connection with you and your class. (Keeps them interested) Good luck to everyone and congrats.

OMG GUYS I REELI NEED HELP.. IM RUNNIN FER VALEDVICTORAIN (how ever yu spell it) and i reeli need help. my speech is due in like a cuple of days cuz my school is weird and we choose our valed.. on the speeches you right. im kinda good aat this stuff but rite now i duno wadda do.. should i go around my class nd ask eryone wad was most memorable through the year or wat? some msg me bakk soon timez cuz i reeli need help! IM STUCK!!

-brownie

My advice to everyone is speak from the heart.

I am valedictorian of my 8th grade class, and I need help on composing my speech, please help.

To Yuli, that speech sounded truly from the heart and like "yourself," though I honestly couldn't say if it was or wasn't since I don't know you. But the down-to-earth-ness of it made it sincere, and I think it will be both memorable and inspiring...

And so I've stumbled here, looking for advice and inspiration since I have to write my valedictory speech within the next two weeks (has to be submitted one week prior to graduation, which is June 10th). I feel like I want to say that high school was nice/whatnot, but they hopefully weren't the best days of our lives. Yet I know I have to appeal to everyone, including those who will not pursue a college education or perhaps don't care. Naturally, everyone is probably saying "Oh, help me! I have to write my speech!" but if anyone has any honest advice or thought that might help, I would appreciate it, but I won't beg. Somehow I have to learn a knack for making my speech easily understandable (I tend to write more technically for these things, so this might be a tad difficult). Hope you all have a wonderful graduation!

-Brooke

Ha, I have less than 18 hours before I have to have my speech done. Oh well! Graduation and school sucks in general and it's pretty dumb for 8th graders to be forced into graduation speeches. You don't learn anything in the 8th grade, except how to coerce classmates to change to clock to get out of class early! No one wants to admit it but all it takes to be validictorian and get straight 95-100s in every class is just to complete your work and pay a little attention. Studying is optional, this is why high school is pathetic and valedictorian is simply not an honor what-so-ever. I'm just the guy that did all my work and my magic number called GPA is highest! Whoopdy-doo hurah for me! The state of the academic world sickens me! Hey, I just think I wrote my speech!

And for all you 8th grade "valedictorians" that are stressing, just mellow out, don't worry about this speech, all your classmates have countless years of drug use that will wipe any embarrassing moment of your speech from their mind. If I were you I'd give a nice little 15 second to 1 minute speech, or a big fat middle finger could suffice.

15 days and its all over!!!!!! my biggest fear is not in giving the speech, but tripping up the steps on the way up. i also hate the sound of my own voice, am i alone?

hi ya guys what up? i need help writing a stupid gay speech at the 8 grade grad. i need help startin' it, writin' da' middle of it, and writin' da' ending. i has a while to write but not sure what ta' write. help me pease. (do i sound like a hick? no offense or anything to any other hicks.) any help ya could give will be grately appresheated. pease e-mail me at ...whatever ya see up thre.

Hey. This website has been very reassuring. It is nice to know that I am not alone. I found out that I was valedictorian on Wednesday afternoon and I have to give my speech tomorrow night. Luckily, I had a good idea and my speech turned out well. However, I am very nervous about tomorrow. I am not a very good public speaker and I am kind of nervous. Any advice?

I am valedictorian of my class and will be giving a speech on thursday. I wrote this speech and would much appreciate any opinions on it. Feel free to use any ideas from it, but please do not copy it.

Valedictorian Speech

Good evening family and friends, teachers and students, janitors and lunch ladies, people I know and those I don’t. Thank you all for being here to celebrate the graduation of the (SCHOOL) class of 2005. The last time I stood in the middle of this field I didn’t feel quite as vulnerable as I do now. Tonight, I stand in front of all of you both extremely excited and nervous about the future. Up until now, our paths have been laid out before us by our parents and our teachers. We have wandered from them, but they have still led us all here tonight. They will lead us across this stage and we will be graduates. However, after that, our paths will take us all into the real world. So as I wrote this speech, it only seemed ideal that I should give some advice about our paths out of here and into the real world. Right? Wrong! I will be the first to admit that I know absolutely nothing about the real world. I am an 18-year-old boy. I don’t know what I ate for breakfast. So instead, I decided to seek the thoughts of wise people whose advice might actually mean something to you. Naturally, I headed straight to google and searched the Internet. Now I began to wonder where my path would lead me after tonight. For the first time in my life and in many of your lives too, there is no path laid out for us to follow. Robert Frost offers his advice in his poem, the Road Not Taken.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Take the path less traveled by. It seemed like a good enough idea. But then I got to thinking; the road less traveled by isn’t necessarily the best one. Serial killers take a path that isn’t traveled much, but that doesn’t turn out good for anyone. So I continued my search for advice. I found this quote from an unknown person, it said “If you begin the day with love in your heart, peace in your nerves, and truth in your mind, you not only benefit by their presence but also bring them to others, to your family and friends, and to all those whose destiny draws across your path that day.” This is a real nice thought; love in the heart, peace in the nerves, and truth in the mind. I liked that. But then there was that thing about destiny. That’s just a load of crap. I’m a firm believer that we are in control of our own lives. So I continued my meticulous search of google until I came to this: “The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created--created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them, changes both the maker and the destination.”

This was the best advice yet but I ended up finding something even better from a man named Ralph Waldo Emerson. He said, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” As the (School) Class of 2005 gets ready to go out into the real world, I encourage all of you to leave your trails and your marks upon the world. But most of all, follow your dreams and be happy. I leave you with this, as Jim Carrey put it, “Good morning, and if I don’t see you, Good afternoon, Good evening, and Good night.” Thank you and Congratulations class of 2005.

I am wondering if i have used too many quotations and am also wondering if i should keep the poem. Once again, any thoughts would be greatly appreciatied.

Yes, being valedictorian is way overrated. It's cool to say "hey! i'm valedictorian!" But now that I have to write a speech, this sucks. It's good to know that theres lots of people in the same boat as I am. Good luck to everyone!

Okay I just googled Valedictorian speech and found this...I'm hoping this works!! I found out I was Valedictorian a week or so ago and I'm the first VD from our school to have to write their own speech that pretty much addresses the class and all that jazz. So any tips? I have nothing to go from and I think this has to be done by Tuesday or Wednesday..procrastination..yeahhhh

Some interesting advice and comments, and plenty of procrastinators. I'm also my class valedictorian and the best advice I can give: ignore all this advice. Write from your heart, write what you want to say, cliches and glossings included. Find someone you trust (older, wiser and balding, maybe) and have them give you advice. I had a Spanish teacher read mine. I also didn't bother looking for any suggestions online until today (the speech is done, and it ain't changing). Write from the heart.

No matter what, EVERYBODY will not like your speech. Teachers and advisors may criticize your speech and tell you to change it. Your parents may not even like it. However, if you have put thought into this, if you are convinced that this is what you want to say, if this is you, (and it is not vulgar enough for the staff to 'reject'your speech) say it. Say it as you wish to say it and say it proudly. This is what I have determined to do.

So i read through this sight and was looking at everything but i seemed like most of the advice was the same. Then about two seconds ago, an idea came to me that i thought would be a lot of fun. So in my speech, as a way to break up the speech and add a little comedy, I am going to say the profession that our senior teachers would have if the werent are teachers. The guest speaker at our baccalauerate actually gave me the idea when she predicted our future jobs. Im getting the help of the rest of the class and i think it will be pretty fun. Anyways, hope the idea can help somebody who is procrastinating as much as me.

I'm writing a Valedictorian Speech for gr. 8 so im younger than most of you but i seriously need HELP!! It needs to be 4-5 minutes!!!

ok so i have my speech coming up and i really like the oh the places youll go by dr. seuss. is it so bad to use if i only have a few lines from it w/o using the whole thing. post me back with feedback

Wow, this site is amazing! A couple of days ago I had no idea what to discuss in my address; these speeches have really provided some inspiration.

The tradition at our high school is that the valedictorian and salutatorian give speeches that are inspirational and generally serious in tone. These are followed by a more lighthearted farewell address from a senior who is chosen by his peers. I don't mind if my speech is the greatest in the world, but I hope to at least keep the audience awake and to avoid the obvious cliches (last year's speeches were really heavy with these).

Anyways, here is the first draft of my speech. Comments? Suggestions? I'm pretty happy with the speech on the whole, but I'll probably redo the introduction; I wanted it to come across as disarming, but instead it sounds overly apologetic.

Good evening Class of 2005, parents, friends, and teachers.

Those of you who do not know me well may at this moment be preparing yourselves for an eloquent valedictory address, filled with evocative advice and a brilliant use of language that would make Mrs. McLane proud. Those of you who know me better know that it ain’t gonna happen. I mean, where is it written that he who has the highest numerical GPA is blessed with exceptional writing and public speaking abilities? Not here; I stand as valedictorian on the strength of my grades in math and science and in spite of my grades in English. Nevertheless, I will do my best to offer a modicum of advice for the future as is expected of a commencement speaker.

To those of you who are continuing students at [our high school]: take care to put nothing before your studies, except sports, band, parties, vacations, friends, church, and family. Don’t get me wrong, grades are important: an all-A report card to post on the refrigerator makes mommy happy, and enough of said report cards will improve your odds of admission to an institute of higher learning. However, when you look back on your high school days twenty years in the future you will remember everything except your studies; you will remember football games, and sleepovers with your close friends, and all the interests that you pursued in your free time. Our experiences and friendships are as important a part of our education as our in-classroom learning, and contribute more than anything to who we are and the level of success that we achieve in life. As the great Muhammad Ali once said, “You learn a lot of things in school, but if you don't learn about friendship you didn't learn anything at all.”

To the teachers, coaches, band directors, club sponsors, and parents out in the audience: Thank you. As students, sons, and daughters we owe you more than any of us will ever admit. The Greek philosopher Socrates once said, “Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers.” Thank you for loving us in spite of our tyranny, for teaching us in spite of our arrogance, and for leading us in spite of our insolence. My only advice to you is to keep it up; to bless future students with the same love and dedication that you have shown us. Know that we eternally grateful for your love and guidance, even if we don’t say so often enough.

To the graduating Class of 2005: I have no advice of my own to give you, so I will instead share an inspirational quote by our own Mr. Korpi: “There is no shortcut to any place worth going to.” Many of us know the meaning of this quote firsthand: anyone who has ever competed in a varsity sport, made All-State band, performed a successful play, or passed AP Chemistry with a C- understands that hard work is a prerequisite for success. Never forget this as you set out on your own journey in life; you will make mistakes and suffer setbacks, but even when you fall flat on your face you still move forward. Learn from your failures as well as your successes, and always put forth the effort needed to overcome your difficulties. Nothing great was ever accomplished without a considerable investment of blood, sweat, and tears, so make the investment and collect the interest!

Congratulations Class of 2005, good evening and God bless!

I really like your speech grant.i just dont know if it is long enough. i also really like your intro...it helped me get started on mine.

Thanks, NA. I'm still not sure about my intro...I think its ok, but my parents hate it (they like the rest of my speech, though). I'll probably run it by a couple of my teachers and close friends to get some opinions. Good luck with your speech; the best advice that anyone has posted on this page is to speak from the heart.

Don't change your intro man. It's beautiful because it's true. I'm writing my speech right now and your intro gave me inspiration for mine.

All of the grade 8 students are writing a valedictorian speech and they are picking the best one to be the valedictorian. I would really like to be it. My mom would be so proud. I have like no clue what to write or what to say. Co7uld you please contact me and help me out in any way you possibly can?...If so thanks so much your help will be well appreciated. Also this is due tomorrow so if i could get your help before that would be even better!>...thanks again..Angie...

Hey..if ne one had ne ideas for me on how to start off my valedictorian speech could you please e-mail me or just write back w.e.. i want it to be creative and exciting..not just god evening teachers...students.and whatever. I want everyone to know that my speech is exciting and going to be great to listen to. so if anyone had ne ideas for me i would be very thank ful..thanks again...Angie

Hey i really liked you speech grant!...it helped me think of some things to say in mine. I just think maybe you should change the way you end it. Like congradulations class of 2005..we did it!!...or something like that...But it is good...Even if you dont chnage the ending its still awesome

Hey, i have to wright a speech...i just got picked for valedictorian today. I have no idea what to say. My boyfriend was also chosen. My son is coming on stage with us. It has to be about 5-8 mins. in length. I've only been to this school since oct. HEEEEEEEEEEEEELP me please...i don't want to disapoint anybody .. Please email me at Corrine666@msn.com...i really need somebody's help.

hey, I have found some really inspirational stuff on this site. It's good to know that some many other valedictorians are out there and are procrastinating just like me. Good luck with you speeches everyone. I wrote a rough draft of my speech so far- I'm the only valedictorian at my school ( it's chosen by highest GPA) so I really need it to be good. I welcome any and all forms of advice.

Do you ever wonder why all graduation speeches begin and end with a quote? Is it really that hard for the speakers, who are supposedly very intelligent and qualified, to come up with their own words to reflect on their recent experiences of the past years and inspiration into the future? The answer is yes. Whoever can attempt to squeeze six years of school into a 5 or 10 minute speech without resorting to Robert Frost or even Dr. Seuss for help has my respect and admiration. Especially because I am a seventeen year old girl. I really don’t have experience into the real world and I don’t have any pearls of wisdom which I can really give this amazing graduating class. I’ve made it this far in life through the help and support of my friends, family, and teachers. But today I am filled with fright. I don’t know about everyone else on this stage, but I am scared to leave this wonderful, sheltered high school. I have known some of my classmates for six years. I might lose some of them after today. However, I am also filled with joy, which I think actually overcomes all the doubts I have. We have finally made it!!! Who thought this day would ever come? Especially when you’re staying up all night to cram for your physics test, finishing that English essay, sending off your last application to college , and taking out the trash before your mom starts yelling, who could ever imagine that we would be sitting here, dressed in white, calmly reflecting back on all those times of stress? It really is amazing when you think about it. I really do think this day is joyous. All these years at [school] have been a preparation for this day. Actually, they have not. They have been a preparation for the rest of our lives. The sign outside the school says that [school] is a college preparatory school, but with the loving guidance of our teachers and advisors here I think we have the knowledge and more importantly the wisdom to support ourselves and maintain our convictions throughout life. Now, I know your thinking, wait didn’t she just say she was only a seventeen year old girl and had no pearls of wisdom to offer to the future graduates? Well, people outside of this school might have accepted that fact for granted when I stood up here to speak. But everyone connected with this family of [school] knows, that if you spend just a few minutes talking to any girl in this entire graduating class, you will not see a superficial teenager, you will discover a confident, intelligent, and gifted woman inside of her. Every single one of these women has something to offer the world. And in keeping with tradition of all speeches, I want to quote Ronald Reagan. “The United States remains the last best hope for a mankind plagued by tyranny and deprivation. America is no stronger than its people - and that means you and me.” [pause] Only kidding. I actually want to quote Marcus Aurelius , a third century Roman writer. He said “Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” Congratulations class of 2005.

Hey Everyone! I was all excited at the prospect of giving a speech...back in the fall...but I jsut started last week and had such a hard time narrowing down what I wanted to say! I don't think it's very good, but this is what I have so far....(I keep getting mixed reviews; make it more personal, make it less personal, blah blah blah) any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Congratulations graduates. We have finally arrived at the moment we have anticipated for years. Each of us has worked hard to be here today, but not one of us would have made it to this point without the support and encouragement we have received along the way from our school, families, teachers, classmates, and peers.

Let’s give them a round of applause.

Mark Twain said, “Twenty years from now, we will look back and be more disappointed by the things we didn’t do than by the ones we did do.” I am encouraging you, my fellow graduates, to seize the opportunities that unfold before you. In high school, we were presented with many opportunities. These ranged from simply getting to know a teacher or classmate a little better, to joining a team or a club. As we enter the next stages of our lives, opportunities will continue to come in many shapes and sizes. Some will come naturally, but the greatness of most will depend on how hard we work for them. All, however, will rely on our willingness to accept them.

When I look back at our high school years and think of local opportunities, two images come to mind. One is a blue tarp, the other is a group of 10 students, including myself, along with Mr. Holliman, holding posters about respect and dancing to a song by Aretha Franklin in front of the entire school. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, don’t worry, I will tell the stories of both.

Two summers ago, 9 of my fellow schoolmates and I were nominated to go to the first Coalition of Essential Schools Leadership Conference. At the time, I didn’t know what this would entail or what kind of commitment it would be. I didn’t even know what the Coalition of EssentialSchools really was, all I knew was that Poultney High School had recently received a grant for it. But after all the hemming and hawing, I decided to go to this two-day conference. Little did I know that this would become an opportunity to improve the atmosphere of Poultney High School, and
thus, the dance promoting respect came about, and those of us involved actually enjoyed this chance to advocate for positive change.

Now, to the blue tarp...This became an opportunity in 1999 when the Stonebridge Inn, the building that was damaged by a fire and covered with a blue tarp for three years, was donated to the town of Poultney. The community seized this opportunity and chose to renovate the building to promote tourism and community within Poultney. Through generous donations, grant funding, and their own hard work, local residents have since been able to turn this tarp covered building into the Poultney Community Center.

These are only two local stories of opportunity. Throughout the course of our lives, we will continue to be exposed to many more. My fellow graduates of the Poultney High School class of 2005, I am encouraging you, no matter what path you choose to take, to work hard and accept whatever comes with courage and a willingness to try something new. So, to finish Mark Twain’s quote, “Throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Hey,
I am an 8th grader at a small Catholic school and i got chose as valedictorian and I've never wanted something less in my entire life. i cant talk in front of a crowd and they gave me only three days to write a speech. Please help me I'm soo stressed out.

Hey, Please someone help me I only have two days left and I'm soo scared. I can't give a speech in front of a crowd to save my life. People tell me to imagine them in their underwear, but that just makes it worse. I'm seriously thinking of turning it down, but my mom would kill me. I never wanted it in the first place and I'm not thrilled about this award and i don't want it at all. Please someone email me or write me a response to tell me that everything will be okay and that how much I'm stressing is just normal. Give me some pointers about how to talk in front of a crowd. It would be appreciated. Thanks

i love sex. im fellin horney. i wanna do a horny speech.

hey rachel...I love your speech the openings awesome!...

hey ali,
ok i will show my speech and than u learn tu write yours. please do not copy!!...

Congradulations gradualtes. We have finally arrived at the moment weve antisipated for years. Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach.... but mostly your friends. Being someone’s friend is the best gift you can give. Our experiences and friendships are as important as our education. Our in-classroom learning contributes more than anything to who we are and level of success that we achieve in life.

Grade school is a turning point in our lives, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to have to know what we are going to do in the future.

We are far off better people than we were 10 years ago because we have learned from our mistakes and we have made the best out of every experience we have lived here at St. Anthony’s. We will look back and say these were the best years of our lives.

To our teachers: Today, regardless of detentions and calls to parents and such, your hard work has not been forgotten. You taught us the skills needed to succeed in our career paths, and that is something that will not be taken away from us.

I would also like to thank my parents and family for supporting me in every cause I’ve pursued. Without the love and support of all you parents, none of us could be here today to receive this great honor.

Today, as we enter a new chapter in our lives we remember that we have the ability to be what we want to be. To climb mountains, to reach for the stars, to stretch as far as we can imagine, our only limitations are those we bring upon ourselves.

Many of us feel the need to question life. We question our place in society. We question if we belong. We question our purpose in life and what our goals are. Sometimes we are fortunate to find the answers we seek, and sometimes we just find ourselves just drifting, endlessly for the answers. We have been taught to seek our answers by ourselves to questions we ask. From mathematics to English, we seek the answers in the textbook provided to us. But where is the textbook to who we are and what is our purpose? Your family and friends is your textbook of answers. Growing up who will or has influenced you? Once you step out of here, the memories that you hold wont be the formula you used in algebra. It does not contribute to the development of yourself. Instead, the memories of what you did with your friends and your families for the past 13-14 years contributes to the determination of who you are.

As we walk out of these doors, we will never forget each other or these years at St. Anthony’s. We are leaders of tomorrow. We might all go separate ways but it will be ok because we came into this school as strangers and now are leaving as friends. In a few years from now it will become the same thing. We’ve gained so much just by being here at St. Anthony’s. Here we were all runners. We were running a race for knowledge.

It hardly seems possible that 10 years have passed since we embarked upon the journey which will end here tonight in this church. I know it will be hard for all of us but just don’t think of it as an end. Think of it as a new beginning. Congratulations class of 2005, WE DID IT!!

hey ali,
I have more tips if that didnt help out just hollar if u need them...

Also when ur tlaking in front of a crowd do NOT picture the people naked!!..it will make u laugh and mess up lol trust me...all u have tu du is believe that u can du it...ok and yes it is ok tu stress how u r...i du the same..i did when i wrote my speech...

hey michelle i have a question if i may??

Thank u so much angela for giving me those tips and showing me a copy of your speech. It gave me a real idea about what a valedictorian speech is supposed to look like. Oh and by the way it was really good. I have to start writing it soon and I'm still really nervous and I don't want to do it. I don't have any inspiration for doing it because I didn't really have a good jr. high experience. I don't have the heart for it and you have to want it with all your heart i take it. did u have the heart for it? is that what u really wanted?

hey Angela, thanks for the review.

I was wondering if you, and anyone else who's read my speech, could give me some tips to improve it a little?

hey i'm in grade 8 and i have no clue where to start off so if any one has the knowledge to now where i should start it will be great and by the way i only have 5 days to write it..

HEy...
Stuck here writing a high school valedictorian speech...i loved your nomination one, and was wondering if you could look over what i have so far?? Thanks a million:)

hey, wow im fortunate to have a month to write my valedictorian speech. thing is, it is only a gr9 grad, and is a very smal private school...just the more pressure to do well,because everyone knows me. i want to give an impacting speech because i got picked not because of my gades, but because of my personality...pressures on. any ideas on a speech that will impact, having to do with God,or moving on...something not to heavy for gr9 students(ive seen many speeches but there for high schools and so its differnt)
help!!! post ur reply on this website

Wow. Seems like I've read a lot of good speeches here, but I still cant decide what to write about. Graduation's tomarrow(actually its today now) and I know that whatever I say will be good enough because by then it will be the past. I'm really tryin to write but I keep thinkin bout this sexy nurse at the doctors office that i was talkin to yesterday. Anyway, I liked liked and was helped by all yalls speeches and I'll post mine when I'm done to help anyone else that still has to write there Valedictory speech

I just found this site and am glad to see that there are several people who feel the same way I do. I may have the highest GPA in my class, but that doesn't mean I know anything about writing a speech for my classmates. This is what I have come up with so far; I don't have a conclusion yet and I'm not sure about my intro...I'm basically not sure about any of it. I tried not to use quotes that won't mean anything, but i'm still afraid that I sound too preachy. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I sat in front of my computer for a long time trying to decide what I
could say to inspire my fellow classmates as we join together for the
last time before entering into a world of vast possibilities. What could
I say that would actually mean something to all of you? What could I
say that would speak to those of you who will be in tears throughout
the whole ceremony and at the same time speak to those of you who
cannot wait for me to shut up so you can grab your diploma and head
out the door? At first, everything that came into my head seemed trite
and unoriginal. You and I both have heard those same inspirational
quotations time and time again. Although they contain good
messages, I did not feel that quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson or
Winston Churchill would have much impact on you. So instead I
decided to design a list for all of you. They say that love is a game of
give and take, and I find that to also be true for life in general.
Therefore, I have created a list of what to give and what to take as
you journey through life. This list is a result of lessons I have learned,
not only over the last four years, but throughout my entire life.

Give a helping hand when it’s needed.
Nothing is more rewarding than helping others. The less you focus on
yourself and the more you focus on others, the happier you will be.

Take a helping hand when it’s offered.
On the flip side, do not be afraid to accept assistance. Society is
always advocating courage and strength, but I cannot think of many
acts more courageous than asking someone for help or being humble
enough to accept assistance when it’s offered.

Give your life direction.
You must give your life direction by setting goals for yourself and
working to achieve them.

Take life as it comes.
At the same time, do not expect your life to go as planned. This part,
admittedly, is the part that I struggle with. I want everything to play
out just the way I have intended, but we all know that rarely happens.

Give attention to what your heart tells you.
Never ignore your gut feeling. And remember, your heart is never
wrong.

Take advice from those who love you.
Listen to those around you and you will learn something. Let others’
lessons be ones that you don’t have to learn the hard way.

Give thanks for all you’ve been given.
No one could make it in this world alone, and I am no exception. At
this time, I would like to extend a quick but heartfelt thank you to my
parents and my entire family. I would not be standing here if it wasn’t
for you.

Take a break when you need it.
It seems as if the world keeps spinning faster and faster these days.
Don’t forget to stop and enjoy life once in awhile.

Give yourself a chance to live the life you have dreamed.
Remember that no dream is out of reach; some just take longer to get
to than others. Do not be afraid to try just because you might fail.
One of the key principles of saving and investing that Mr. Williams
reiterated time and again in Economics is also one of the key
principles of life... and that is - take risks.

Take the memories that you’ve shared with your classmates and the
lessons that you have learned during high school along with you.

Alright, everyone in my senior class gets to give a speech, as well as play a small slideshow and song. I'd just as soon take my diploma and be done with it, but here's what I've got since I have to write something:

I'm going to be honest. I hate speeches, hate writing them, hate listening to them. Graduation speeches in particular seem to matter only to the people delivering them and a handful of their family and friends, so I'll try to keep it short.

I appreciate the impact each person here has made on my life, whether it was small or large, direct or funneled down through endless intermediaries. I don't think I'll miss anyone, because I'll keep in touch with the people who really matter to me. I certainly won't miss the school itself, in a few short months it will have completed it's transition into something completely new and alien to me. Almost everyone I really knew moved on long ago to bigger things. All that remains here are a few close friends, teachers and students among their ranks, and in the years following this, they too will be moving on from the halls of Polaris. In their absence, it will be only a shell of it's former self.

I've gone here since second grade, and the people at this school are everything. Were everything, I should say, at least to me. I no longer feel as much of a connection with everyone as I did in the beginning. Not only have some of the best teachers I've had the privelege to learn from left, some of my best friends have also gone their seperate ways. It used to be I was on a first name basis with everyone I saw in the halls, now I don't recognize half of them, and from the way I see some of them act, I'm glad. I've felt as though I was done here since the beginning of this year, regardless of what a credit check might say, and in these last months have learned more from myself than from any classroom. My time to move on has arrived, and I can't say I feel anything but relief.

As I go, I will take with me fond memories and a wealth of valuable knowledge, all of it possible due to you, and innumerable others who could not attend tonight. I thank you all, and for those who come after me, I hope that you can find for yourselves some of the 'old Polaris' I seem to have lost. To my fellow seniors, I wish you all happiness, wherever your life may take you. To the rest of you, goodbye!

I have yet to choose a song though, maybe some VNV Nation...

As one girl put it, being a valedictorian is somewhat overrated. Who wants to be put through so much stress just to give a speech? Well... I went through it all and let me tell you, it is all worth it in the end. While giving the speech I recieved many laughs and then tears at the end. (I also began to cry, but we won't tell anyone that.) Afterwards, I was told by many friends and other people I did not know, that my speech was one of the better ones they had heard. It was a very satisfying experience. I figured that since this website calmed me down and gave me ideas, I could possibly help others who were in my situation. So here is my speech.
Attention students, faculty, and guests:
It is my honor to be named valedictorian and on behalf of the class I would like to thank you for attending. It has been a long journey, but we finally made it here today. Here is where we realize that life is about to change and all our paths lead us in different directions. I use to believe that I was ready for college, but lately I have realized how much I am leaving behind. We will no longer be able to hear Lasswell’s fake history stories or wake up at 5:30 in the morning to get yelled at by Copeland in the weight room. We won’t be able to make fun of Blaser with her corny science jokes, or watch as Mrs. Huff walks in with her new pair of pink shoes. However, we have left behind amazing accomplishments.
The class of 2005 has set a high bar for all classes to follow. Throughout our 4 years, we have placed 3 state championship banners in the gym for cross-country, softball, and football along with numerous individual state champions. We have accomplished a lot in drama, band, and choir with amazing plays and outstanding performers. Every time I reserved my tickets I knew that I wouldn’t be disappointed. The Prowlers have also brought home state championships and proved they were the best over and over again. Even our trapshooting and chess teams made their impact on the high school. Getting to this level of success requires a fight and the competitive drive to become the best.
Gaining this type of achievement proves we are prepared for the future because life is a competition. No matter which path you choose to follow, you must compete to accomplish what you want. If you are going to college, you may have to fight to get one of the few spots in med or pharmacy school. If you are panning to work at 7-11, you will want to be the best employee in order to one day advance and receive a raise. If you are going to become a stay at home mom, you want to have the coolest minivan so kids will ride with you. On the other hand, deciding to take the low road and not maintaining the competitive drive will leave you at home for the next 30 years living on your parents’ couch.
I owe being here today to my family, friends, and teachers. Mom and Dad- you have taught me how to dream big and your endless support and has allowed me to turn my dreams into a reality. Grandma and Grandpa- you have taught me how to overcome obstacles and laugh along the way. To my friends- you have helped me create unforgettable memories, which I will always cherish. To my teachers- you have always expected the best out of me and pushed me to become the best I can be. And last but not least, I want to thank my sister, Mandy. Her endless support and hours of make believe school has helped me up here today.
It is hard to believe but in a few minutes our tassels will be switched and we will receive our diplomas. High school is over and the future lies in front of us. It is up to each of us to determine what we want to do with it. Always remember to compete because that is what life is all about. To all my fellow graduates, I wish you the best of luck. Congratulations class of 2005!

Hey everyone.
I'm only in grade 8, but I was picked (along with 2 others) to write a valedictorian speech. I really feel the need to have an awesome speech because I'm up against this really preppy, smart girl. Anyway. I was just wondering if anyone actually had TIPS, guiding me to a good speech. I don't want to read year long speeches, I just need some help. If anyone helps me out, thanks!

Wow, I think that this is really great. It feels good to know that I am not the only valedictorian that has been given the chance to say whatever they want at graduation, really have the last word for their class and has no idea what to say. I was really lost and I stumbled across this and it helped me alot. I just threw some ideas that i like together, I borrowed some ideas from other posts (I hope you dont mind). please let me know if you have any suggestions for how to build on any of these ideas. Thanks!!

Guests, faculty, family, friends and my fellow classmates of J.A.C class of 2005. I never imagined myself making this speech.
Looking back at high school, I have to wonder if I slept through it. Four years have passed since we stepped through the doors of J.A.C High School and it feels like only last week we stared as Mr. V screamed “And I don’t like it!” It was only yesterday that we laughed at Mr. John’s check system. It seems like it was only this morning that we walked into school for the first time as seniors and now here we are.
On this exciting day, we anticipate the future but also appreciate our past. Throughout these four years we have struggled to reach our goals with our family, teachers and friends beside us every step of the way. For the first time in the past four years I can finally say we all truly understand each other. We may not have gotten along before, but today, our last day as a class together we are all thinking the same things; thank God we’re out, is it really over? And am I ready to face the world?
Class of 2005 we are on the edge of something big. I don’t know what it is and that scares me. For the first time in my life I do not know where I will be in five years. I could have a successful career or end up on the street with a sign that says ‘will work for food.’
For those of you who I haven’t already put asleep, I’ll try not to bore you with the typical cliché of “never giving up on your dreams.” Truthfully, many of us do not know what our dreams are yet because we haven’t seen the real world. We all hope to be successful, but the only way we can really learn is from experience. The Greek philosopher Socrates said “I cannot teach anybody, I can only make them think.” We will all make mistakes along the way, but we all have been given the intelligence to learn from them. We should all feel confident that the education we have received at Coleman has prepared us for the roads ahead, even though they seem uncertain and uncharted. Whether or not we achieve our goals is now entirely in our own hands.

bonjournos people...yeah, i'm in grade 8, and our grads coming up in a month. Apparently, anyone who wants to has to write a valedictorian speech, and the person with the best speech'll be chosen. I'm pretty nervous...i mean, usually, i love public speaking (i won the york regional speechio!) but holy jeebus i really want to get chosen! It's odd to see that the choice rests in just one paper...and it's nice to see that there are people in the same boat *evil laugh* Well, gotta start something (interesting ideas would be great!) and give this thingy in. Bah, humbug. With rice pudding.
- raha

bonjournos people...yeah, i'm in grade 8, and our grads coming up in a month. Apparently, anyone who wants to has to write a valedictorian speech, and the person with the best speech'll be chosen. I'm pretty nervous...i mean, usually, i love public speaking (i won the york regional speechio!) but holy jeebus i really want to get chosen! It's odd to see that the choice rests in just one paper...and it's nice to see that there are people in the same boat *evil laugh* Well, gotta start something (interesting ideas would be great!) and give this thingy in. Bah, humbug. With rice pudding.
- raha

i don't want to do it..., you can't make me :( :(

is this the punishment for being smart and working hard?

My speech isn't going to be given for a week and a half or so, but I've already typed out a rough copy. And here I thought I was putting it off until too late- reading these responses made me feel better.
Anyway, this is the nomination speech that got me elected. It doesn't work quite as well in text, but whatever. Oh, and I thought of putting in the Conan O'Brien bit literally three seconds before I started speaking.

(audience is cheering)
Keep cool my babies!
So, how’s it hangin’?
Is that nonchalant enough? I’m trying to create a casual atmosphere in here, and it seems like being nonchalant is the way to go?
Actually, you know what? Forget that. It’s lame. Let’s start again.
How’s everyone feeling? Yeah, I like that. How’s everyone feeling? Good? Bad? Well, I don’t care. What I just did is called “playing to the crowd,” folks, and I don’t plan on resorting to it. After all, I’m not here to pump you up; I’m here to convince you to vote me in as your valedictorian. So, that’s the end of the audience participation segment; I hope you enjoyed it.
My nomination likely came about differently than the nominations of the other fine folks in the running, since, well, I’m not going to lie to you, I nominated myself.
Why, you may ask? Well, partly to appease my ego, of course, but mostly because I feel that I could make a pretty rad commencement speech. You can replace “rad” with whatever current slang you kids are using these days. And of course I don’t literally mean “rad.” I’m not planning to get up in front of all your parents and speak like Bill S. Preston (Esq). I think I know all of you well enough that I’d be able to make a grad address that would be poignant, meaningful, touching? and? sweet?
Okay, maybe not. Actually, I know for a fact that what I’ve got to say won’t click with a lot of you. After all, as a greater man than me once said, “I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.”
In other words, I can’t please everyone. However, if I’m your valedictorian, I might just try to. There’s a time for satire and mockery, and the beginning of a new act in our lives (to use an absolutely horrendous metaphor) isn’t it.
I was going to talk about my various contributions to the school and the community, but then I realized I haven’t made very many. I suppose I could say something about my long history in the school system, and all the great people I’ve met along the way, but I’m betting that you guys don’t care. I know I wouldn’t.
Instead, I thought I’d share with you a few choice phrases that I feel do a good job of describing a possible speech I’d make at commencement:
“Gripping”
“Will keep you on the edge of your seat”
‘Stallone delivers a blockbuster?” wait, hang on a second. I think I have the wrong sheet. I don’t know where it is. Actually, those quotes are pretty accurate, at least until the Stallone part. But I digress.
You guys want to get out of here, and I don’t have anything left to say, so let’s part amicably before I start to bore you. Remember, the peculiar thing is this, my friends- if I’m elected, my speech won’t actually sound anything like this speech! This is just to convince you. I’m not even going to go there. Keep on rockin’ in the free world.

I am still having trouble on my speech...I rewrote some of the ideas...if any one has any suggestions for how to build on/organize my ideas i would really appreciate it!! Please e-mail me any suggestions!! (Oh yea and i need to figure out how to end the thing too) I Swear being valedictorian is punishment for the smart kind...lesson learned...it pays to be dumb then senioritis can come full swing without a speech to worry about!!

Guests, faculty, family, friends and my fellow classmates of John A. Coleman class of 2005. We have come to the end. The day we have dreamed of since freshmen year. In all of my dreamings, I never could have imagined myself up here giving this speech.
Looking back at the past four years, I have to wonder if I slept through high school. Freshmen year we were told daily how fast our time at Coleman would go, but it is hard to remember that when we were stuck in class with Mr. Vittacco screaming “And I don’t like it!” or while Mr. Johns gave us check after check. Truth is, the first day of school seemed like forever ago. At the same time, looking back, it is hard to believe that we were here for four years. This exciting day is in part to look back on and appreciate those four years, in the midst of our anticipation of the future. Throughout our four years here we have struggled to reach our goals with our family, teachers and friends beside us every step of the way. They really have been great. For the first time in the past four years I can finally say we all truly understand each other. We may not have gotten along before, but today, our last day as a class together we are all thinking the same things; thank God we’re out, is it really over? And am I ready to face the world?
When I first started to write this speech I had no idea where to begin. I wondered what did I have to say? I decided to search the internet to find some pearls of wisdom to share. I found a lot of great ideas and, no, as tempting as it was I did not pay $19.95 to have my valedictorian speech written for me. My point is though, we are living at am amazing time, one full of possibilities and opportunities. There may be some problems in our world but look at how much has been accomplished. The world is at our fingertips with the internet. Ten years ago we couldn’t have completed research papers in front of our own computers.
Class of 2005 we are on the edge of something big. I don’t know what it is and that scares me. For the first time in my life I do not know where I will be in five years. I could have a successful career or end up on the street with a sign that says ‘will work for food.’
For those of you who I haven’t already put asleep, I’ll try not to bore you with the typical cliché of “never giving up on your dreams.” Truthfully, many of us do not know what our dreams are yet because we haven’t seen the real world. We all hope to be successful, but the only way we can really learn is from experience. The Greek philosopher Socrates said “I cannot teach anybody, I can only make them think.” We will all make mistakes along the way, but we all have been given the intelligence to learn from them. We should all feel confident that the education we have received at Coleman has prepared us for the roads ahead, even though they seem uncertain and uncharted. Whether or not we achieve our goals is now entirely in our own hands.

Hi,

I truly have no idea what to write for this speech and I was hoping that anyone could email me with feedback. Ugh, i completely agree that this is a punishment, not an award. Thank you very very much for any help.

Hello. Its slightly ironic that I am speaking on behalf of my class when I know less than half of the class, but by some demented system, I’m the “lucky” one here in front podium to say something that even I will forget five minutes after this address is over. When I first sat down to write this speech, I found my mind unbelievably uncooperative. Using clichés such as “This isn’t the end it’s a new beginning,” “We’ve gained so much,” or “We are finally out of here” (perhaps the last is true) seemed insipidly hollow while reducing the speech to pure sarcasm would probably get me yanked off the stage which wouldn’t help this ceremony move any faster even though it would certainly be more entertaining. In short, I found myself staring at a blank page before writing, “I can’t write this speech” a couple times in nihilistic effort to at least fill the page, and then wondering why in the world they would choose a someone to deliver an address based on GPA especially when said person has a habit of not talking and there are several talented speakers available. So I gave up until I was forced by horrible concatenation to face this contumacious document once more.
Perhaps the problem is that high school feels as if it ended months ago. This feeling could be because I missed at least a third of the year --UM is a great excuse--but today feels like a mere formality. Of course, it’s supposed to provide “closure,” but the irony is we’ve already finished our high school. We know those that have made a difference to us, we’ve made our friends, and by this point, its much to late to teach us anything (as our physics professor discovered second or maybe even first semester)---in short, being here today is hardly going to bring a revolutionary change in regards to how we remember these four years. By now, all that’s left (thankfully) is to look ahead. In hopefully less than an hour (after they try to pronounce our names handing our certificates for our diplomas) we’ll be officially released into summer, and in a few short months (or for some of us even weeks) we’ll finally move on to college. Its certainly something I’ve been looking forward to all year long even though I’ll probably need close to ten alarm clocks to ensure I wake up in the morning (after a night of hard studying of course) and about thirty extra copies of my dorm keys just to know where one is, not mention the all the work college entails. Yet there’s something in the very difference that college is¾its whole attitude, the totality of the experience¾that makes me wish these following months would move a little faster than I had hoped in previous years. And even though we’re going different places, we all have the same opportunity to discover, to devise, to do. Of course, how exactly we define these feats will differ for each one of us, but as Nietzsche remarked “A thinker sees his own actions as experiments and questions--as attempts to find out something. Success and failure are for him answers above all.” So regardless of what we do, we can at least find a philosophical excuse for our actions. And likewise, when we are there, we will most likely realize how small of an experience high school truly was. Although it felt like eternity waiting four years for graduation to finally arrive, most likely, how we spent these four years will play only a trivial role in the course of our lives---honestly, how many of us are going to spend the next years dwelling on our time here at [school]? In fact, probably, what we will most likely remember or use is what we learned outside of the classroom or at least beyond of a context of a book. After all, "Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school." And I hope we can find similar and much more enlightening experiences at college. So go out, try something different, experiment, learn, and make these next four years truly worthwhile in whatever context you deem appropriate. So as parting words to my class—good luck, and don’t take life too seriously, it’s not like you’re getting out alive.

hey everyone im only in 8th grade but at our school we gradaute after 8th before we leave for high school......well ne ways i got chosen as the valedictorian and now i have 2 write a rough speech by 2morrow and give it at graduation on monday........im totally freakin out cuz i have no ideas and any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Hey shorty...I am also in 8th grade and I'm valedictorian as well. I don't know whether or not to give a 'i'm not going to quote famous presidents' speech or a 'as andrew jackson once said...'. I'm so lost!!!!

For all other high schoolers worried about their speeches...DEFINITELY AVOID SOUNDING ARROGANT BY USING BIG WORDS NO ONE KNOWS!!! I think we should all try to write comical, yet serious, interesting, but powerful speeches.

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY ROUGH COPY, AND MOST OF YOU WON'T GET TEACHER OR NAME REFERENCES, BUT PLEASE TELL ME HOW I CAN MAKE IT TEN TIMES BETTER~!!! IT'S ALSO NOT FINISHEDEnd of the Year Speech
Kurt Ostrow

It’s been an interesting three years here at Chestnut Ridge, hasn’t it? But I wouldn’t change a thing?Well maybe I would have liked to have ceilings, and I guess the whole mold thing was kind of a problem, but seriously, I feel Chestnut Ridge has laid down a great academic foundation for all of us. Next year, when we move on to high school, wherever that may be, I know the things we learned behind those prison-like walls will come in handy. We sometimes take for granted the things that seem almost like second-nature, but we should all be grateful for having as good a three years here as we did.
Speeches can’t go without a few different ‘thank yous,’ so here I go. I’d like to thank all of my friends, you know who you are, for making Chestnut Ridge a fun place to be. I’d also like to thank all of the kids that challenged me enough to be standing up here today: Prachi, Dave, Kate, Sarah, Paige, and the list goes on. You guys deserve this just as much as I do. I’d also like to thank my parents for giving me a good set of morals and a strong work ethic.
And who could forget about the teachers? I know I’ll miss Mr. DiLouie’s five-minute lessons and hilarious jokes. I’d like to thank Mr. Mercog for making history come alive through the art of cinematography. To Mrs. Strauch, I’d like to thank you for sacrificing your dignity numerous times this year in attempt to teach simple lessons. I’ll never forget substitution, greater than or less than inequalities, or factoring. You not only made learning fun, but I feel like you taught me a lot this year, and I think math will continue to be one of my favorite subjects. I’d like to thank Mrs. Burke for teaching us so much about science. I, as well as others, feel like science will be easier next year because of it. And last but not least, Mrs. King. Even though I only had you for half a year, your class was still enjoyable. All five of you prepared everyone on team 8C for success through high school.
The reason I’m standing up here today has something to do with the grades I worked hard to attain this year. But honestly, 20 years from now when you look back at your middle school experiences, you’re not going to remember who had the highest math average or who had the best reading project. But what you will remember are the friends you made and the good times you had here at Chestnut Ridge.
Today at graduation, I think everyone should look back at all of their most memorable moments. Most of us took Renaissance for granted when it was around, but once it was gone, you realized how much of a good thing it really was. I think that this message will apply to Chestnut Ridge as well as soon as we're out of here. ........

HELP!!! THIS IS A PUNISHMENT NOT AN HONOR

I had to do a sppech for grade eight and i had one day to do it with absolutely no ideas. Then, when i gave u all hope, I said to myself,"You gotta write something" and so I did. As i started to write, i began talking about all of the good times i had and i began enjoying myself. I even finished the rough copy in two hours!

JUST TRY TO WRITE SOMETHING AND IT SHOULD COME TO YOU!

yo help me plz i got my speech due and i dont know wht to wirte

well. im trying out for valedictorian n im only in grade 8. the thing is. there is a competition for the speech.and whoever made the most "appropraite " one would be selected by the teachers. my problem is.what do u do if u right a speech.hear a lotof other ppls speeches n all of a sudden feel as if ur speech nothing compared to theirs?

I WAS CHOSEN AS VALEDICTORIAN AND FRANKLY ,I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE

is it hard making a speech for high school grad? do u know everyone in your graduating class? cause there are so many ppl i dont understand how yu can no everyone

I completely relate to most of you. I have to write my speech by Monday and have to give it on Tuesday...grr I am ready to be out of highschool but i=Im not sure Im ready to deal with this. Wish I could give ne of you advise but I cant even help myself. So goodluck!!!

man, I am in complete agreement with you guys. Being valedictorian really bites. For one thing, I only know about 1/4 of my graduating class (if that) so its going to be really tough getting up to speak to a room full of strangers iv seen in the halls for 4 years. Ironic? And then there's the everpresent burden of making the speech "memorable," "amazing," and "truly orginal" if that's even possible. I'm actually one of 4 valedictorians at my school, and I have to give my speech last so whatever important and comical I finally do come up with will already have been said three times! I'm not even that great of a public speaker--in fact, I hate public speaking and have a serious case of stage fright. I have no idea what to write, and I need to turn in my speech in two days. If anyone has any good ideas please send me an e-mail. I'd greatly appreciate your support.

VALEDICTORIAN IS A PUNISHMENT NOT AN AWARD

When I sat down to write this speech, I realized just how hard it would turn out to be even with all of the advice I’d been given. “Don’t quote dead presidents,” or “Don’t read from Oh the Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss. “Be as funny as you can.” And the ever popular “Don’t be boring.” I will try my best to heed all of your advice, but honestly, it’s all easier said than done. I’ve stared at a blank computer screen for hours, toiling over a speech that would properly finish off our middle school years, and I really hope I do just that for all of you.
I couldn’t seem to start this speech without thanking a few deserving people first. I’d like to thank my parents for instilling me with a good set of morals and a strong work ethic. I’d like to thank all of my friends; you know who you are, for making my time here at Chestnut Ridge as much fun as it was. And lastly, I’d like to thank all of my fellow classmates that challenged me enough to be standing here today: Prachi, Dave, Kate, Sarah, Paige, and the list goes on. You guys deserve this just as much as I do.
I think it’s also very important that I thank the teachers on 8C for teaching us so much this year. Next year, I know I’ll miss Mr. DiLouie’s five-minute lessons, ‘rights’, ‘how dare yous’ and ‘for lack of a better words.’ I always found it ironic that our English teacher always lacked a better word though. But seriously, Mr. DiLouie, you made me a much better writer this year. Mrs. Burke, you taught a lot of science this year, and the homework load clearly reflected that. I knew I could always count on you to give us vocab. words even on test days. Mrs. King, you inadvertently sparked my interest for reading, and your classes never seemed to bore me. Mr. Merogliano, I’d like to thank you for making history come alive through the art of cinematography. And last but certainly not least, Mrs. Strauch. Every year, my math teacher has always been my favorite teacher, and you weren’t one to break tradition. The way you sacrificed your dignity numerous times in attempt to teach simple lessons, will never be forgotten. I don’t think any of your algebra students will every forget GO LA! I think each and every one of you has suitably prepared us for high school, and you were a great group of teachers to end our time in middle school.
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve noticed how excited everyone has been to finally be leaving this moldy, ceiling-less school. And I know today some of you might even shed tears for that same school. Graduation can be a bittersweet time for all of us. I’ve also observed how many ‘lasts’ we’ve all been experiencing here at Chestnut Ridge. The last time we got a homework assignment. The last time we were taught a lesson. The last full day of school. The last school lunch. The last time I see many of you again.
But with so many ‘lasts’ will come just as many ‘firsts.’ First day of high school. First high school test. First time we are treated as adults. There’s so much to look forward to next year. But I’ve become so accustomed to CRMS that I’ll feel like I’ve left a part of me behind. I don’t know about you, but I’m one of the people not excited about never coming back to wander the halls of this prison-like building. I’m one of the people not excited to never have to read the boring morning announcements again, or build another bad Future City model. I’m sure you all have your own memories that you’ll take with you, and today, on graduation, I will ask everyone to look back over the past three years, remembering all of the good times they’ve had. Because those are the things that count. Twenty years from now, when you look back on CRMS, you won’t remember who had the highest math average, but what you will remember are the friends that you’ve made and all of the good times you had here.
I’ve given my last ‘hellos’ to many of you today, and to end my speech, I’d like to wish everyone good luck through high school. Hopefully you all do your best and do anything you set your minds to. And since I won’t see a lot of you again, unless I see you around the township, I’d like to give you all a final ‘good bye.’ I’ll miss you guys, and I know that high school won’t be the same without you.

Thank you.

PLEASE LOOK AT MY SPEECH AND COMMENT, EDIT, REVISE, OR EVEN BE BRUTALLY MEAN. I NEED TO BE GOOD....I'M 8TH GRADE VALE. HELP, PLEASE!

Ah! I just had my friend write my speech, hehe. I know, I'm bad, but what are ya gonna do? Well, I have to give my val. speech on Wednesday. I'm nervous as hell...

Hey! On Friday I was selected as one of the nominees for validictorian of my grade 8 class. Although I am very proud of the concept I came up with my speech and fully feel I deserve it I still found your site very helpful and interesting! I'm very excited to go to highschool, maybe I will get a second chance at a valedictorian speech then, ya never know! Thanks a lot! -nikki-xoxo

I must say writing a validictorian speech is a hard thing to do. Especially when you only where in that school for 4 Years . But we will get throw it !
Try your best and you will get there !

This phrase is a nice touch: Keep it in your heart and try to apply it to life
"Live each day as if it were your last but learn each day as if you will live forever !"

As I forgot to add I found a great website to helped me alot!

www.persuasive-speechesnow.com/graduation-speech.html

this is a little info it is so much 186 pages of crap????

it dosne't even teach u anything.... it is truly crap

no body goes on this site anymore..... bib

Yay! I'm valedictorian, I'm looking around for ideas, I want to make a great speech for my fellow graduates to remember. I had a great time in high school and I hope PennState will be just as great.

Can someone read my valedictorian speech and tell me how it sounds? Okay, it's kinda shmaltzy and there's probably some cliche phrases in there, but what the heck, graduation is this Frdiay and until about Wednesday of last week I had no clue whta to say. Here it is:

An Address to the Class of 2005
We are gathered here tonight in an atmosphere of celebration. This is a time to recognize the spirit and the accomplishments of the class of 2005; to close one door, one chapter of these students’ lives, but also to open a whole new one on the future that lies ahead. Despite what others may feel, I personally am not afraid to face these present times because this graduating class, this group of students that is part of a worldwide movement of young people, has shown me that the world is passing into good hands. Anyone who has lost faith in their surroundings obviously hasn’t attended a high school graduation recently, because each one of the faces on this stage is a living testament to the spirit of hard work and determination that is still burning bright in this country. It’s called the American Dream, and from what I have seen America isn’t going to lose hold of it anytime soon.
This past year the world witnessed the death of Pope John Paul II. For me, his passing was a powerful time for reflection, and I found that the pope had served as a fine representative of optimism and life to others. He continuously maintained the virtues of an optimist: hope, faith, and courage, virtues that are desperately needed in these trying times.
What is an optimist? An optimist is one who never ceases to believe in the virtues of man, who refuses to accept the current conditions of society because he has faith that humans can be so much better than what they have thus far accepted themselves to be. As Helen Keller once said, “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow”. An optimist does not even consider the idea that his present surroundings of poverty, oppression, and death are to be permanent fixtures of society, for, in the words of a Persian poet, he has seen crystal raindrops fall from blackened clouds. Time and memory are not easily erased, and once an optimist has witnessed an act of wonder or compassion, he remains unceasingly convinced that hope still exists in the world and that change is not a withered flower but rather a young lion, strong and forceful.
People who are optimists are people who have the courage to act upon their ideals. Having recognized that there is still an opportunity for change in the world, they commit themselves to change and press forward despite the adversity that they face from others. William Shedd wrote that “a ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for”. When one considers the intellectual and physical capacity of a human being, one cannot help but think that humans could probably teach themselves to fly if they could only harness such power that they possess. An optimist has already harnessed himself to the world’s wagon and is treading down the path to progress.
Not everyone will be able to hold an important position such as Pope John Paul’ in his or her own lifetime, but a true optimist realizes that such a position is not necessary for him to practice his beliefs. Every human possesses a mind and a body, and these are all that is needed to make a positive difference in the world. A mind that is filled with thoughts of compassion and understanding and a body that is willing to work to improve the surrounding environment can accomplish so much. An act as big as toppling a dictatorship or one as small as people of different faiths praying together has the same result in the end: it has had a positive impact on mankind. Therefore, we must realize that anyone can become an optimist; that is, anyone can believe in the future success of their world and in their own special way work to promote this.
Before you are ______ faces of youth: the class of 2005. Our lives here on this earth are still so fresh and new, and in the years to come we will travel down many different paths. At this moment, the future may still seem uncertain, but I say to you do not be afraid, because it rests in good hands: this young generation. Carl Sandburg wrote, “I suppose you could say I’m an idealist: I don’t know where I’m going but I’m on my way.” But really, that’s all that matters: that we never cease in our pursuit of life; that we always keep our eyes fixated on the heavens of our dreams in our journeys to come. A new dawn is falling upon the world, and in closing I charge everyone assembled: be there to greet the day!

Hi. Although I may not be in highschool, I am valedictorian for my grade 8 class. We graduate on June 24th and I have to have my speech in by the 17th. I have gone through almost 20 pages of writing different ideas down, and right before I get to the end, I decide I don't like it. I'm no writer, but I tend to be a bit of a pefectionist. I want it to be something that people will remember, but I also want it to be funny, original and just sort of shock people. I currently have nothing, besides a pen and a blank sheet of paper. If anyone could e-mail me with some help, it would be greatly appreciated. Especially from high school students, seeing as they would have a better understanding.

I was chosen as valedictorian for my grade eight graduation. I am a pretty good writer and would like to add a bit of humor to my speech. If anyone has anything I could say or stick in my speech could yu please email me with ANYTHING!! lol thanx

HELP!!!!!!! i was chosen as valedictorian yesterday and graduation is this Saturday (a lot of time, rite). i have no idea on what to do. i plan on my speach being funny, but serious at the same time. if anyone has any ideas on funny ways to start, or anything relative to humor, email me at Madgamer107@optonline.net

I was just told today that im the valedictorian so i need help on wat to write about because i am totally BLANK! Could I use some cliches because I really like some of those. Could you pleaze answeer me soon becuase I need this by like 2 days .

Thank YOu

I was told three days ago that I'm the valedictorian for my 8th grade class and the speech pretty much needs to be done by tomorrow because my principal wants to hear it before everybody else on graduation night, which is tomorrow and I don't really have anything to right. PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!!!

What do you think of mine? This is for 8th grade btw

Mr. [edited], Board of Education, faculty, honored guests, family, and friends, on behalf of the entire Class of 2005, I would like to wish you a good evening and thank you for attending the 2005 Commencement Exercises. I am honored to have been chosen as the valedictorian of this competitive, determined, and hardworking class. I have been working towards this moment since I knew what the word valedictorian meant. I would also like to take a moment to congratulate [edited], a peer, a friend, and the Class of 2005’s salutatorian. She is living proof of how high hard work and determination can lift you.
Nine years ago, a group of 60 or so children walked into the doors of this building for the first time. They were the new kindergarteners. I am not going to say that we were fearful or shy, because if you have any previous acquaintance with the young men and women behind me, you know that we are not a timid bunch! Over those nine amazing, event-filled years, we grew into ourselves. We separated into cliques and posses. The remarkable and wonderful thing about my peers is that although we may have associated ourselves with smaller groups, we never broke away from each other as a unit. It is because of this, that I have mixed feelings about this night. On one side, I am thrilled to be completing my leg of my journey through life and moving on to a new, exciting one. On the other hand, I feel slightly melancholic that we must part. We are all going our different ways for high school, some to Red Bank Regional, others to Christian Brothers Academy or Red Bank Catholic, and still others to High Tech High and Communications.
My years here have left me with hundreds upon hundreds of memories. I have memories of class trips to PEEC, New York, Washington, D.C., a few museums, and many other places. I can clearly recall all of the plays and concerts that we participated in over the years. I have memories of all the wonderful, inspiring, motivational teacher that we have had since we walked into the school as crazy, enthusiastic, kindergarteners.
I would like to thank my family for supporting me through all of my trials and tribulations in the nine years preparing for this very event. I think that I speak for the entire Class of 2005 when I say that if it were not for the brilliant teachers, staff members, and administrators here, we would not have made it this far.
To my fellow graduates, I congratulate you all in graduating Shrewsbury Borough School. We did it! Our journey has been incredible and I wish you all luck wherever your paths’ may lead you. I leave you with some advice in the words of Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Thank you.

Wow. I have just realized something. I was reading some of the posts from earlier this year, and I came across one that said "ignore all of the advice you have been told or read." It's true, valedictorian may be a very hard thing to do, but if you just sit down and concentrate on what you want in your speech, it should come. Don't listen to what advice you hear on here, because if you do, it really isn't you, is it? Because you are just trying to satisfy everyones expectations. That's where you start to become confused and nervous, because you don't know where or how to start. So just take a bit of time here, or there, and sit down. Write down ideas, you don't just have to start with the best speech ever. No rough draft is awesome. Edit it. Have people read it. Do whatever is comfortable. Whether it be comical school moments, or whatever.

OMG you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i gave my speech- posted above- and incredibly.... i got a standing ovation! it was't anything out of this world or utherly complicated, it was simple and straight to the point. i even used the opportunity to tell my boyfriend that i loved him(thing ii had not done before that)... well, everybody thought it was cute.... the key to every speech is the delivery. if you know how to address the people then they will relate to what your saying.... it doesn't matter what you say!
once you are up there, everything just comes together.
well, enjoy guys.... those minutes in stage is to show everyone what you are all about, you will be the shinning star for those moments and everybody will talk about how wonderful his/her classmate did up there.

enjoy!

i have over 670 students in my grade and i have no clue how to hold their attention...i def dont know them all and i dont want to pretend that i do....but i would like to make it personalized in some small way....and despite the fact that i thought i did not care whether people listened to my speech at all...i have to speak in front of about 5-6000 people and i would really like to not sound obnoxious, boring, or stupid.... oh well, best of luck to u all who have like zero time to write....

I gave my speech 2 days ago. Few weeks ago, I was also very clueless about what to say. As graduation got closer, I was forced to turn something in. It turned out pretty good. One tip, be yourself, and don't try to satisfy everyone. It's impossible to please everyone.

Good Afternoon(to lots of people...i will write that out later). I am very proud to be speaking here today in front of my classmates, friends, family, and many many people that I do not know. It is quite an honor and quite a responsibility. I am not going to pretend that I know all of the students who are sitting behind me today. There are about 650 of them, and I could not possibly know them all well enough to say something about the past four years that would encompass the sentiments of all of them. To my classmates(how do I make this shift from audience to classmates?): We have all had very different experiences at school, and, subsequently, we will all remember school in very different ways. So, instead of talking about the past, I would just like to talk a little bit about the future and the responsibility that we have as a generation of Americans.

Whether next year you are leaving for college, getting a job, or starting a family, it is important to remember, no matter how trite it may sound, that each one of us has the power to effect change in our nation and in the world. We can make excuses for our inaction by saying that one vote does not matter, or we can decide, as many past generations of Americans have, that we want our voice to be heard. By joining together in collective action we can make a voice that will not be denied. Change is inevitable, but we have the power to decide what will change and how. So, I will pass on the advice that I have been given by many people whom I respect, “Pay attention”. Current events will shape the future, and there is no place in this nation for apathy. Ghandi said, you need to
“Be the change that you want to see in the world.” I know tonight when we are all on a bus on the way to project graduation, it will be hard to remember that there are important things happening around the world that are effecting us, but whether we pay attention to them or not they will continue to impact our lives. So, try to remember that your voice does matter and that as Lucia Herndon said, “although the world owes you nothing, you have an obligation to contribute to the world.”

is this too hard core for a grad speech?

its ok..i love speeches i cant wait to make mine...im just having truble oragnizing the hole thing...like i no exactly what i wanna say by dont know what order to day it in. any ideas?

I think high school is awesome!! Love every minute of it

i cant wait till high school :)

Hey,
I'm in grade 9 this year and i have to write a valedictorian speech this year. i really need some advice, and quick, i have to have it done in ONE WEEK!!! please send me ideas!! carolyn_oconnor11@hotmail.com subject-valedictorian speech thanks:)

I'm in the eighth grade and I had to write a speech for I'm the valedictorian, I don't know if what I wrote was to vague or anything, I'm open to any comment! I have to say it next Friday, but have it ready by this Friday.

Valedictorian Speech

I came to St.Mark as a chubby six-year-old, full of anxiety to meet new people, and to learn and discover new things. As the years went by, I slowly realized that school was not just about learning, it was about achieving the goal of having a lifetime of a memories. The memories do not only consist of remembering it in general, they can consist of feelings, feelings that help us grow stronger.
As I was trying to think of what I could include in this, I thought When did I realize that boys didn’t have cooties anymore? Then I thought, Gee, I really miss show and tell. I mean think of what bizarre things people had such as baloney.. or a sock. Then I was trying to think of when people started to have actual groups or clubs, especially snow forts, oh my those snow forts. Do you think it still takes five people to push one snowball? Then I thought What about when everyone had an amusing obsession with monkeys? No one could keep a straight face when a picture, or mention of the name ‘baboon’, or ‘chimp’ was said.

As I thought of all these things, I realized and noticed how much everyone has matured. As we matured, over the years, we all had a stronger and greater bond with each other, having inside jokes that no one but you and the person you share it with understands, being able to trust someone with your deepest, darkest secret, and finally realizing that it’s okay to be friend with a member of the opposite sex. I can most definitely say my friends were by fare one of the most important things to me. They were there for me when I needed them, they were there to cheer me up when I wasn’t happy about something, the times spent with them, is something that I’ll always cherish and remember, something that I’ll always reflect back on, and be able to smile.

As I reflect and think of my most cherish able memories, the first thing I think of was the honor I got of being selected to go to the Ontario Educational Leadership Centre. I also think of the pride I had of being in the drama club in grade 4. I feel greatly lucky for being in Mrs. Robertson’s grade 3 class, and learning songs in sign language. The trips to the zoo, and the fun walk-a-thons are always something I’ll remember.

All and all, as you grow up your put through with challenges, challenges that some may not be able to go through without the help and support of friends, and teachers. Teachers, people who have one of the biggest impacts of your life, who teach you the knowledge your all gifted with right now. Some of us were taught sign language, how to play the recorder, how handwrite, multiply, divide, all the other complicated mathematic things. Without teachers, no one would know how to read or write. When I say this, I think I speak for everyone for giving you a huge heart-warming thank-you.

Growing up ? imagine growing up, in a room, without the lights on, without the lights you’d feel isolated and alone. Even growing up with the lights on aren’t much better, you are open to see horrible things in the world, such as war, hunger, and poverty. Then, there is just that one light, that one little light everyone looks for, the light to show them friendship, a home, feeling welcomed, for me, that light has been this school. It showed me the power of friendship, knowledge and support, and that, that is all I need.

We are the faces of the future, and we can make a difference. Congratulations everyone.

Well you know what!! High school was great. Don't you ever look back and just think you could live it all again?? Just so you can have as much fun as you did. You may be weird, adn outkast, or be different but you have to have fun

could 1 of u ppl pleaz tell me gow to get rid of stage fright cuz i gotta give my speech tomorrow and im totally nervous, and ppl keep saying to picture the audience in their underwears but i think its gonna make it worse.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I JUST FOUND OUT THAT WAS THE Valedictorian, AND I'M ONLY IN FIFTH GRADE!!!!!!! YOU ARE ALL RIGHT! BEING A Valedictorian IS HARD WORK AND DAMN RIGHT SCAREY!!!!!! I NEED LOTSSSSSSSSS OF HELP!!!! TO THE PEOPLE WHO POSTED THEIR DRAFT ON LINE, THANK YOUUUUUUUUUU! THEY REALLY ARE HELPING ME. I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE!!!!! FOR GOODNESS SAKE, I'M ONLY TEN!!!!!!!!! MAN, I'M LIKE A WHOLE YEAR YOUNGER THAN THE REST OF THE FIFTH GRADERS!!!!! I GOT CHOSEN OUT OF FIFTYTHREE OTHER FIFTH GRADERS!!!! I'M TERRIFIED!!!! PLEASE HELP ME! I'M BEGGING YOU!!! MAIL ME ANY TIPS. HHEELLPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hi. just got a question. do you speck just in front of the graduating class, or in front of the whole school?

hi everyone im in grade 8 and i just started my sppech today and its due tommorow i think im screwed but im almost done its so much troulble to go trough to write this one speech for grad well i am doing the best i can but i cant really think of anything well goo luck to everyone elese on there speech

What do you think

Welcomes?
Thanks you?

I’m not here to tell you to shoot for the stars, or follow your dreams, or any of that. But what I do wish to share with you is a dream of my own and how hard work really does pay off. I have always loved Notre Dame the school, the teams, and everything about it. Since I was young it was my goal, my dream, to go there. I watched their football team play on the gridiron each Saturday, but it was actually something they did before they even ran onto the field that caught my eye. As they walked out of the locker room and down the steps to the field every player would smack a sign that read “Play like a Champion Today” in order to remind the players of their goal. Now, if you’ve seen their teams play recently, you may wonder if the team still hits that sign, because they have not been playing like champions to say the least. But anyway, anyone that has been in my house has seen that my family had to get a replica of this “Play like a champion today” sign and hang it over our steps. This way each morning when I walked down the steps I could smack it and think about my dream. It reminded me of my goal, and inspired me to work hard and to challenge myself every day. I never made excuses when I reached an obstacle, but rather I overcame them and accepted nothing but my best, that’s what a champion does. While I worked I always kept my goal in mind, and the great Muhammad Ali summed it up nicely when he said “Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” So at times I suffered, and it wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t always fun, but ultimately it all paid off because my dream came true. This last winter I accomplished my goal, I was admitted to the University of Notre Dame. I may be off to join the Fighting Irish, but I wasn’t lucky, “a champion makes his own luck.” So now, as we go our separate ways, my message to you is simple, “Play like a champion.” Work hard, challenge yourselves, and don’t always take the easy way out. Use your skills and your own tools to become a champion. Use your talents to your advantage. I may be the valedictorian, but I can’t score touchdowns like Tony Canci. I may be the valedictorian but I’ll never be able to play the saxophone like Frank “the tank” Mathews, I’ll never be able to score goals like Natalie Capuano, or dance like Jim Green, or sing like Tom Zane. I can’t make people laugh like Nick Leary, or talk as much as Jeff Moylan or do whatever it is our homecoming King Bill Meehan does. Use your gifts. Each of you are talented, each of you are different, and dare I quote Mrs. Mary Jo Laskowski-Smith, each of you are “beautiful.” Don’t accept anything but your best. Don’t be satisfied with losing, or okay. Knute Rockne, a famous Notre Dame Coach once said “Show me a good and gracious loser and I'll show you a failure.” Don’t just be satisfied or take the easy way out because you will probably end up paying for it later. Do things the right way. Don’t be a loser, be a champion. Work hard, and never stop learning, Bogdan Suchodolski tells us “New horizons of cognition and new spheres of activity are made the source as well as the consequences of lifelong education.” Most importantly however sure during all this work and learning make sure you have fun, stay out of trouble, but have fun. Life is supposed to be fun, and even though it can suck really bad at times, make it fun. You don’t have to know what you’re going to be when you grow up, I have no idea. But when I find something I enjoy, that I can get paid for doing, I’ll know my career. It should be the same way for you. Find a job that’s fun for you and do it for the rest of your life.

Class of 2005, in a few minutes we’re just going to be another number on the walls of Sun Valley, but in the real world we can all become champions. So fellow graduates, here’s what I say to you. Work hard, challenge yourselves, never stop learning and have fun. Remember champions make their own luck, so go and “play like champions.”

Uh..how long should a speech be, y'all. I got like..three pages on word perfect! and I'm STILL not satisfied.

So i found this website http://www.heraldnet.com/grads/03/index.cfm and it has many Grad speeches. Well, i have been chosen to represent my school, and all i have to say is that you can't be indimidated by all of the excellent speeches available on the net, you just have to make something personal to yourself and graduating class. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to make people feel good when they depart from the venue.

i am having a lot of trouble trying to figure out how to start my valedictorian speech...im in grade 8 and i only have a week and a half left to write and memorize my speech........if you have any ideas please help me....!!!.....if you could help send me an email at kdifrancesco12@hotmail.com
thanks alot!!
im really scared .....i dont want to be nervous during the whole graduation ceremony!! Is there any way that I could make my speech....or prepare myself so that im not so nervous......
well.......

please help me

thanks

I am in 8th grade and was just told tuesday that i was val. now they want the speech due tom. and i'm runing out of time. Any help would be awsome!

AHHH . MY FRIEND KATIE IS VALEDICTORIAN AND SHE HAS NO IDEA WHAT SHES DOING !!!! PLEASE HELP HER OUT . FOR THE SAKE OF MY POOR SCHOOOL, WE NEED THE HELPP .

well... those do not write cliches, are dumb, because without that, what iz a speech... those sayings drops tears in the students eyes... i thought your speech sucked... and i could do wayy better... i mean i wouldn't vote for you... but besides the point...great job that you got elected to be Valedictorian.

Omg... ur speech waz da bomb... i really need help because three students in my class r valedictorian... cuz we all fit the right criteria... and i want to rise to the top, and show them my skills, becuz one is involved in everything, and one iz plain extra... plz help me... i need it!!!

Hey, I'm in grade eight and I was voted valedictorian. I have to have my speech completed by June 25 and it is June 18 today. I haven't even started, I am so confused. I don't know what to write about, just like every other valedictorian I want my speech to be origonal and not boring. I want my speech to make people laugh. If someone could PLEASE help me with some ideas it would be muchly appreciated. Thank you so much. My email address is boy_crazed_chick_615@hotmail.com make the subject "Valedictorian" Thanks again.

Hi i come from Quebec, Canada. well first i think that this web site for valaedictorian i really good. What is it special at my school is we don't have a valedictorian!! I,M really good in speeches and talking in from of audiance. Well, you see there a tiny difference in Quebec! Where I go (in high school) it's a french school but my question was can public school have valedictorian or it's just private school! Because i didn't even know that we could have valedictorian in Canada because it's more american! Because I going to move and i wanted to know witch school they have valedictorian!! thank you for your time and sorry that my english isn't perfect because my first language is french! Bye

u guyz are not taking this seriously..u are lucky u are chosen as a valedictorian...obviously if ppl picked u to do this job..it means ur capable of doing a gud job and that they want YOU to represent them as thier student body...so this is not any punishment of some sort...so just smartedn up ppl and stop whining and complaing like a bunch of immature kids.

hi, well i m in grade 6 and i have to write a valedictorian speech by tom. can u guys plzz help me and write it for me or atleast start it off.
thx i will b waiten 4 a reply
:)

omg...my speech is due tomorrow...its not my fault!....i was watching the much music video awards!....i have no idea how to start it...

p.s....im an owl in training

OMG.......I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO START IT!!! I'M SOOO DEAD. I HAVE TO HAND IN THE SPEECH BY TOMORO!!!! NO!!!

haha u suck

GOOD CALL BOB THAT IS A GOOD ONE! THEY SUCK A LOT, DO UR HMWK BEFORE THE NIGHT OF THE DUE DATE! IDIOTS! IF UR THE VALEDICTORIAN U SHOOUD KNOW HOW TO FRIGGIN DO UR HMWK U FAILURES IDIOTS!

being valedictorian is not a curse. writing a speech is not that bad. give ur message to ur peers and stop worrying. it's not meant to be stressful

writing a speech is so stressful, it is an honour to be validictorian, yet at the same time it makes life very difficult! i'm really struggling with mine. I have a rough draft but when i read others it's like whoa maybe i should restart....ah well i guess we'll see how it goes....

Wow dats a really good advice i think im going 2 do good thanks 4 this site woow !!!!

Yeh, I'm valedictorian this year at my school this year I have aboustly no idea what to say so if anyone has any ideas post them please ... thanks

Help!!! My grade 7 grad is tomorrow and i was the one chosen for this "special" speech. I need help PLEASE!!!!!!!! i have like 2 sentences and i am not writing it at the last moment i was just chosen today!!! HELP ME!!!!!!!

HEEEELPPP guys okay im graduating frm gr.8 nd i'm one of the 3 valedictorians, we must write a speech together on our years spent at this school i dont kno what i should do

I'min gr.5 and i'm elected to be valedictorian for my school. i finished rough draft with partner plz tell me some tips on how to memorize it! this site is great.

i went to websites . research on google or yahoo.

HELLO?

Hey. I also have a high school graduation in less than two weeks. i am drowning. any new tips?

The theme of this website seems to be AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHEEELLLPP. Well Like all of you calm, collected, organized, non-procrastinator valedictorians, I also have to write a speech for highschool graduation for next thursday. And clearly I don't have a theme, an idea, or thought provoking quotes, that would make my speech memorable. So by reading these replies, i have calmed down slightly, because it has become apparent that every valedictorian, in history, ever, has visited this site and you all have proved to me that i'm not the only stupid one that somehow found themselves in this situation.. It appears that this position is really just an elaborate set-up to make people think that you are smart and inspirational. haha so thanks... I'm off to go work on my speech.

Since I learned of the word "valedictorian," it has been my dream. I will be a senior next year and I am bouncing back and forth between 1st and 2nd of my class. I truly want to be number 1, because I was number 2 in 8th grade by one-hundredth of a point - devastating - a tiny difference means the difference between 2 awards and 5 awards.

Anyway, I am starting to think of ideas to write about. I want it to be great and I have a lot to say, but it seems too personal and secretive. My speech in 8th grade was phenomenal, at that time, but now I see it as crap. My speech next year (whether it be valedictorian or salutatorian) will hopefully be well-inspired and call for a standing ovation. HAHA

"holla back with some ideas"

Hey. I have to give my speech on Sunday, and its a disaster so far. Dan's advice seems pretty great, even though its a lot easier to say those things than to turn them into a good speech (also, I didn't like his speech so much, no offense). Thanks everybody, for letting me know I'm not alone!

Here is my Valedictorian speech. I will be making it tomorrow (25 June).

Good afternoon staff, family, friends, and fellow graduates of the class of 2005!

It is a pleasure standing here before you today. Finally the years of FREE education are over; and East High has been very good to us. Who said a public education can’t be great? I know from the energy in this room right now?that the two hundred and ninety three graduates present today feel very good about the education they have received. Where else could we have participated in programs such as Virtual Enterprise, fire rescue, Certificate of Employability, Culinary Arts, and the Teaching and Learning Institute? East High also has amazing, section dominating sports teams and a music program unrivaled in the city. East is a place where students and adults from all walks of life?persuasions?and interests build relationships and learn. East High is unique. East High is?our home.

H.L. Mencken said “A home is not a mere transient shelter: its essence lies in the personalities of the people who live in it.” East was not where we resided, but we did live there. We spent four years in those halls, growing. Coming into East High, we were awkward adolescents, and most of us had very little clue about life. Look at us now?these may have been four years of raging hormones, but they have led us here today. Without the nurture of East High, we could not have changed the way we have. Home has a power of completing us, fulfilling our souls. Mencken is right?the people at East High have definitely influenced us, and made it a safe place where we could learn, socialize, and develop responsibly.

However, we are leaving this part of our lives. We have to move on. Commencement, this ceremony, means beginning; we are beginning our adult lives. East High has been our comfort zone. We now must look for a place in this world that we can call our own. Fellow graduates, remember the often heard adage that “home is where the heart lies.” This means that where-ever you are able to rest your heart, is home?Life is not this simple, though. George Moore stated?“A person travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it?” This is also good advice. Many of us will return home to remind ourselves of the important connections we had.
Those who know me well will find this next quote appropriate. Cynthia Heimel said, “When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth.” I take this to heart. Anyone who saw me dance at the prom knows this. Fellow graduates, be happy, creative, and enjoy this time. Otherwise, as Mr. Morris always said when somebody got caught skipping, “your behavior will lead you down the rosy path of destruction and sorrow.”

Graduates?let us remember who got us here today. After the ceremony, be sure and thank them. Your family made this possible.
My family has been there for me, through good and bad. Middle school was a disaster, but my parents stood by me, however wrong I was. My sisters, who are also present, even though they did beat me up, always stood up for me, even though I may not have known it at the time. I love you, and I will never be able to repay this debt. Thank you.

I’d also like to thank you, the student body, my friends, for making High School bearable, and even fun... (applaud friends). Whether it was talking about lobsters sticking to magnets, or serious philosophical issues, we enjoyed these years. Thank you for being there.

I’d especially like to thank Mr. Morris for teaching me in the 7th and 8th grades, then following us from Douglass to East, and teaching us in our sophomore and junior years. We enjoyed your classes, even though, to quote the man, “I ain’t got no English skills.” Mr. Conrow, thanks to you I love Physics, despite the horror stories I had heard about the subject. I’d also like to thank Mr. Holdridge. You have taught me about life, and showed me that when one is called on a path that is righteous, in his case the ministry, to follow it.
I must admit I am apprehensive about going to college. I don’t know if it is the fear of being on my own or the heavy workload I will be facing?and I’m not even leaving the city! I could not begin to understand being as far away from home as many of you will travel. Independence is scary word. I will not have my mother lovingly?nagging me to get up, or making sure I get my work done. I will have to keep myself in check. I will have to find my limits, and the strength to give up when I know it is time. I am going to college; and five years later, God willing, I will be receiving a commission in the United States Air Force. It is a big commitment, and many things will change between here and there. Yet, I know I will have the support and guidance of home.

We face the awesome task of making lives for ourselves when we walk out onto Ridge Road this evening. Lucius Annaeus Seneca once wrote “I never come back home with the same moral character I went out with; something or other becomes unsettled where I had achieved internal peace?” Fellow graduates, our moral character may start here, from home, but it will change?Our journeys from here will continue to shape and improve us.

God Bless, class of 2005.

Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow.

Hey... I'm a procrastinating Valedictorian as well! At my school, the Valedictorian is chosen based on highest GPA, not by voting. I haven't written my speech yet, and Graduation is Wednesday the 29th.... Eeek!

Hopefully I'll have come up with something by then.

hello i have a speech due tommorow along with my cousin we both are valedictorians,,,,,its gonne be awesome

Can somebody help me?????????Tips?...

Hurryhurryhurryhurryhurryhurryhurrryuhrhruhryrhurhr

I did my speech 2 days ago, my advice for everyone that still has to write/give theirs, be humorous, nothing makes an audience listen and enjoy you like humour. I especially liked Andrew's nomination speech for its humor.

i did my speech which ended with a standing ovation! good luck for those who will do a speech next year! (cause everyone is prolly dsone their speech by now) have a good summer and dont get toooo too drunk!

I had to give my valedictorian speech last month (may 20th, 2005). My school, Flagler Palm Coast High School is large, there were about 550 seniors and several thousands of faculty and parents at the graduation. The valedictorian there is selected based on a weighted GPA. A in normal class is 4. A in honors class is 5. and A in college or AP class is 6. I ended up with 5.0 and did not take any college classes (only APs).

When I was writing the speech I kept being pressured by the faculty to include every "popular" senior class member and all of the popular activities in school, even if I was not involved in them. Also, I had to praise the students for passing the FCAT!

In the end I decided not to mention any of the “cool” class members because most of their achievements were not academic and they did not fit anywhere in my speech, which was too long anyway. (6 min) I tried to get rid of mediocrity and replace it with achievement by ridiculing the FCAT’s and praising SAT’s and AP Tests.

In conclusion, when writing the speech make it about what you want and not what others want. If you want to insult someone or something, do it between the lines. Do not insult your speech by praising “Everyone,” praise a few to make the praises count and keep your speech to the point. Do not take into consideration what others will think about the speech, a.k.a. it being un-cool or out-there, just write something you like, more than half of the students would not listen to it at all. Most importantly, enjoy giving the speech!

Here is my speech, get some new idea’s out of it but please do not plagiarize.

************************************************

Many long years ago our teachers brought us into a new world, one based on knowledge, conceived in liberalism and dedicated to the idea that all students have the right to receive an equal educational opportunity. Some of us went enthusiastically, others had to be dragged along but we all made it in the end.

Tonight we are in the ultimate act of the revolution; a revolution twelve years in the making- towards enlightened thought, independence, and success. For the past four years, our fortitude has been tested by the state, by our mentors and now by the rigid stadium seats. Only time, long beyond these few hours, will tell whether we have the dedication, and persistence to endure and prevail long enough to take our place among the shining stars of tomorrow.

All of us have to remember that we did not get to this point alone. Our voyage has been filled with loving and supportive parents, concerned teachers, and selfless mentors who have helped us along the way. Therefore, tonight is a time of thanks and gratitude.

I have been lucky that my own Mother and Father have taken the time to show me what is truly valuable in life by instilling from the time I first immigrated to the United States, the type of values that lead to high achievement. The praise and support they have provided encouraged me to always strive for excellence. Tonight I repay them for their belief in me.

I want to thank my Dad for the memories from summer vacations in New York; my Mom for the fantastic food she prepares every night, and all of those fishing expeditions; I want to thank my older sister who came home from UF to lend a hand with all of the University applications and admission forms, even if I did think she was a bit annoying when we were younger.

My Mother has taken the time to be there for me, and I would not be on this stage tonight were it not for the love, support and dedication she has shown me over the years.
Thank you Mom.

It is right and proper that all of us are here tonight. We have worked, played, studied, and even occasionally fought side by side to get here. These years have been depicted in numerous ways: from the best of times to the worst of times, only one thing is certain, these years will make a lasting impression upon all of our lives.

Despite how these years were viewed as we passed through them, the clubs, classes, and activities and the people made it all worthwhile. Those involved in the Leos Club will never forget Mr. Murphy’s paper drives and the pancake breakfasts. Some people may think a club like Mu Alpha Theta is only for the few math wizards, and it’s true that Mr. Sanson and Ms. Appleman fit right in there, but the practices and competitions helped countless students expand their appreciation for math while having fun at the same time. The Chess Club taught essential strategy skills to students while the High-Q club taught the crucial thinking skills for aspiring jeopardy contestants.

Seniors will probably remember their classroom experiences the most. After Calculus BC, who can ever forget how to integrate by trigonometric substitution or to use the Lagrange Form of the Remainder of a Taylor Series? These mathematical concepts will be the instruments of our future engineers and scientists. The Metamorphosis and Brave New World were among the many books read in English classes that are indelibly imprinted on the minds of the students who read them with new themes, new vocabulary words, and new narrative techniques.

Overall, most of what we learned in our classes is invaluable for the future. For example, learning Spanish or French will help aspiring students obtain jobs that involve contact with people from other cultures. Learning physics will help students understand early on the necessary concepts of the physical sciences and will lead them to a greater grasp of the interactions within their world.

Regardless of what classes we took, courses from the tough AP and honors classes to the fine arts or practical arts courses, gave us skills along with a chance for everyone to grow and excel in different ways. For that we should all be grateful to be graduating from a school like FPC, which offered each of us so many different opportunities.

At this point, I want to tell you where my life at FPC has led me. My future included Chemical Engineering because I know that the standard of living is primarily affected by the available technology.

In the past people did not have the computer or the Game Cube to entertain themselves; they died from diseases that many of us that never hear of because now they are so rare. Each advancement in technology helps to increase the standard of living. But how does the technology advance, and what makes it tick? The answer is simple; it is science. The closest thing there is to a panacea for all of the human troubles is science. It is a perfect instrument similar to a pen that never runs out of ink. The scientists and engineers act like the student using this magical pen to create new designs and solve complex problems in order to improve old things or replace them by new things. In the long run, science is always right. This is because scientists double check, triple check, and even google check all of their discoveries to see if any misinterpretations were made. Humans of all cultures and beliefs can learn to work together for the good of all mankind. Compromising when necessary for the good of humanity, but never at the expense of knowledge itself. If “knowing is power,” then true knowledge is understanding how to recognize and use what we know. When this happens, this civilization will enter a new golden age. In general, hard working scientists are responsible for most of the achievements of this civilization.

When I leave for UF, I will have to grow and learn even more before I can lend my knowledge and skills to that of all scientists who work to advance civilization, but tonight I want to thank my friends, my parents, the teachers and faculty at FPC for awakening in me the desire to become one of those scientists.

Perhaps it is true that the words spoken here tonight will not be remembered for long, but what everyone will remember are our accomplishments from the past four years. We have had academic successes and personal successes because we have all worked hard and taken pride in what we did. This has been no surprise to those parents, teachers, and mentors who have gotten to know us as individuals, because they taught us what it means to make a commitment and stick with it, taught us how to think for ourselves as well as knowing when to question ourselves and others instead of just accepting what has always been there.

As students, we have faced joys, challenges, and adventures. We have faced the FCAT and won, it was easy. We have conquered the AP exams and the SATs, but after tonight, we will face the even more difficult tests in the universities and life. We will meet them face-to-face too, and as we venture out into our futures to learn new lessons in life and conquer new challenges, in academia, economics, science, and our personal lives, it will come as no surprise to anyone when we place high on the state, national and world stages of tomorrow.

Thank you for your politely feigned attention.

***end of speech***
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OK, so it looks like the speech frenzy has died down, so I'll just take the opportunity to say (for next years Valedictorians), don't take advice! Especially not from a website, especially not from people who don't know you, your school, your situation. I gave my speech on May 28, it took 2 weeks for people to stop... uh... talking about it (that the weather happened to be in line with my theme didn't help). How did I manage this? Speak from the heart, forget the advice here. Find an older person to help you out (I had a wise, balding Spanish teacher), but make sure the speech is yours. Make it what you want it to be. And all the speeches posted here? Not for you. No need to read them, they're not relevant to your situation. I refuse to post mine because it will be of no help to anyone. Sit down, no distractions, and write a speech that you want to write. And like I said above, the best advice I can give you is to not take any advice about how to write the damn thing.

I think that if valedictiorians come here for help on their speeches, than they don't deserve to be valedictorians. Come on, you guys are supposed to be the smartest in your class!

oh please. if they are 'smartest in their class' then they should also know that it is always good to get different perspectives and research the topic somewhat. this site showed me how to think outside the box when writing a speech and how important it is to make it personal to you.

Im sure that no one is reading this by now, considering all their speeches are now over. I had the same hang-ups as the rest of the throng who wrote here. I decided to choose what i thought would make a difference(rather than the funny stuff most suggested). I talked about scars.(physical, emotional) and seeing them on the people who have helped us through high school. Original, but not noteworthy. However, i did do one thing novel. I would suggest that you do a portion of your speech in another language(if possible, and applicable). I did my beginning paragraph in Spanish to include the latin minority at my school. It went over well and it was a good change for the Valedictorian Speeech. Good Luck with your writing and presenting.

sorry to post twice but i think there were some that really hated high school up there that need to get over it. I was a track record holder, student council officer, and valedictorian. I didn't love high school, but i didnt hate it. And what made it all flow smoothly(if not perfectly..... I cared about my situation and worked toward honest goals. For all you who hated high school look back and ask yourself if you considered it a pain to study, to pay attention, to socialize. If you did, then you have deeper problems than high school. Maybe try getting a life? getting a hobby? Maybe try putting yourself into something more important than you? Just Maybe. And hooray for all those who survived high school with flying colors, bright memories, and a yearning to experience more than it could offer, cause all those who hated high school(for those certain reasons) will probably hate life.

you suck

you suck

hello i took ur advice and it was good

hi u gys were vry good tahnks 4 da halp i pissed and ceme 1st in mi skool compedtishen but still naad alot ov pratise on mi spalling as u can si.

I wrote the first part of my speech 1/2 hr before graduation, the last half was made up on the spot and didn't sound like it was (and yes, I avoided the cliches) :) A most terrorfying experence, but procrastination is my speciality. Peace Out.

im from australia and im valedictorian in oh about 2 hours. makes me laugh that everyone voted this thing is exactly the same - procastinators that search the web for ideas, me included
at least u guys can talk about the year/life etc i have to thank teachers for 5 minutes

I am trying to be valedictorian for my grade 12 class this year and I'm still confused on what to talk about! I wanted my speech to speak about unity as a person as well as unity as a group. I don't know if this is good enough or if i will be stumbling over my words and lost on what to say! If you have any ideas on what would be a main idea and good sub-ideas please let me know!
Thank you Carolyn

Hey... I know graduation frenzy, as someone named it, is over for you guys in USA, but I'm from Argentina and I will probably be this year's valedictorian (we graduate in november for those of you who don't know) It made me feel so much better to find out that there are lots of people out there who are/were going through the same experience I am. I just hope everything will turn out fine for all valedictorians, cause it's such a great honour, but a huge responsibility and burden at the same time... Thanks for all the advice posted... it's really helpful!!!

hey new valedictorians!! i gave mine in 8th grade (2 yrs ago) it went relli well. umm.. u can search "bigboi" and ull b able 2 find it (its on this page higher up). remember 2 relax and remmember every1 wantz u 2 do gud. remember that its not all about u, but dont act like seom1 else. remember who ur talkin to, not the administration, not the parents, its ur classmates!!! um..what else...?. o yeh mine went gud cuz people thought i was real and not frontin uh..just email me if u need help i know wat ur goin trough. gud luk

Oh...i really wish to be the Valedictorian of my grade eight class! How do teachers usually diecide how someone becomes one? There is this other girl who is EXTREMEly capable of getting it too....but i still have the highest average in my grade so far...is there any way i can stand out so the teachers can choose me? They will probably tell us in May or something....so i really need to work hard! Got any suggestions?

I mainly want to be valedictorian to overcome my fear of public speaking..this might be a bad idea. I just want to be totallly original. I know it's not original to want to be original. but, this web site helped (I googled 'valedictorian' speeches)even though everyone has different opinions. The auditions for it are in two days! eeekkk, I have to have it ready....
my favourite post, ha ha, it's so true:
bri [12:52 AM October 22, 2005]
"im from australia and im valedictorian in oh about 2 hours. makes me laugh that everyone voted this thing is exactly the same - procastinators that search the web for ideas, me included"

It's really late and I'm high on coffee. Chantal, it's a great idea to get over your fear this way. good luck! I am also trying to be valedictorian for reasons unknown, probably because it's fun. I have my auditions tomarrow and i have...nothing. I might just wing it, but that is if i still don't have anything in two hours.

um..... i wuzz thinkin it might be i lil bit stupid, but can 'why is doing a speech so hard?' be a speech topic. i personally think speechs were made to **** ur life. they suck. u get them every year at ma skool. i think whoever made 'speechs' is a ass. well, i agree wif ur idea of how 2 be lik ur self but.... no matter wut anyone says, i still think speechs are like shit

NO ONE DESERVES TO BE TORTURED BY SPEECHES, THEY ARE THE WORK OF THE DEVILS! DO NOT BE TEMPTED!!!!!!!!!!

WWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

um ....im a real val.-need advice-making a graduation speech is hard to make humorous....any tips? im open for advice.

Its funny that kids will take advice from just some Joe on the internet. Please kids, while this guy has some good advice.. think for yourself. I see some of you, just because this guy says to not use cliches, you won't...then others are so desperate you'll follow advice from a virtual stranger? Granted, he has good advice, especially about talking to the kids in your class that may not feel that these years have been the best..but wait a minute..would it be the 1st time you ever talked to them? well that means you may be one of the reasons its not been so great for those left out? please think for yourself..hey maybe you could talk about that?//good luck.

thanks.... i really need those... i need to make my valedictory speech...

u are useful guys

noy your so right....see it work to take advice froma " virtual stranger" good advice

This site is good. Damn it, tomorrow's my graduation and isn't it ironic that at the end of everything, where so many things/events have happened,when you have so much to share, you are at a complete loss of words a.k.a. speechless??? at exactly 15 minutes from now, we will be starting our general rehearsal for graduation.. and i haven't written anything in my 'speech paper.' Can you guys help me? email me please!!! thanks *;)*

High School is a time of greatness, and anyone who knows that should be able to tell you that graduation is one of the best times of your life. Especially when you do not go to post-secondary schools you realize that high school was the one place where you didn't have to worry about what you had to do "tomorrow."

Hey! Just wanted to say that your site was a massive help. Alas, I too fell under the procrastinating-valedictorian syndrome....it seems I'm not alone! Thanks to all of you helpful commenter-people for your tips. BTW, the cliche thing is absolutely perfect! I brought up a few of those points...*grins* Anyways, thanks again, and to all you guys out there with a 14-hour deadline, remember: there's nothing you can't accomplish with determination and caffeine!

Hey,I'm in the 8th grade and i was voted valedictorian for my junior high school. My teacher told me that I had to write a speech so I got on the enter-net and found your web-site. I'm not quite finished but I got the general idea for the finishing touch. Thanks for everything!

I just wanted to say that being a valedictorian sucks. All i get is a month of the asb and commencement kids riding my butt, wanting me to drop everything im doing, and write a freakin speech i have no passion about. Its even worse when there are five other valedictorians at my school, writing about the same thing. I guess thats what i get for going to the largest school in the state and actually trying in school... I think im going to talk about something thats going to shock everyone, maybe make some people mad, like really pissed so that the parents come up to me and yell at me for ruining their child's "most important day in his/her life." Thats a load of bullcrap. Well, now that i think of it, what i said was a load of crap too, i just have really bad indigestion right now. Anyways, thanks for the tips, i always knew there were things you werent supposed to say, or at least i didnt want to say, and now i know exactly what they are. I just wish everyone else does too so i dont have to hear it.

This year Im going to be valedictorian in my school, I was going crazy about writing this speech because I've never been to a graduation before and I have no idea how a valedictorian speech could go. After I read your comment and your nomination speech, I realized its not such a big deal and if I mess up, so what, Im never seeing any of those people again except 4 my friends who wont really care if I mess up or not. Thnx, this helped a lot!

I am in the 8th grade and I am the salutatorian of my class, and I am completely clueless!!! Everytime I start to write a speech, I wonder if I'm going too much into the history!!! Well.... I'll survive.... hopefully!!!

O.k.- I am obviously not alone- yet I am in the minority. I am a CO- Valedictorian of my 8th grade class. both me and the other girl are "equal" they said. It may seem unimportant to some people (made aparent by the fact you say high school graduations are unimportant) but I would still really enjoy some tips on oooooo........... EVERYTHING. I don't know what to write about (theme wise) i don't know how to grab the attention of so many people who are so different, or be funny, or charming or any of those things i am supposed to be. I need a push to get thining but then i will (hopefully) be able to take it from there. i have learned what not to do but i am still at a loss. if anyone could email me at tennisroxmysox17@comcast.net i would greatly appreciate any advice. please put "valedictorian speech" in the subject box. thanks.

well I am graduating on May 24th and still have no speech! I have no idea what to say! I hate my high school with a passion adn can't wait to move away I really and seriously don't know what I can possibly talk about. any ideas?

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K...so basically im in the 8th grade and instead of teachers picking the valedictorian on the way they act and their academic results and all that, they are making all those who want it to audition. we'll hand in the speeches without names on t