what should graduation speeches be about

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How to write a graduation speech .

Writing a graduation speech can be daunting. It’s natural to want to give the best speech possible to commemorate such an important milestone in your life. But How to write a graduation speech that is worthy of the day?

This page will be a comprehensive step-by-step guide for how to write a graduation speech that inspires and motivates. It will walk you through everything you need to know, how to write a graduation speech that leaves your audience teary-eyed. 

At the end of this page, I have written a sample graduation speech using this guide. 

I have spent days asking how to write the perfect graduation speech. I remember the banging of my head on my desk in frustration when I was preparing for my graduation speech. The reason for this paranoia was that I too, just like everyone else, wanted to give the best speech possible to commemorate such an important milestone of my life. 

The amount of time and energy I had spent in preparation for my graduation speech prompted me to put up this page. 

So here it is:

LET’S UNPACK with the No. 1 problem in How to write a graduation speech? 

The number 1 problem which everyone faces when setting out to write a graduation speech is where to start?

Well naturally before you start preparing your speech you will need to know what you want to talk about. You can call this a theme, a topic, an idea, or the subject of your speech. At this stage, it can be a one-liner or even a word that describes what you want to talk about. 

Again I know it is easier said than done. That’s why I have listed some approaches to help you figure out the topic of your graduation speech.

There are different approaches you can go by, but I will write a few which helped me.

How to find the subject of your graduation speech?

How to write a graduation speech around your core beliefs..

The first place I will recommend you to look for inspiration is your core beliefs. If you very strongly believe in something then talk about it. This could be what you stand for. Or what you will always stand for? Or what do you advocate? Maybe these beliefs are human rights protection, prevention of female objectification, and child labor, or maybe you believe in socialism or the importance of family structure.

The idea behind talking about your core beliefs is that you are genuinely passionate about them, and you will most likely have enough to talk about them. 

How to write a graduation speech based on Timeline.

I like to call this a timeline-based approach in deciding what to talk about during your graduation speech. Evident by the name you will pick up a moment or time and will talk about that time and how great or challenging that period was in your life. 

You can pick a period from your past to describe a challenge or a beauty of it and how it impacted your life and what lesson it has for others as well. 

You can pick a goal in the future which you want to accomplish and what motivates you in selecting this goal and how it will impact your life or people at large. 

To help you better understand, I have listed some examples. These examples sound generic but the actual events which happened to you will be unique for your audience. 

For the past based graduation speech, some ideas are: 

• A problem you faced to get to this position

• You had a certain difficulty, but you didn’t give up

• You faced trauma but still, you graduated or accomplished a goal.  

• What drove you, who motivated you, who built your passion, who never lost hope in you, who built your character and gave you confidence?

• What was your journey to get to this point?

• What took you to get here? 

• What were your expectations?

Remember: The purpose is not to tell your biography or how great you are. The purpose is to inspire with the underlying qualities which kept you going.

If you don’t want your speech to be sentimental you can always talk about:

• How fun your experience was

• How you will miss partying 

• How greatly have you lived your life here

• How amazing your friends, teachers, and institute were.

• How helpful everyone’s contribution was in your graduation. 

• You can go with funny events or can make very light fun at the expense of the audience. (Never insult.) 

• How has this time here changed you into a better person?

• How do you overcome your shortfalls

These are some past-based graduation theme approaches. Similarly, you can decide to talk about the future:

• Your goals

• Your optimism and how you plan to change the world.

• You always dream to follow your passion, and now you are one step closer

• You have an ideal personality who inspired you; now you can follow the lead.

• How you will miss this time, place, and people. 

• How you have learned to dream big and now explore

• No one is perfect, how you make mistakes, you will keep making mistakes, but this place taught you how to learn lessons from mistakes. 

• You look forward to stepping into the world.

• How guest of honor is your ideal and why do you appreciate them and want to follow the lead?

These are some of the examples I call a time-based approach in deciding how to write your graduation speech. 

Note: you don’t have to pick only one. You can relate a past event to achieve a future goal. 

How to write a graduation speech based on characteristics of value.

This one is simple really. When I was deciding how to write my graduation speech I came across this approach. In this approach of deciding your graduation speech theme, you can pick a characteristic and talk about it. In this case, you pick a characteristic value, and you start building your thoughts around it. 

• Value of Truth

• Importance of love

• Need of Courage

• Humbleness in sacrifice

• Lessons in failures

• Struggle for passion 

• Never giving up

How to write a graduation speech on the beauty of your passion. 

Here you find anything you are good at. It doesn’t have to be some sophisticated idea or any well-praised concept. It can be anything you are good at. 

It could be: 

• Any creative idea

• Participation in social causes

• Spirituality

• Gardening

Maybe you are passionate about gaming, or you have an interest in building stuff, or you like to experiment, or you have a sense of empathy and want to participate in social causes, or you have a knack for health and well-being. 

The point is it could be anything you like to do, which gives you happiness or a sense of fulfillment. You have to find out the good sides of this passion and talk about it. Link your source of happiness to real-world scenarios.

I mean there is a legendary speech about making a bed every day and how this one task is so great. 

How to write a graduation speech on delivering a point or argument.

The last approach I would recommend is delivering a point approach. Here you decide an end goal of your speech first then you build your argument around that goal. You have seen something wrong, or you would like some practice to change. Or in your view, a certain thing is not value-added but time-consuming or a method is not creative but laborious, and you would like it to change. 

You get the idea of what I am talking about. You may want to talk about human rights, and freedom of speech, you want to sound an alarm and talk about the environment, or you want to talk about any other modern-day problem. 

Here you have a point which you want to make. You will build your speech around that point. For example, you believe that home assignments are a waste of time. 

These are some approaches you can use to decide what you want to talk about. You can be creative and mix them or stick to one area. 

Now that you have your main idea, let’s start planning your graduation speech.

The planning stage of how to write a graduation speech.

Before you start writing your graduation speech there are some factors you need to know and understand when you are planning to write your graduation speech. We will figure those out during the planning process of the graduation speech together. 

Time and place

What time is your speech.

The first thing you need to know is which day, and where you will be delivering your speech. Usually the place of your graduation ceremony. It may be on campus grounds or in any other venue. 

But you need to know the time in a different context as well. 

Here you formally need to know at least three times for your graduation speech. Write that down for your reference. 

• First: Obviously what time is the speech?

• Second: how much time is allotted to your speech?

• Third: how much time do you have until your speech? 

How much time is allotted to you? 

You need to know how much time is allotted to your speech. You need to know that to prepare your speech. You need to know to create enough material to cover that time slot. Not too short, not too long.

My rule of thumb is at the planning stage when you are writing a rough draft for your speech your draft should have enough material to cover at least double the allotted time. You will need to consult with the organizers or graduation committee about how much time is allocated to you?  

How long should a graduation speech be?

Ideally, a graduation speech should be between 5 and 7 minutes long. That’s just enough time to deliver some inspiring words without dragging on (or putting your audience to sleep!).

Of course, each situation is different. If you’re the valedictorian or salutatorian, you may have a little more time to speak. And if you’re speaking at a smaller graduation ceremony, your speech may be shorter.

No matter how long your speech is, make sure you spend some time thinking about what you want to say. A well-written and well-delivered speech can be a memorable way to end your time as a student and start your new chapter as a graduate!

How much time do you have to prepare for your graduation speech?

The third and most important one is to know how much time you have for planning. You know this by allocating your time to your daily most important tasks. 

Know the Audience

This is tricky and an important factor to know before you write your graduation speech. Audiences come in all shapes and sizes. Know your audience before you start talking so that they feel welcome at the ceremony. You need to know who you will be addressing during your graduation speech. 

The common attendees are:

• Graduates

• Top students

• Faculty 

• And special guests

But keep in mind that among the audience all these people can also be 

• Media Personalities

• Influencers

• Potential employers

• Govt. officials

• Ethnic or minority groups

Beware of those who are attending, You don’t want to sound insensitive or hurt someone or a group of people’s feelings. For example, with a religious audience, you don’t want to talk against religion. Or might want to omit any jokes about physical features, or people with disability conditions if you have the same people in your audience. 

The second important thing to know about your audience is that you do not want to be specific to a small group of people. People of all ages and beliefs can be there, so avoid making specific cultural references to target only a small group of people. Instead, talk in broad general terms. 

There could be potential employers among the audience. You don’t want to sound cocky or to be remembered as arrogant. I mean it is entirely possible that a month later you are attending an interview and find out that the interviewer knows you already from your graduation speech with a bad impression. 

Tone when delivering your graduation speech.

This is important to know and decide. What will be your tone of speech? Do you want to sound formal or informal? Passive or assertive? Passionate or optimistic? Humorous or serious or do you want to keep it conservative or motivating? 

This might sound overwhelming but it is not. A lot of this has to do with the theme of the speech.  What I suggest is to choose according to your personality. Do you like to convey your message through humor or are you an optimistic person? But whatever you choose please keep it consistent. 

Having said that When practicing your graduation speech, it is a good suggestion to keep the tone upbeat. This is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduates, so the speech should be motivating and inspirational. 

However, it is also important to be respectful and sincere. The graduation speech is an opportunity to thank the teachers, staff, and administrators who have helped the graduates along the way. It is also a chance to offer some advice and words of wisdom to the graduating class or future graduates. Whatever tone is used, it should be genuine and reflect the speaker’s excitement for the future of the graduates.

Avoid Cliches during your graduation speech

The Next thing in your planning stage is to avoid cliche. Everything has a place and time. Not everything should be said at all sittings. You might want to go political, or you might want to go activist. Even Though nothing is wrong with it, you don’t want your whole speech blaming others. 

In my opinion, if you can avoid it please do avoid it. The reason is not to discourage you from speaking up regarding social issues, but the reason is you just “graduated”. You have a diverse, more senior audience in front of you. Do, if you have to, refer to a certain issue or show your commitment towards it. But please do not give a lecture to your audience and make them feel responsible. You just freshly graduated and most likely you have not done anything substantial to change the problem you are talking about. 

Some other cliches are:

1. “This is the best day of my life!”

While it’s certainly an exciting time, your graduation isn’t necessarily the best day of your life. There are many other great days ahead, so try to avoid this clichéd line.

2. “Follow your dreams!”

This is another well-meaning but overused piece of advice. While it’s important to have dreams and goals, be realistic about what you can achieve.

3. “You’re the future!”

This may be true, but it’s also a bit daunting. Instead of putting pressure on yourself, try to focus on enjoying the present moment.

4. “It’s not goodbye, see you later!”

This may be the case for some people, but others are moving on to new chapters in their lives. Don’t try to force a sentimental moment if it doesn’t feel genuine.

5. “You’re going to change the world!”

This is a lot of pressure to put on someone. Instead, encourage your fellow graduates to focus on making a positive impact in their communities.

By avoiding these clichés, you can make your graduation speech more unique and personal. Instead of giving empty platitudes, focus on sharing your own experiences and lessons learned. This will make your speech more meaningful and memorable for both you and your audience. 

Distribution of your graduation speech

One thing which you need to consider is that your speech will be part of the record. It might be printed in a college journal, yearbook, or newspaper and will most definitely be recorded. It will be part of the internet or your collection. It is such a prestigious opportunity that you would want these words to be simple but memorable. You don’t want to waste this opportunity just for being funny or by roasting your friends or school. 

Be very careful if you are using facts and quotes in your graduation speech.

Make sure that you know your facts and stats if you are using them in your speech. Make sure you know the authenticity and origin of quotes if you are using them. Make sure you attribute the quotes and facts to the right person or institute.  

Start your graduation speech With a hook statement.

You only have a few minutes to make an impression, so you’ll want to start strong! Grab your audience’s attention with a compelling story, quote, or statistic related to the topic of your speech. Idea is to use bait to hook your audience with you throughout your speech. They would want to know how your story will relate to what you are saying. 

P.S – Hook statements are super fun, super engaging and can really turn the mood of the audience. This is a quality everyone should know regardless of this particular context of graduation speech. This article of American express explains it beautifully with examples.

A video example of using a hook statement.

An excellent example of this is this speech. 2015 World Champion: ‘The Power of Words’ Mohammed Qahtani, Toastmasters International

Note how the speaker’s first words and actions hooked the audience before he said a single word.

Write your graduation speech as You Talk

One of the biggest mistakes people make when writing speeches is trying to sound overly formal or ‘preachy’. Remember, this is YOUR graduation speech—it should reflect YOUR unique voice and perspective. It should bring out your persona.

Use Personal anecdotes in your graduation speech.

A great way to connect with your audience is by sharing personal stories or anecdotes that illustrate the main point of your speech. For example, if you’re giving a speech about resilience, you could share a story about a time when you faced adversity and how you ultimately overcame it. Just be sure not to make your stories too long—remember, you want to keep things concise! 

A video example of using personal anecdotes.

Watch this video for a brilliant speech and notice how the speaker used little personal experiences to draw conclusions and delivered his speech brilliantly.

End your graduation speech on a High Note 

Just like you want to start strong, you’ll also want to end strong! Leave your audience with something memorable—a call-to-action, inspirational quote, or final thought that sums up the main point of your speech perfectly. 

Edit, Edit, Edit!  

Once you have a draft of your speech written out, take some time to edit it for grammar errors and clarity issues. Then, ask a friend or family member to read it aloud, so you can get feedback on how it flows and sounds before delivering it on graduation day! 

Alternate the source of information

The fact is you are not the first person to give the graduation speech and most likely will not be the last person ever. Hundreds before you have been to the place where you are now. They had to prepare for their graduation speech and where did they go for inspiration or to get the idea? 

The same place where you are, The Internet. 

The point is most of the things which are on the internet have been said and done. Most of the stories have been told, and most of the quotes have been said. So what should you do? 

Change the source. 

Get your inspiration from another source. From a real event, an incident, a book you like, a poem you used to sing, or a song stuck in your head. Anything which no one has thought about. 

One of the great sources of inspiration for me is my older relatives, Grandparents, or uncle. Take a break, sit with them, and listen to their stories. They have lived years of more life than you. You can simply let them talk about their golden days or ask them specifically about an idea.  

The good news is that there are plenty of places to look for inspiration when it comes to writing a graduation speech. Here are just a few of them:

Your life up to this point: 

One of the best places to start when it comes to writing a graduation speech is by looking back at your life up to this point. What have been some of the biggest highlights? What lessons have you learned along the way?

Your future goals: 

Another great source of inspiration for your graduation speech is to look ahead at your future goals. What do you hope to accomplish in the next phase of your life? How can you inspire others to pursue their dreams?

Your favorite quotes: 

Another great way to get inspiration for your graduation speech is to look at some of your favorite quotes. Whether it’s a motivational saying or something more lighthearted, a great quote can often capture the essence of what you want to say in your speech.

Your favorite books: 

If you’re a reader, then one of the best places to look for inspiration for your graduation speech is in your favorite books. What messages do they convey that you feel are significant for your fellow graduates to hear?

Your favorite movies: 

Like books, movies can also be a great source of inspiration for your graduation speech. What scenes or dialogue from your favorite films can you use, to illustrate the points you want to make in your speech?

These are just a few of the many places you can turn to when you’re looking for inspiration. 

So here we are. We have our main theme. We have the necessary attributes for our speech. It is time to brainstorm and put words on paper. 

The way I recommend is that I divide the speech into a set formatted structure. 

Structure of Graduation speech

Just like any speech, I divide the speech into three main parts. 

1. Introduction

·         Acknowledgement

·         Hook statement

·         Transition

·         Main Point/ Passion statement/ Struggle/ achievement/ Goal/ Issues of Society etc. (depending on your topic)

·         Supportive argument/ Outcome/ process of achievement/ Benefits/ suggestions etc. 

·         Supportive argument/ your future goal based on main point/ plea for change etc. 

3. Conclusion

·         Reaffirmation/ wrap up your speech around the main point. 

·         Thanks and best wishes

Let’s write an actual graduation speech using this guide

As I mentioned at the start of this page when writing a graduation speech our number 1 problem will be what to talk about. What will be our central idea or theme of speech? 

To find a suitable theme for the speech let’s brainstorm for some inspiration. We will have to introspect : 

Let’s see, some of the Ideas I believe in are as follows. 

These are just some ideas. You can add as many boxes at the bottom and list all the brainstormed ideas. Now we have a list of ideas that we can go through with our friends, family, and peers. A Great way for some thoughts on your ideas is to discuss them with your parents. Remember this is not just your big day, it is a very proud day for your parents as well. 

The key is to choose the topic in which you are comfortable speaking, and you have enough to speak about it. 

As I’m a big fan of the Harry Potter books, let’s see if we can find some inspiration from the story of Harry Potter. The tale of Harry Potter is an instant classic. There can be so many points to talk about. This is a story of friendship, sacrifice, courage, redemption, hope, and good vs evil. I always believe in the one quote from the books. That is “love is the greatest magic”. 

This is a good topic. It is not controversial, it’s not political and love truly is one of the key attributes to living a happy life. 

Ok, Now we have a quote from our favorite book. Let’s turn that into a moving speech for our audience. My introduction will be something like this: 

“Good evening/morning, Distinguished guests, faculty members, staff, families, friends, and fellow graduates. Today we stand here in our fancy gowns and caps to celebrate one of the precious chapters of our lives. It is barely over, and it is already becoming nostalgic but that’s the talk of later times.

Today I am here to tell you a very peculiar thing I have come to learn in recent years. I know you won’t believe it when I tell you, that in the past few years, I have met some magicians and have seen some real magic. I am saying this in every non-fictional sense.  As for the past few years, We all have walked through the halls of this institute growing together, making memories but always under the protection of magic, rarely knowing about it. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I am talking about “love”. As another headmaster Albus Dumbledore, somewhere else in another universe puts it, that love is the greatest magic of all. As we are one foot into the next chapter of our lives, I want to talk about the most powerful magic and how it shaped us.

Alright, this is our introduction paragraph. As you can see it has three distinct parts colored differently. There is a clear acknowledgment/ introduction, followed by a very important Hook statement, and then followed by a transition line into the body of the speech. 

Let’s work on the body of the graduation speech. 

Ladies and gentlemen, As I look back, I cannot help but agree that often taken for granted and almost always overlooked, this simple yet most magical emotion was always there. It was there when our families supported us, our friends encouraged us, or even when our mentors disciplined us. All of these great magicians capable of loving us in our lows, have provided us with a strong foundation to build on. 

And that is just not it, Love was also there in us for our passion, love shaped our activities and the subjects we chose which in turn sparked our curiosity and allows us to grow our talents. 

To be truthful I have been thinking a lot in recent weeks, and I concluded that love is not just a feeling, I mean it has to be a forceful action. The willingness I have seen in my parents to sacrifice their comforts for me was not just a feeling, they did act on it. The steadfast support of my friends in every hour of need was more than just a boastful announcement, they actually stood with me. The promise of my mentors to go above and beyond to help me was not just a promise, they actually put extra effort to share their wisdom with me. How can it be just a feeling when all these wonderful people went beyond and actually acted and actually helped me to be here where I am? 

As we look ahead to the future, we can be confident that love will continue to guide us and will always help us to go through new opportunities and challenges. And I am 100% sure that we not only need the support of love to succeed in real life, but we also need love to get to the best version of ourselves. 

In all of our life up until now, we have been at the receiving end of this magical spell. Having said that it is also paramount that we learn to cast this spell now. Let’s be there for our family and friends as they were. Let’s just not sit back and hope that things will work out. Let’s take action to make sure that things do work out. Let’s promise to go out of our way to support and care for them, even when it’s difficult or inconvenient. Let’s listen to them when they need to be heard and offer a shoulder when they need it. 

Let’s cultivate a sense of love for ourselves as we strive to navigate through life and let’s extend the love to the precious people around us as we attempt to build a world that is more just, compassionate and beautiful. This is my resolution in life.  

In conclusion, today is a day to celebrate the power of love, and a day to express our gratitude to the beautiful magicians around us. We have accomplished a great deal, but we could not have done it alone. It is the love of those around us that have supported and sustained us through this journey. We are truly indebted to our teachers, this prestigious institute, our parents and family, and our friends. Thank you for your unconditional Love. As we move forward, let us hold onto the truth that love is the greatest magic of all. Let us be guided by the power of love, as we seek to make a positive impact on the world and to live lives that are full of purpose and meaning. 

Congratulations to every one of you on this incredible accomplishment, and may the magic of love continue to light our way into the future. Thank you

It is finally finished. 

P. S: I cannot show the whole work which I did to write this speech. Just so you know, a lot of editing and back-and-forth re-writing went into it just in case you are struggling to write it and want to give up. Don’t worry this is part of the process. 

Conclusion:  

Writing a graduation speech may seem daunting at first, but following these simple steps will help ensure that yours is one that will be remembered long after the tassels have been turned! And remember: this is YOUR story—so don’t be afraid to let YOUR unique voice shine through!

Read Also: How to fast track your bachelor’s degree.

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How to Write a Graduation Speech (Graduation Speech Examples)

Have you been asked to deliver a commencement speech? Or have you worked your butt off to become valedictorian or salutatorian, and now you have to deliver a graduation speech? In this post, we will cover one of the more challenging types of presentation creation: How to Write a Graduation Speech . (By the way, I have also included a few popular graduation speech examples as a guide for you.)

This post is a continuation of our How to Create a Presentation series. We are going to break this post down into three parts, though. We will show you how to create a commencement speech in this post. Next week, I’ll show you how to write a valedictorian speech and how to deliver a salutatorian speech. Each of these graduation speeches has a slightly different purpose, but all of them need to be inspirational and funny.

How to Write a Commencement Speech

The commencement speech is often the keynote speech of the graduation ceremony. This presentation should be uplifting and entertaining, but this graduation speech should also teach a life lesson to the graduating students. If you do a search on YouTube of the best graduation speeches, many of these speakers will be famous comedians. When a comedian delivers a commencement speech, and the speech is posted on YouTube, it will always get a ton of views. The humor alone will make people want to watch the video. Three of the most popular of these speeches are by Conan O’Brien, Will Ferrell, and Ellen DeGeneres. The interesting thing about the speeches from these famous comedians is that, yes, they are funny, but the inspiration comes from what they learned from their failures.

“There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life life trying to push you in another direction.” Oprah Winfrey, Harvard University Commencement Speech

A Good Structure When You Write a Commencement Address

Thank the crowd.

Start with Something Funny

Be Inspirational

The inspirational part of your commencement speech will come from the theme of the graduation speech . (For Sample Graduation Speech Themes , see the section below.) The easiest way to develop a theme is to look for an inspirational famous quote about success. You can do this by just going to Google and type in “success quotes”. Once you come up with a great quote, you can either paraphrase the quote and make it your own or quote the original speaker.

Tell Stories from Your Own Experience Related to Your Quote (Theme).

This the most important part of how to write a graduation speech. The stories and examples are what the audience will remember. These stories add emotion and inspiration to your graduation speech. They also help you build rapport with the audience. Finally, these stories make your delivery much easier. You don’t have to memorize a lot of material. Instead, just play the video in your head of what happened and describe the incident to the graduates.

For a great example of this, watch the YouTube video on Stanford University’s channel where Steve Jobs gives the commencement speech. I love this speech, because Jobs skips the introduction and the funny stuff and starts his speech with the following. “I’m going to tell you three stories.” It’s simple, and the crowd loves him.

End with an Inspirational Call to Action.

So as you go on to the next stage in your life and you experience failure… because you will experience failure, use that as a stepping stone to your next success. Persevere. Don’t rest on that success. Use it as a stepping stone to your next success. Persevere, and you will experience a series of successes and failures that will allow you to accomplish something great!”

Use this outline to create a simple 20 to 30 minute speech. (The shorter the better… No one gets a diploma until you finish.)

Sample Graduation Speech Themes

If you are having trouble coming up with a theme for your graduation speech, here are a few Sample Commencement Speech Themes. As you read through them, think about which them or quote has been most applicable in your career? Once you choose a graduation speech them, use the outline above to create your speech.

• Hard Work Leads to Success

“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” — Coleman Cox

• Create Your Own Path.

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” — Herman Melville

• Make Things Happen.

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” — Henry David Thoreau

• Don’t Settle for Average. Strive for Greatness.

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” –John D. Rockefeller

• Don’t Wait for the Perfect Opportunity. Look for a Way to Create Your Own Opportunity.

“Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” — Chris Grosser/blockquote> The Road Ahead is Hard, But It Leads to Success. “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.” — Jim Rohn

• Focus on Your Dream.

“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.” — Bruce Lee

• Learn from Every Mistake to Move Toward Success.

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” — Conrad Hilton

• When Your Why is Big Enough, Your How Will Appear.

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” — Jim Rohn

• Happiness is the Key to Success.

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” — Albert Schweitzer

Use the Speech Creator as a Guide to How to Create a Graduation Speech

Once you have chosen a them, and you have a few stories to inspire your audience, use our Online Speech Writer to help you organize your thoughts. (It’s free.)

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10 Steps For Writing An Unforgettable Graduation Speech

• Pick A Theme
• Begin With Gratitude
• Motivational Quotes
• Get Personal
• Add Your Personality
• Avoid Cliches
• Create A Call To Action

School is almost out, but for many students, there’s one more major task to complete before summer: graduation. Whether you’re graduating from high school or earning a college degree, a graduation ceremony is a huge milestone. And, if you’ve been asked to speak at graduation, you might be feeling the pressure right now.

Graduation speeches of all kinds date back to at least the 1600s, and though a lot has changed since then, these kinds of speeches still contain similar key elements that help make them effective, inspiring, and something every graduating student and their loved ones look forward to.

Public speaking can be nerve-racking in any setting, particularly when you know the audience is filled with people’s cousins and grandparents who are likely to remember this day forever, but fear not! We’re here to help with these 10 key steps to follow to write and deliver a truly unforgettable graduation speech.

1. Pick a theme.

If you want the audience to feel moved and inspired by your speech (Who doesn’t, right?), then it helps to build your speech around a central theme or message. Think about what’s important to you as the speaker and what you’d like others to take away from your words. Once you have a theme, it will be easier to select the quotes and anecdotes that tie back to that central idea and create a speech that leaves your audience in awe.

🎓 Here are some popular themes to consider:

• Embracing failure.
• Overcoming adversity.
• The importance of having big dreams.
• Facing change with grace.
• Taking responsibility for your future.
• Learning from past mistakes.
• The importance of friendship.
• Becoming a lifelong learner.

2. Begin with gratitude.

When you step up to the mic on graduation day, you’ll need to begin with a few formalities. First, thank the previous speakers, as well as everyone in attendance. Then, express your feelings about the privilege of being asked to address the audience on this momentous occasion. Go ahead and write this part down so you don’t forget to do it on the big day. Here are some examples:

Thank you, [name of previous speaker], and thank you, friends, family, faculty, and fellow graduates for being here today. It’s an honor to celebrate this milestone with you as your valedictorian.

Thank you, [name of previous speaker]. Graduates, loved ones, and distinguished faculty members, it is an honor to be here with you today. I’m so grateful to [name of school or university] for the privilege of being your [type of speaker].

3. Use a motivational quote.

The greatest commencement speeches typically include a motivational quote, whether it’s from a famous person, a beloved teacher, or something your grandfather taught you. The right motivational quote will tie into your theme and serve as a thesis statement for the message you hope the audience will take from your words. Consider these celebrity quotes from other powerful commencement speeches:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” — Steve Jobs , Stanford University, 2005

“You must lead. You’re never too young to lead. You’re never too old to lead. We need your leadership now more than ever before.” — John Lewis , Harvard, 2018

“The day you graduate, you do not arrive. This is not the end. This is the beginning for you. To graduate is to change gradually.” — Rita Moreno , Northeastern Illinois University, 2015

“Ultimately, your life is made up of moments. So don’t miss them by being lost in the past or anticipating the future.” — Jessica Lange , Sarah Lawrence College, 2008

“You are full of complexities and wonders that haven’t even begun to surface. Life’s unpredictability will draw these out and what defines you now will be mere shades and hues of a more vibrant you over the next five, 10, 50 years. Honestly, I can’t think of anything more liberating than that, knowing that life will look differently than you think it will.” — Octavia Spencer , Kent State University, 2017

4. Get personal.

When Conan O’Brien delivered the commencement speech at Dartmouth University in 2011, he talked about being fired from his dream job and what that failure taught him. Some lauded it as one of the best graduation speeches of all time.

Sharing personal anecdotes, even ones that mention failures or humiliations, is a powerful way to connect with your audience and drive your message home in a personal way. When writing your speech, draw on your experiences as a student and be clear about how those experiences shaped and prepared you for what lies ahead.

Learn how to a sensational graduation card here.

5. Infuse your personality.

Graduation speeches may follow a formula, but that doesn’t mean they need to be boring! Use your personal sense of humor, unique story, and life experiences to give the speech character and charm. What does this look like in action?

In 2016, author John Green brought levity to his commencement speech when shared with the graduating class at Kenyon College that the best life advice he ever got was, “You’re a good kid, but you need to learn when to stop talking.”

At the University of Virginia in 2016, late night host Stephen Colbert joked that people should leave their cell phones on because “I wouldn’t want you to miss a text or a tweet while I’m giving my speech.”

You may not be a famous comedian or author, but being uniquely yourself can help your speech shine.

6. Reflect, then look ahead.

You and the rest of your graduating class are sharing a major life milestone, and you’ve all worked hard to get to this point. What has life been like during your years in school? What experiences have you shared, and how have those shaped you as people moving forward into the next phase of your life?

In your speech, include real-life examples of the things you’ve faced in your time as students. Put those events in context in your life, and remind your audience that you have all learned so much more than just what was on the course syllabi.

7. Avoid clichés

The tricky part of writing a graduation speech is being inspiring without resorting to clichés. If you use personal anecdotes and weave personality into your speech, it’s unlikely that you’ll fall back on tired, overused statements. But, sometimes they still sneak in. If that’s the case, try to swap them out with a fresher take.

Here are some ideas:

• Instead of talking about the “real world” as a future destination, talk about how you already live there and you’re ready for whatever life throws at you.
• Instead of defining a typical graduation word (like courage or future ), talk about the words that come to mind when you think about school and what they mean to you.
• Instead of talking about what you’re “leaving behind,” talk about what lessons and people you’re taking with you.

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8. Create a call to action.

Graduation speeches serve two important purposes: celebrating everything that came before graduation day and building excitement for everything that will come after it. The easiest way to leave people inspired is to include a call to action. This doesn’t mean providing strict instructions for some task they must complete. Think of it more as broad instructions for how to meet the challenges ahead.

Your call to action should restate the theme of your speech and give the audience a clear takeaway message to carry with them. Need some examples? We have a few:

“Whatever you want to do, do it now. For life is time, and time is all there is.” — Gloria Steinem , Tufts University, 1987

“Let excellence be your brand.” — Oprah Winfrey , Spelman College, 2012

“Fight for the job you want, fight for the people who mean the most to you and fight for the kind of world you want to live in.” — Elizabeth Warren , Suffolk University, 2016

9. Keep it brief.

While you surely have a lot of great things to say, no one wants to sit through a 12-page speech. Graduation ceremonies are already long, and the audience is usually asked to listen to multiple speeches. Keep this in mind, and say what you’d like to say in the briefest way possible. Aim for a speech that falls between 500 and 750 words, and time yourself to make sure you don’t exceed 10 minutes during delivery.

10. Practice, practice, practice.

The only way to ensure your speech flows, makes sense, and holds people’s attention is to practice reading it out loud. Practice by yourself in front of a mirror, being careful to notice and edit any places where you trip over words or have awkward pauses. Once you’ve perfected the solo read-aloud, ask a parent or friend to serve as an audience. This will help you test out your jokes and polish your anecdotes based on their reactions. By graduation day, you’ll be ready to take to the stage like a pro.

Need more inspiration? These graduation quotes should do the trick.

Ways To Say

Synonym of the day

Back to Graduation

10 Tips for Writing the Best Graduation Speech

Good afternoon everybody….

We won’t sugar coat it. Writing a speech is tough. It’s why people get paid big bucks to do this as ghostwriters for others. It’s why great lines from great speeches get passed down from one generation to the next.

But relax. You’re not the President of the United States addressing the nation trying to keep things calm after alien spacecraft have just landed on the White House front lawn.

Odds are, instead, you’re one of two things. You’re either the valedictorian (congrats by the way) or you’re the person who submitted their name and speech idea to the graduation committee and was selected to speak at graduation as well (so congrats to you, too.)

Now, about the speech. While it’s certainly up to you what you can say, we just thought that we’d pass on a few tips on how to not make your speech the kind that doesn’t have lines getting passed from one generation to the next – because of how awful it was.

So, with that said here are our top 10 tips for writing a graduation speech. And, some bonus tips for giving a virtual graduation speech.

1: Start out by thanking someone. The fact is you probably didn’t make it through high school all by yourself.  Very few people, if any, do anything without a lot of help from someone else. So, show a little humility.

It’s always good to recognize parents, teachers and friends. But what might be nice to do instead is to publicly thank a specific person. One person who helped you, who made a difference and believed in you. Maybe it’s a coach, a counselor, a teacher or your dad. Whoever. Thank them in front of everybody. And then encourage everyone else to find someone who was instrumental in helping them make it to graduation and tell them to thank them as well.

2: Don’t make it all about you. If you’re the valedictorian, then once again, congratulations. You did well.  But nobody really just wants to hear about why you made it to the podium and they didn’t. That’s not to say you can’t infuse personal observations in your speech, just don’t turn this into a “My life in high school” speech.

Matter a fact, instead of just crafting your speech in the cold confines of your bedroom, why not instead go out and talk to your classmates. Find out what they’re interested in. What has inspired them and what they’ll remember most. Your class’ graduation should be about all of the students, not just you. It’d be nice if your speech recognized all their collective memories.

3: Google it. That’s what it’s there for.  Looking up famous speeches online is a great way to get inspiration. Whether it’s a YouTube video of comedian Seth MacFarlane’s commencement speech at Harvard (hilarious!) Or reading Winston Churchill’s famous “We shall never surrender” speech (goosebumps!) Seeing how other people have done things well in the past is a good point of reference for how you should be doing it today.

4: Keep it short and sweet. Yes, your speech is important, or you wouldn’t have been asked to give it. But don’t go overboard. People aren’t there to see you drone on and on. They’re there to either celebrate their own accomplishments or the accomplishments of family and close friends. You don’t want people to be checking their watches during your speech or hoping you’ll hurry things up.

Therefore, don’t ramble on forever. Your speech should be no more than 10 minutes unless you’ve been given instructions otherwise. Think about how long do you usually sit still for a YouTube video? There’s a reason the more popular ones aren’t very long. Learn from that.

5: Don’t say anything you’ll regret in 20 years. Matter of fact, let’s amend this to, “Don’t say anything you’ll regret 10 minutes after saying it.” Most kids who are selected to be graduation speakers are the kind who have always set a good example. That said, every year, there’s always a few who want to take a controversial stand, call out a teacher or administrator, or make an inappropriate joke. Hint: Don’t be that kid . Instead, write a speech you can show to your own son or daughter 20 years from now and say, “See, that’s how it’s done.”

6: Inspire your fellow students. Commencement isn’t just about celebrating the fact that you finally earned your diploma. It’s also about looking forward to all the places life will take you after graduation. You want your fellow students to leave your speech feeling as though they’ve got the world by the tail and can do anything now that they’re graduates .

7: Don’t use famous quotes. Famous quotes are great for yearbook entries, not graduation speeches. So, put the famous quotes book away. You  are the graduation speaker. People want to know what  you  have to say.  The crowd doesn’t want to hear what Nietzsche or President Kennedy or King Ferdinand has to say.

8: Don’t write “what’s expected.” If you write a speech that’s expected, then what’s the point in anyone showing up? If it’s something we’re all expecting to hear, then the odds are we’ve already heard it and there’s no need to hear it again. Be original.

9: Be specific. Details make things interesting. There’s nothing particularly original or interesting when you say something like, “You know during our freshman year, we were somewhat unsure of ourselves, lost in this big school, and apprehensive about the future.”

But the details that can make it far more personal and relatable.

Example: “You know, it’s amazing how much we’ve all changed in the last four years. On my first day here at school, I could barely reach my locker. I remember thinking most of the senior football players probably were at least 28-years-old. And sadly, I got lost trying to find Freshman English and had to ask for directions – twice. Today, I’m proud to report that I can reach my locker, the football players don’t look older than I do, and I can find any class on this campus. And if all that’s true, just imagine how different will we all be two, four, or ten years from now.”

10: Make your final point your most important point. There’s a reason we’ve saved this for last. Obviously. But the contents of your speech should all along be leading up to the final point of the speech – which will be the most important part. This should be the line that people remember, and that people take away from your speech. You can end it with a quote (not someone else’s famous quote – we already discussed that), a memory, or words of wisdom to impart on your class, just as long as you end it with a punch. The punch can be a funny story. It can be a snappy re-cap, or a call to action. Such as Kennedy’s inauguration speech where he said, “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

BONUS TIPS! The Virtual Graduation Speech

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools have either cancelled their graduation plans, or postponed them. Others, however, have chosen to do them virtually . If that’s the case with your school, here are a few tips to help your virtual speech go as smoothly as possible.

First of all, you’ll probably want to change your speech to state the obvious. That it’s being given virtually. Whether or not that changes the rest of your speech will be up to you.

You’ll also want to make sure you look your best. Be sure your light source is in front of you or to your side. If the light is behind you it will make you look too dark. Keep the background clear of distractions. Look at your web cam when you speak, not the screen, and finally use the same gestures and mannerisms you would when normally speaking.

From a technical standpoint, be sure your microphone is turned on and, if it is at all possible, do a rehearsal to make sure your equipment is working properly. Also, place your camera (computer) on a level surface that’s not going to shake or wobble.

Whether you stand or sit down is up to you. However, this is one instance where YOU get to determine the atmosphere when giving a speech, so simply do what makes you feel the most comfortable.

In the end, your speech shouldn’t be overwhelming or daunting. Instead, just think of it as connecting with your graduating class one last time before you all go your separate ways. And, as a plus, if you’re planning a career which will involve public speaking, you can think of this as a great way to practice.

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Anatomy Of A Great Commencement Speech

Cory Turner

Right now, roughly 7 million students in the U.S. (plus their parents) are sitting through commencement speeches. iStockphoto hide caption

Right now, roughly 7 million students in the U.S. (plus their parents) are sitting through commencement speeches.

It's that time again — graduation season. And that means next week or last week or right this very minute, some 7 million students in the U.S. and lots of doting parents have to sit through a commencement speech.

If you're stuck listening to a particularly bad one — or just need an inspiration infusion — the NPR Ed Team has sifted through hundreds of past speeches (going all the way back to 1774) and built an online database of the very best.

In the process of building this massive hub of hope and optimism, we noticed a few patterns among the best speeches.

Rule #1: Be Funny

Comedian Amy Poehler's 2011 address to Harvard grads is a model of inspirational fun, forcing us to coin a new term: "Funspirational." Actually, a quick Google search suggests we've come late to the "funspirational" party. Oh, well. We do our best — as did Poehler when she kicked off her Harvard speech with this zinger:

"I can only assume I am here today because of my subtle and layered work in a timeless classic entitled Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. "

Funny? Check. Poehler also manages to cover Rule #2.

Rule #2: Make Fun Of Yourself

This rule applies to presidents as well as to comedians. When then-President Ronald Reagan addressed Notre Dame grads in 1981, he used this masterful bit of self-deprecation:

"I thought the first degree I was given was honorary."

We say "masterful" because he's head of the free world. He can't meet the Poehler bar for self-mockery: utter humiliation. It wouldn't be proper. So he finds this crafty little jab to poke fun at himself. And the crowd loved it. In fact, the line was such a hit that Reagan used it again the next year on the Eureka College class of '82.

Comedian and actress Amy Poehler addresses Harvard University's graduating class of 2011 on the school's campus, in Cambridge, Mass. Steven Senne/AP hide caption

Comedian and actress Amy Poehler addresses Harvard University's graduating class of 2011 on the school's campus, in Cambridge, Mass.

Rule #3: Downplay The Genre

See, good speakers can never seem to remember the speeches when they graduated:

"Among the many things that I am unable to remember about the speaker that spring morning: name, gender, age, race, physical build and voice. I've run out of fingers."

That's novelist Jonathan Safran Foer, speaking last year at Middlebury College. He, like Poehler, checks two boxes at once: He downplays the genre, and he's funny about it.

But let's get to the heart of the commencement speech:

Rule #4: You Must Have A Message

And here's where things get tricky — because these days there are two very different kinds of speeches. On one side is the traditional message:

"You have to trust in something," Steve Jobs told graduates at Stanford in 2005. "Your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well-worn path."

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres said much the same thing to grads at Tulane in 2009 (while also crushing Rule #1 on her head like a beer can):

"Stay true to yourself. Never follow someone else's path — unless you're in the woods and you're lost and you see a path, then by all means you should follow that."

Let's call this the "You're Special" speech. Message: Follow your heart because life is about you and yourspecialness .

Then comes this insidious other kind of speech:

"You're not special."

So said English teacher David McCullough Jr. — son of the great historian — addressing the Wellesley High School class of 2012. He then elaborated:

"Even if you're one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion, that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you," he told the crowd.

The goal of the "You're Not Special" speech is to say to grads: As hard as you've worked, you also lucked into plenty, including your parents and your country.

The Best Commencement Speeches, Ever

"And with luck comes obligation," author Michael Lewis told the Princeton class of 2012. "You owe a debt, and not just to your gods. You owe a debt to the unlucky."

Not quite the message grads are used to hearing as they take a victory lap. Besides, they're in debt enough. But how do they repay this debt, to Lewis' unlucky?

"You must find a way to serve."

That's Oprah Winfrey's advice, speaking at Spelman College a few weeks before Lewis. Side note: 2012 was a big year for the "You're Not Special" speech.

"Martin Luther King said that not everybody can be famous, but everybody can be great because greatness is determined by service," Winfrey told the Spelman grads.

Service. That word comes up a lot in "You're Not Special" speeches. But, sometimes, the message isn't even about what you do for the world but how you view it. In short: Are you empathetic? Are you kind?

In 2005, writer David Foster Wallace spoke at Kenyon College. And, in a speech that went viral long ago and seems to find a fresh audience online every year, he challenged grads to step outside of themselves, to imagine the value and richness of every life — even when they're stuck in line at the supermarket.

"It will actually be within your power to experience a crowded, hot, slow, consumer hell-type situation as not only meaningful but sacred — on fire with the same force that lit the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down," Wallace said.

Torn by this fight for the soul of the commencement speech? Never fear. Oddly enough, these two kinds of speeches — as different as they seem — complement each other. Taken together, they say:

Congratulations. You are special. Just remember ...

So is everyone else.

• Types of Public Speaking →

How to Craft a Memorable Graduation or Commencement Speech

Navigating the challenge of delivering a captivating graduation speech can be a daunting task. Did you know, commencement speeches have become an integral part of graduation ceremonies, often delivered by notable figures like Steve Jobs at Stanford University? This blog will guide you through crafting an impactful and memorable address that not only celebrates milestones but inspires graduates as they embark on new journeys.

Ready for the applause? Continue reading!

How to Deliver an Inspiring and Motivating Graduation Speech

To deliver an inspiring and motivating graduation speech, reflect on past experiences, address the challenges and opportunities that await graduates, acknowledge their achievements, express gratitude and appreciation, and use storytelling to leave a lasting impression.

Reflecting on past experiences

Casting your mind back, weaving a rich tapestry of triumphs and trials, emerges as an essential ingredient in crafting a compelling graduation speech. TV mogul Shonda Rhimes emphasized this approach when she advised graduates to be doers rather than dreamers, drawing from her own experiences.

Contemplating past experiences doesn’t just stir nostalgia – it injects vital context and authenticity into your message, resonating with many who have charted the same journey. From acknowledging failures to celebrating successes; each story serves as a shining beacon illuminating the path for new graduates.

After all, every lesson learned contributes significantly to shaping an inspiring oration akin to  Horace Mann’s timeless address  in 1859 that stressed achieving victories for humanity before one’s death.

It’s about more than just reflecting on memorable high school moments: it’s understanding how these tales underpin today’s accomplished person – you!

Addressing the challenges and opportunities that await graduates

Nailing the section of your speech that shines a light on the challenges and opportunities that await graduates is key in delivering an inspiring and motivating commencement address. Begin by acknowledging how graduating from an educational institution does more than bestow a degree, it equips students with valuable tools for navigating life’s twists and turns.

Discuss how resilience, overcoming adversity, not fearing failure, and taking risks are all fostered through education.

Next, pivot to illuminating future possibilities stemming from their educational achievements. Highlight the exciting potential inherent in each graduate’s unique capabilities and interests.

The world needs their fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to continue progressing forward. Expound on how these attributes can be leveraged for personal growth while also contributing positively towards societal development.

Always opt for a tone of optimism encased in realism – letting your audience know that they have reason to celebrate today but also plenty of hard work awaits them tomorrow.

Acknowledging the achievements of graduates

In crafting your keynote addresses for graduation ceremonies, it’s crucial to spotlight the achievements of your graduates. Validate their hard work and perseverance that led them to this celebratory milestone.

This can range from individual academic achievements to collective strides made by the class as a whole.  Steve Jobs’ commencement speech  comes to mind; he saluted students’ tenacity, not just scholastic accomplishments.

Pay attention also to the personal growth and character development they’ve undergone during their journey in school or college. Commend them on stepping outside their comfort zone, dealing with life lessons head-on, and overcoming challenges bravely.

As you celebrate these authentic displays of grit and resilience, ensure that you speak with honesty while articulating these accolades—lending significant weight to your words and making your commencement address truly memorable.

Expressing gratitude and appreciation

One key aspect of delivering an inspiring and motivating graduation speech is expressing gratitude and appreciation. Graduates have achieved a significant milestone in their lives, and it’s essential to acknowledge the support and encouragement they’ve received along the way.

By thanking those who believed in them, supported them, and helped them succeed, graduates can create a sense of connection and gratitude within their speech. This recognition not only shows humility but also inspires others to appreciate the people who have played a role in their own achievements.

Expressing genuine appreciation goes beyond just saying thank you – it creates a heartfelt connection with the audience , leaving a lasting impression on everyone involved.

Using storytelling to leave a lasting impression

Crafting a memorable graduation speech involves using storytelling to leave a lasting impression on the graduates. Storytelling has a unique ability to captivate an audience, evoke emotions, and make key messages more relatable.

By sharing personal anecdotes or inspiring stories of individuals who have achieved great things, public speakers can connect with their audience on a deeper level. These narratives not only entertain but also provide valuable life lessons and insights for the graduates as they embark on their future journeys.

Incorporating storytelling into a graduation speech helps create an engaging and impactful experience that will resonate with the listeners long after they leave the ceremony.

Tips for Engaging and Entertaining Graduates

Incorporate humor and address the emotions and feelings of graduates to keep them engaged and entertained throughout your speech.

Incorporating humor

Humor is a powerful tool in engaging and entertaining an audience , especially during graduation and commencement speeches. Incorporating wit and humor into your speech not only brings life to traditional celebrations but also appeals to young attendees who appreciate a lighthearted approach.

Research has shown that the use of humor in college classrooms has numerous benefits for students, such as enhancing their learning experience and fostering a positive classroom atmosphere. When delivering your speech, striking the right balance between humor, self-awareness, advice, and empowerment is crucial for leaving a memorable impact on the graduates.

Just like  Will Ferrell’s USC commencement speech  aimed to both congratulate and inspire the graduates, infusing humor into your address can help you connect with the audience on a deeper level while still conveying important messages.

So why not have some fun with your graduation speech? Break through the serious barriers by incorporating funny anecdotes or witty one-liners that will keep everyone entertained throughout the ceremony.

Addressing the emotions and feelings of graduates

One essential aspect of delivering a memorable graduation speech is addressing the emotions and feelings of graduates. As they stand on the cusp of a new chapter in their lives, it’s crucial to recognize the mixture of excitement, uncertainty, and nostalgia that may be coursing through them.

By acknowledging these emotions and speaking directly to them, you can establish an immediate connection with your audience. Sharing personal experiences that resonate with their own struggles and triumphs can further deepen this emotional bond.

Whether it’s emphasizing the importance of embracing change or offering words of encouragement for navigating the challenges ahead, tapping into their emotions will help create a lasting impact on their hearts and minds.

Techniques for Creating a Memorable and Impactful Graduation Speech

Create a memorable and impactful graduation speech by inspiring and motivating graduates, leaving a lasting impression, and engaging and entertaining them throughout the address.

Inspiring and motivating graduates

Crafting a memorable and impactful graduation speech is all about inspiring and motivating graduates to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead. By reflecting on past experiences, addressing the challenges graduates may face, and acknowledging their achievements, you can create a speech that resonates with your audience.

Incorporate storytelling to leave a lasting impression and connect with graduates on a deeper level. Research shows that sharing important life lessons in commencement speeches is an effective way to inspire and motivate individuals as they embark on their next chapter.

Look for inspirational quotes about success to add weight to your message. For inspiration, consider analyzing influential commencement speeches from the 21st century like  Steve Jobs’ powerful address at Stanford .

Leaving a lasting impression

Crafting a graduation speech that leaves a lasting impression is crucial for any public speaker. The goal is to inspire and motivate graduates as they embark on their next chapter. Incorporating impactful storytelling techniques can captivate the audience and make your message resonate deeply.

By acknowledging the achievements of the graduates, addressing their challenges and opportunities, expressing gratitude, and using humor strategically, you can create a memorable experience for everyone present.

Remember, a well-delivered speech has the power to uplift spirits, ignite aspirations, and celebrate this significant milestone in life.

Engaging and entertaining graduates

To truly engage and entertain graduates during a commencement speech, it’s important to incorporate elements that connect with their emotions and feelings. Adding humor is one way to break the ice and create a lighthearted atmosphere.

Sharing personal stories can also help establish a connection with the audience, making the speech relatable and memorable. Additionally, using inspirational themes or incorporating local references can further engage graduates by making the speech relevant to their experiences.

By combining humor, emotion, storytelling, and relatability in your graduation speech, you can captivate and entertain your audience while leaving them inspired for their future endeavors.

In conclusion, graduation and commencement speeches play a crucial role in inspiring and motivating graduates as they embark on their next journey. By reflecting on past experiences, addressing challenges and opportunities, acknowledging achievements, expressing gratitude, using storytelling techniques, incorporating humor, and engaging emotions, speakers can create memorable and impactful speeches that leave a lasting impression.

These speeches serve as a foundation for personal growth, character building, defining success, and celebrating accomplishments. Remember to step outside your comfort zone when delivering these speeches and always strive to inspire with authenticity and honesty.

Graduation ceremonies are not just about receiving diplomas; they are about providing valuable life lessons that resonate with students at any stage of their education. So go out there and deliver an unforgettable speech filled with inspiration, motivation, laughter – making it the highlight of every graduation ceremony!

1. What is the purpose of a graduation or commencement speech?

The purpose of a graduation or commencement speech is to inspire and motivate graduating students as they transition into the next phase of their lives. It aims to provide guidance, advice, and encouragement for success in both personal and professional endeavors.

2. Who typically delivers a graduation or commencement speech?

Graduation or commencement speeches are often delivered by notable individuals such as successful entrepreneurs, influential leaders, renowned academics, industry experts, celebrities, or even fellow graduates who have achieved significant accomplishments.

3. How long should a graduation or commencement speech be?

The duration of a graduation or commencement speech can vary depending on the event’s schedule and the speaker’s allotted time. Generally, these speeches range from 10 to 20 minutes in length but can extend up to 30 minutes on certain occasions.

4. Can I find examples of famous graduation or commencement speeches online?

Yes! Many famous graduation or commencement speeches are available online through platforms like YouTube and various websites dedicated to inspirational content. These speeches offer valuable insights that can serve as inspiration for crafting your own memorable address.

• TemplateLab

Graduation Speech Examples

50 top graduation speech ideas (& examples).

Try to search online and you’ll find a lot of graduation speech examples. If you’re in charge of giving a speech during this important event, you have the choice of whether to compose a long or short graduation speech. As long as you’re able to convey your message, the length isn’t that relevant.

Table of Contents

• 1 Graduation Speech Examples
• 2 What should you write about in your graduation speech?
• 3 Graduation Speech Outlines
• 4 Structuring your graduation speech
• 5 Graduation Speech Templates
• 6 High School Graduation Speech
• 7 Tips for writing graduation speech
• 8 College Graduation Speech

What should you write about in your graduation speech?

Most people wonder what to write for their graduation speech examples. Whether you need to compose a high school graduation speech example or a college graduation speech example, you must put a lot of careful thought and consideration into the contents of your speech.

In the past, writing a graduation speech template wasn’t that intimidating. But now, you should remember that there’s a high likelihood that the people present at the event will post your speech on social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube. This makes it imperative that you compose a speech that’s effective, interesting, and won’t end up offending anyone.

A lot of incredible speakers start their speech-writing process by creating an outline. So, if you want to come up with a great speech, you may want to start off with a graduation speech outline . Here, you include everything you want to include in your speech. From there, writing becomes easier.

Graduation Speech Outlines

Structuring your graduation speech

When it comes to the structure of your graduation speech, you have a few options to choose from. As you create your graduation speech outline, you’re giving it a structure for you to follow when it’s time to start writing.

You may create a long or short graduation speech depending on how much you want to say and how long you want to stand in front of the graduating class. You can even create a graduation speech template using the structure of your choice. This makes it easier for you for the next time you need to come up with a speech.

If you have no idea where to start, you may go online and read high school graduation speech examples or college graduation speech examples. Use these as your reference or for your inspiration as you write your speech.

Graduation Speech Templates

Either way, these examples will be a great help to you if it’s your first time to compose such a speech. To guide you, here are some structures to follow for your graduation speech:

• Use a few themes which you illustrate with non-fictional or personal stories For this type of speech, you can use a couple of themes which you introduce early in your speech. From reaching their dreams of finding their own place in the world, there are so many themes to choose from. Then illustrate these themes further using non-fictional examples or stories from your personal life.
• Use several themes which you illustrate with short anecdotes or personal stories For this structure, you come up with a number of themes for your audiences. But instead of sharing those themes at the start of your speech, you share short anecdotes or personal stories which illustrate those themes. Then you give helpful advice to your audience to help them in their future endeavors. However, this structure isn’t ideal for short graduation speeches. Since you’re going to use several themes, this means that your speech would be relatively long. Therefore, it’s probably a good idea to use this for a college graduation speech, not one for a high school graduation .
• Use an autobiographical narrative If you plan to use this structure for your graduation speech examples, it means that you want to open up and share more details about your life to your audience. It’s sort of like a mini-memoir wherein the audience learns a lot about the experiences you’ve had in your personal life. As you share these experiences, you also share a lot of life lessons with them. Although you don’t give advice directly at the beginning of your speech, you would incorporate these little bits of advice throughout your speech. Talk about your own experiences after graduation, how you dealt with the real world, and how you overcame different kinds of challenges.
• Use the main theme and some personal references Finally, you can also structure your speech in such a way that you’re leading up to one main theme or point. A lot of people find this structure to be extremely difficult to put together because they feel like it’s too limited. But as long as you create a graduation speech outline, following this structure won’t be that much of a challenge.

High School Graduation Speech

Tips for writing graduation speech

Whether you’re representing the graduation class or you’re asked to come and give a speech to the graduating class, you have to come up with your own graduation speech. The good news is that there are a lot of graduation speech examples which you can use as a reference.

Writing a graduation speech doesn’t have to be a difficult task. As long as you have an idea of what to write and you know what you want to say to the graduating class, the words will start flowing from your mind. But if you need some help, here are some tips to guide you:

• Brainstorming Any great speech starts with a brainstorming session. You can begin by asking yourself what you want to write in your speech. If you’re the representative of the graduating class, then think about all of the learning and experiences you’ve gained throughout your education. If they asked you to speak for the graduating class, then think about the advice you want to share to them in order to inspire them and somehow prepare them for what’s to come. Brainstorming involves a lot of thought, especially about the future. There’s nothing wrong with talking about the past and the present but since you’ll speak to a graduating class, talking about the future is much more relevant. As you think about the things to say, write everything down on a piece of paper. Later on, you can review your ideas to see which ones to keep and which ones to remove from your speech.
• Choosing a theme After your brainstorming session, you’d have a lot of ideas, stories, and advice to share to your audience. Now it’s time to begin shaping all of these into one coherent speech. To do this, you may want to think about the theme to focus on for your speech. Whether you want to choose a single theme or a collection of themes which you will link with one another, this step makes speech writing easier. Also, having a theme makes the speech more memorable and impactful to the audience. With a theme, you’ll also be able to sort through the things you’ve written down more effectively only choosing the ones which relate to your theme.
• Building the structure After you’ve identified the theme, you can start building the structure of your graduation speech. Here are some steps to help you out: Make sure that your introductory statement grabs the attention of your audience right away. In other words, get the audience “hooked” from the beginning so they will feel compelled to listen to your entire speech. Illustrate the theme you’ve chosen by telling stories. Keep in mind that the best stories always have a beginning with a challenge or obstacle, a middle where you share how you overcame it, and an end where you discussed how this experience helped you grow. For the end of your speech, tie together all of the points you’ve discussed throughout your speech. Also, make it clear how your message applies to your audience. You may also share valuable advice to your audience in the conclusion of your speech.
• Practicing your delivery Even after you’ve written your speech, the work doesn’t end there. You also have to deliver it to the graduating class. For a lot of people, this part is a lot more intimidating, especially for those who aren’t used to speaking in front of an audience. Here are some pointers for you: If you’ve created a short graduation speech, you may want to try memorizing it. This helps you focus on your delivery to make it more personable. Don’t speak too fast even when you’re feeling nervous. Try practicing in front of friends and family so you can learn how to consciously slow down your speaking rate. Once in a while, pause during the delivery of your speech. You can either pause to emphasize your point or to give the audience some time to consider what you’ve said. If you want to keep your audience engaged, make eye contact. Don’t feel stressed or stop if you make any mistake. Just continue with your speech.
• Other tips for you Don’t forget to thank everyone who helped you on your journey. If you aren’t part of the graduating class, thank the person who invited you to give the speech. Be as lively and enthusiastic as possible when delivering your speech. If it’s your first time to deliver a speech, practice again and again. Have fun with it! Feeling stressed won’t help.

College Graduation Speech

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How to Write a High School Graduation Speech (+ Examples)

Amanda Green was born in a small town in the west of Scotland, where everyone knows everyone. I joined the Toastmasters 15 years ago, and I served in nearly every office in the club since then. I love helping others gain confidence and skills they can apply in every day life.

I was in several clubs in high school, I was the valedictorian, and I happened to be the youngest in our graduating class. Needless to say, I had to write and give more than one speech at our graduation.

Being asked to give a graduation speech in high school is a tremendous honor and responsibility. It takes a lot of preparation, from planning to writing and editing your speech.

My guide should show you how to write a graduation speech for high school, especially with the examples I’ve included. Follow the template and tips, and you’re sure to receive a standing ovation from your audience.

How Long Is a High School Graduation Speech?

The best high school graduation speeches aren’t long and boring since the ceremonies already take hours. Aim for an address that doesn’t exceed 10 minutes. Keep your audience’s attention and save some for other people’s speeches.

Your graduation speech should only be around 500 to 600 words. You have to read it slowly and articulate the words clearly. One way to keep it shorter is by removing cliches and other unnecessary content.

High School Graduation Speech Template

Essays and speeches usually have three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Here is a structure you can follow for a memorable high school graduation speech.

Introduction

• Thank people for attending. Acknowledge the presence of your teachers, parents, and fellow graduates.
• Introduce yourself. Not everyone in the room knows you, even if you’re the class valedictorian.
• Catch the audience’s attention by sharing a motivational quote or saying. Your personal narratives and advice will later be based on this saying.
• Recall memorable high school experiences. Anything is worth sharing, whether it’s a simple day in class or your debate competition.
• Encourage classmates not to forget these beautiful memories.
• Share helpful advice for this new chapter of their lives.
• Restate the quote or saying you mentioned in the introduction.
• End with a call to action that will encourage the graduates to make a difference.
• Thank the audience for hearing you out.

How to Write a Graduation Speech for High School

Public speaking takes a lot of preparation. Here are some tips you should follow when writing and delivering a graduation speech for high school.

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Pick a Theme

Inspirational high school graduation speeches leave a mark on people. If you want to create one, try building it around a central message.

Think about everything you experienced in high school and look for patterns. Was high school about learning from mistakes? Or was it about achieving big dreams with small steps? Consider not only what is essential to you but also what is important for your fellow graduates.

Once you have picked a theme, selecting a quote, including advice, and recalling high school memories will be much easier. Here are some popular themes you can consider using for yours, but make sure to choose ones that are relevant to you and/or your class.

• Embracing failure
• Big things take time
• Achieving big dreams with small steps
• Facing change with grace
• Overcoming adversity
• Becoming a lifelong learner
• Being more intentional and responsible for your future

Begin With Gratitude and a Self-Introduction

Once you step on stage, you must start with a few formalities. Know the name of the previous speakers and acknowledge their excellent speeches. Then, thank everyone in attendance, including the teachers, parents, and fellow students.

Say it’s a privilege to speak before the audience on this special day. This is also the best time to introduce yourself.

Don’t assume that everyone in the room knows who you are. State your name and why you were tasked to create the speech. Below is an example.

“Thank you, Mr. Jones, for the wonderful speech. And thank you to the parents, teachers, staff, and fellow graduates in this room who have made the past four years unforgettable. It’s a pleasure to stand in front of everyone and represent the class of 2022 at this address. I am [name], your class valedictorian.”

Make It About Everybody But You

Your graduation speech is not a mini-biography of your accomplishments. Only sprinkle a few personal anecdotes, then include what the four years of high school have been like for the other students. Below is an example.

“Four years ago, we were freshmen walking through the doors of [school name]. While some of us want to be doctors, artists, engineers, and singers in the future, we all had one goal in mind during that time: to leave a mark on the school in the next four years.”

Recall High School Memories

Tap the ceremony’s nostalgia by recalling important events from the past four years. You can include prom, school fairs, and even mundane scenarios. Include hardships, such as the sudden shift to online classes during the pandemic.

If you are a valedictorian , you should know which memories everyone treasures. Try interviewing some of your peers about their best high school memories. Below is an example.

“Every batch of graduates from [school] has a common core memory. For us, it was probably prom 2022. Instead of getting our beauty sleep the night before the dance, everyone stayed in school until 8 PM because of the last-minute changes. While that experience was full of pressure and chaos, we look back on that memory remembering teamwork and dedication.”

Share Advice

Your advice is the most crucial part of the speech. It serves as a call to action the students will follow in the future.

Make sure to keep it positive and remind everyone that anything is possible. You can also advise them to advocate for others and treat everyone equally.

Here’s an example showing what I mean.

“The future is uncertain, and the only thing we can do is be optimistic about it. We learned to stay determined in the past four years, so we can do it again throughout college or our careers.”

Incorporate Your Personality

Just because you’re speaking for the rest of the class and following an outline doesn’t mean your speech should be boring. You can still infuse your personality through humor, anecdotes , and life experiences.

You can also open your address with something funny, as long as it’s appropriate and timely. If you’re a valedictorian, self-deprecating humor will be a hit. Try adding quirky memories from classes that will immerse your audience.

Leave Your Audience Inspired

You are not at the graduation to merely receive your diploma. As a speaker, you need to leave your audience inspired on the next chapter of their lives. Encourage them to find their purpose and make a difference in the world.

Some speakers end their speeches with another quote. Here is the one I used in my high school speech, but there are tons to be found on the internet you can use that might better suit your needs.

• “All our dreams can come true… if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney

Finally, thank everyone for taking the time to listen to your speech. Express gratitude toward your classmates for the memories over the last four years.

Proofread Your Work

Read your writing out loud and fix parts that don’t sound pleasing. Doing so will make your writing more powerful and precise. Look out for flowery language, excessive adjectives, and lengthy sentences.

When editing, make sure to remove cliches from your writing. These are words and phrases that have been overused in speech and writing. These include phrases like “all walks of life,” “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and “two wrongs don’t make a right.”

Try sharing more personal anecdotes and collective memories than tired pieces of advice. This will make the speech more interesting and customized for the audience. Find out what your fellow high school graduates and the rest of the audience want to hear and know, then write it concisely and effectively.

Once you’re done fixing clarity issues, it’s time to fix structural errors. Perform several edits on your speech to remove all spelling and grammar mistakes.

Practice Your High School Graduation Speech

There’s no exact formula for the perfect valedictorian or commencement speech. But if you follow my tips and examples and speak from the heart, your fellow graduates will live by your words as they go about their futures.

Remember to keep your engaging speech positive and inspiring. Recall memories from high school, then make them look forward to creating new ones in their careers or college.

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How to write an inspiring graduation speech

.css-26rqae{font-weight:500;} crafting a graduation speech to remember.

Giving a great graduation speech is an opportunity to leave a lasting impression on fellow graduates and the audience. If your teenager has the honor of speaking at their ceremony, try these graduation speech ideas to help them craft a unique, unforgettable address.

Start with a personal story

Sharing a personal experience can make any speech more relatable and engaging for the audience. Consider incorporating a specific moment or lesson from their life or school journey.

Keep it concise

Most graduation ceremonies have multiple time constraints to consider. The school may give your child a suggested speech length. Most college and university commencement speeches   last around 5-10 minutes, so high school speeches are typically shorter. You can guide your honoree to keep it concise and focus on delivering a few key points effectively.

Use humor wisely

Humor can make a speech memorable and help connect with the audience. But at a formal commencement, especially high school, be careful not to overdo it or use inappropriate jokes. Always keep in mind the tone and theme of the event.

Include inspirational quotes

Incorporating quotes from influential figures can add depth and meaning to a speech. Writers might choose quotes that resonate with their message and tie in seamlessly with their overall theme.

Address the audience directly

To help keep speech language engaging, it’s helpful to remember who your primary audience is. Are you speaking mainly to your fellow graduates? Parents? Teachers and faculty? Or, a combination of all. Try to acknowledge them directly during the speech. This can help create a sense of connection and community.

End on a high note

A powerful conclusion can leave a lasting impact on an audience. Consider ending your speech with an inspiring call to action or leaving the audience with a memorable quote or message.

Practice, practice, practice

It's important to practice a speech beforehand to ensure you can deliver it confidently and smoothly. It can also help identify any areas that may need improvement.

Graduation speech ideas

Here are some inspirational tidbits to help get your speechwriter started:

Share a personal story or experience that highlights the theme, such as growth and transformation.

Reflect on the challenges and triumphs of the graduating class as a whole.

Discuss the importance of resilience and perseverance in achieving success.

Give practical advice for life after high school, such as financial management or maintaining relationships.

Use humor to lighten the mood and connect with your audience.

Acknowledge the impact of teachers, parents, and mentors in shaping the graduates' lives.

Incorporate inspiring quotes from influential figures that align with your message.

Discuss the significance of community and coming together during difficult times.

Encourage graduates to envision their future and the legacy they hope to build, emphasizing the impact of setting goals and striving for excellence.

Highlight the value of lifelong learning, urging peers to remain curious and open to new experiences and knowledge.

Speak to the power of adaptability and innovation in a rapidly changing world and the graduates' role in shaping the future.

Celebrate diversity and the strength found in embracing different perspectives and backgrounds within the graduating class.

Address the idea of social responsibility and the impact each graduate can have on their community and the world at large.

Writing and delivering a graduation speech is both a responsibility and an opportunity to inspire and leave a lasting impression. By keeping your audience in mind, reflecting on your experiences, staying concise, having a clear message, acknowledging others, and practicing and editing, you can write an inspiring graduation speech worthy of remembering. 

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Your Graduation Speeches in 50 Words

Readers shared pearls of wisdom they wish they had heard as a 20-something.

By Lauren Hard

Commencement season is coming to a close. Tears have been shed, inspiration delivered. As politicians, movie stars and other notable figures sent students off with rousing speeches on everything from civic education to #MeToo ( take our quiz ), we asked readers to share their own wisdom, as if they too had been invited to give a commencement address. The catch: It had to be under 50 words. Here are some of our favorites, edited lightly for clarity and accompanied by notes about what inspired each speech.

“Remember, everyone will tell you it can’t be done until you do it. And when you do it, they’ll say it was luck. Unless you do it again, and they’ll say it was your genes. But if you do it again, you show your spirit is stronger than their words. ”

I’ve heard from very emphatic naysayers in college. They tell me I cannot reach my goals, but I refuse to have my spirit broken. I just want to hear someone say that they understand my pain and have become successful in spite of it.

— Arlen Suarez, 21, Houston

“Never type anything, anywhere, that you’d be embarrassed if your mother read it. It will serve you well.”

I grew up! I’m still working on this one, but getting better.

— Amy Leader, 42, Wayne, Pa.

“Someone’s going to have a great life. It might as well be you. Believe it, embrace it, and then remember to listen, learn and give back.”

It occurred to me that there are people in life who have great lives and that by believing, it can become possible for anyone. And it did.

— Vige Barrie, 65, Clinton, N.Y.

“Stay limber and do yoga, both mental and physical. Eat vegetables and nourish your mind. Ask that person out. Listen to an ‘enemy.’ Use turn signals. Take care of each other.”

This is my 24th year teaching high school English. This year we suffered our largest wildfire in state history and then fatal mudslides.

— Doug Carmean, 48, Santa Barbara, Calif.

“Read books. Recognize complexity. Remember that history matters. Look both ways when you cross the street. Be brave.”

I lived to be 71.

— Eileen Eagan, 71, Centreville, Va.

“Someone else’s success does not define your own. Rather than compete with others in your class, share and support one another. Send job posts, check in with your peers. Community is about building one another up and sharing the wealth. Your turn will come.”

My mom is an incredibly selfless and supportive person. She consistently taught me to refrain from envying others and use that energy to support those I care to see flourish, just as I hope to one day. In the words of ‘Hamilton,’ just wait for it.

— Jessica Villagomez, 22, Chicago

“Eat a good breakfast, then go and dismantle the patriarchy.”

A good breakfast could transform our sleepy slouches to postures taut with determination. With a full stomach and tape-recorder in hand, we were ready to fight.

— Maeve Benz, 19, Squamish, British Columbia

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21 Best Graduation Speeches That Everyone Should Hear

Read life advice from Ree Drummond, Bill Gates, Oprah, and more!

Included in this list is the Pioneer Woman herself—Ree Drummond has witnessed her fair share of milestones with the Drummond kids and to top it off, she delivered an iconic keynote address at Oklahoma State University . Of course, who could forget Oprah Winfrey's speech to the class of 2020? In this heartfelt and emotional address, Winfrey encourages graduates to find their purpose in life and make a difference in the world. Those two are just a taste of what's to come. So, turn on the graduation songs , grab your tissues, and get ready for some solid life advice. Whether you're a recent graduate or just in need of a little pick-me-up, these speeches are sure to leave you feeling inspired and ready to take on whatever life throws your way.

Bill Gates: Northern Arizona University, 2023

Despite famously dropping out of Harvard after two years of study, Bill Gates shared a few pieces of advice he says he could have used at his hypothetical graduation. The Microsoft founder emphasized the importance of being open to career changes and learning to take a break.

"You are not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack. When I was your age, I didn’t believe in vacations. I didn’t believe in weekends. I pushed everyone around me to work very long hours. In the early days of Microsoft, my office overlooked the parking lot—and I would keep track of who was leaving early and staying late. But as I got older—and especially once I became a father—I realized there is more to life than work. Don’t wait as long as I did to learn this lesson. Take time to nurture your relationships, to celebrate your successes, and to recover from your losses."

Ree Drummond: Oklahoma State University, 2022

Ree hardly needs an introduction, but she knows a thing or two about life as a published author, Food Network host, and most importantly, mother of five.

"Buckle up, you have good times and rough seas ahead. It is just part of life, but enjoy the ride and laugh a lot... Life is about to unfold for you in all its forms. Love, heartache, accomplishments, disappointment, testing of faith... life is beautiful, so I repeat, buckle up and laugh along the way. It makes life fun."

Hamdi Ulukaya: Northeastern University, 2022

You may not know his name, but you might just love Chobani, the hugely successful yogurt brand Hamdi started. He reminded graduates why we are here on earth.

"As we started to grow, we hired everyone that we could. I realized an hour away there was a community of refugees who were having a hard time finding jobs. I said, 'Let's hire them.' I promise you that there is nothing more rewarding than showing up in the world for other people, no matter how hard it may be."

Dr. Marie Lynn Miranda: University of Notre Dame, 2021

As obvious as it sounds, you don't know what you don't know. That's the lesson from this acclaimed Notre Dame professor and environmental researcher.

"As much as I want to highlight the importance of the expertise you have developed, I also want to make the point that you will face situations in the years ahead where you will have no relevant expertise; you will have no evidence base to rely upon; your intellect will not be able to supply a needed answer. In those situations, I would like to suggest that you respond with love."

Oprah Winfrey: Class of 2020 Virtual Speech

Oprah had one of the hardest commencement speeches to give: it was for the class that graduated during the pandemic. She found a profound lesson in the chaos of those early months.

"Look who turns out to be essential! Teachers—your teachers!—healthcare workers of course, the people stocking grocery shelves, the cashiers, those who are caring for your grandparents, those who clean the places where we work and shop and carry out our daily lives. We are all here because they, at great and profound risk, are still providing their essential service. What will your essential service be? What really matters to you? How will you use what matters in service to yourself, your community, and the world?"

Tim Cook: Tulane University, 2019

Tim Cook took a similar approach to his late co-worker Steve Jobs when it came to the theme of his graduation speech.

"There's a saying that if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. At Apple, I learned that's a total crock. You'll work harder than you ever thought possible, but the tools will feel light in your hands. As you go out into the world, don't waste time on problems that have been solved... Look for the rough spots, the problems that seem too big, the complexities that other people are content to work around. It's in those places that you will find your purpose. It's there that you can make your greatest contribution."

Ken Burns: Stanford University, 2016

In his 2016 Stanford speech, America's most famous documentary filmmaker asked listeners not to forget the lessons found in our history.

"Be for something. Be curious, not cool. Feed your soul, too. Every day. Remember, insecurity makes liars of us all. Don't confuse success with excellence. Educate all of your parts. You will be healthier. Seek out—and have—mentors. Listen to them. Bite off more than you can chew. Do not get stuck in one place. Visit our national parks. Their sheer majesty may remind you of your own 'atomic insignificance,' as one observer noted, but in the inscrutable ways of nature, you will feel larger, inspirited, just as the egotist in our midst is diminished by his or her self-regard. Insist on heroes. And be one."

Sheryl Sandberg: UC Berkeley, 2016

The former COO of Facebook offered graduates a realistic look at the life ahead and how to move through the hard times. "Some of you have already experienced the kind of tragedy and hardship that leave an indelible mark. The question is not if some of these things will happen to you. They will. Today I want to talk about what happens next. The easy days ahead of you will be easy. It is the hard days—the times that challenge you to your very core—that will determine who you are. You will be defined not just by what you achieve but by how you survive."

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

During Admiral McRaven's speech at his alma mater, he looked to the lessons he learned serving his country. One of which was so simple, yet profoundly impactful.

"If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter... And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better."

George Saunders: Syracuse University, 2013

Bestselling author and professor George Saunders offered grads a guiding principle to move through life with, no matter what they pursue.

"Travel, get rich, get famous, innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunes, swim naked in wild jungle rivers (after first having it tested for monkey poop)—but as you do, to the extent that you can, err in the direction of kindness. Do those things that incline you toward the big questions, and avoid the things that would reduce you and make you trivial. That luminous part of you that exists beyond personality—your soul, if you will—is as bright and shining as any that has ever been."

Kerry Washington: George Washington University, 2013

Actress Kerry Washington told graduates to think of this achievement during the difficult or uncomfortable parts of life.

"The lesson is that you're here because you too learned how to answer the call. You don't earn a degree by doing and being and existing in the comfort zone of what you already know. Look back on the journey that brought you here. What moments challenged you most? When were you asked to step outside of your familiar territory in order to rise to the occasion of your potential? I want you to remember those moments, because they will embolden you."

Neil Gaiman: University of the Arts, 2012

Neil wasn't always an acclaimed author of fiction, comic books, graphic novels, nonfiction, and films. His speech may have been given to a group of young artists, but the advice applies to anyone starting out in a turbulent career.

"People who know what they are doing know the rules, and they know what is possible and what is impossible. You do not. And you should not. The rules on what is possible and impossible in the arts were made by people who had not tested the bounds of the possible by going beyond them. And you can. If you don't know it's impossible, it's easier to do. And because nobody's done it before, they haven't made up rules to stop anyone doing that particular thing again."

Aaron Sorkin: Syracuse University, 2012

Aaron has carved an incredible career writing plays, movies, and television shows, but success clearly hasn't impacted his sense of humility.

"Decisions are made by those who show up. Don't ever forget that you're a citizen of this world. Don't ever forget that you're a citizen of this world, and there are things you can do to lift the human spirit, things that are easy, things that are free, things that you can do every day: civility, respect, kindness, character."

Atul Gawande: Williams College, 2012

Being a surgeon means you have to think on your feet when things go wrong, and for Dr. Gawande, that holds an immense life lesson.

"A failure often does not have to be a failure at all. However, you have to be ready for it. Will you admit when things go wrong? Will you take steps to set them right? Because the difference between triumph and defeat, you'll find, isn't about willingness to take risks. It's about mastery of rescue."

Conan O'Brien: Dartmouth College, 2011

This famous late-night host delivered a hilarious graduation speech riddled with stories, each with their own lesson.

"David Letterman wanted to be Johnny Carson and was not, and as a result, my generation of comedians wanted to be David Letterman. And none of us are—my peers and I have all missed that mark in a thousand different ways. But the point is this: It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It's not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can be a catalyst for profound re-invention."

Steve Jobs: Stanford University, 2005

The entrepreneur, inventor, and pioneer of the personal computer revolution had his fair share of ups and downs in life. But one of the things that made him so persistent was his love of technology.

"You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."

Toni Morrison: Wellesley College, 2004

Toni Morrison disputed the usual platitude that youth is the best time of your life. Instead, she told students that there is nothing more satisfying or gratifying than the true adulthood which stretches out before them. "What is now known is not all that you are capable of knowing. You are your own stories and therefore free to imagine and experience what it means to be human without wealth. What it feels like to be human without domination over others, without reckless arrogance, without fear of others unlike you, without rotating, rehearsing and reinventing the hatreds you learned in the sandbox. And although you don't have complete control over the narrative (no author does, I can tell you), you could nevertheless create it."

Bill Gates: Harvard University, 2007

Who wouldn't take the Microsoft founder's advice?

"In line with the promise of this age, I want to exhort each of the graduates here to take on an issue—a complex problem, a deep inequity, and become a specialist on it. If you make it the focus of your career, that would be phenomenal. But you don't have to do that to make an impact... don't let complexity stop you. Be activists. Take on big inequities. I feel sure it will be one of the great experiences of your lives."

Nora Ephron: Wellesley College, 1996

When Nora Ephron wasn't reporting, she was writing some of our most beloved romantic comedies. She reassured grads that they will always continue to change and grow.

"What are you going to do? Everything is my guess. It will be a little messy but embrace the mess. It will be complicated but rejoice in the complications. It will not be anything like what you think it's going to be like, but surprises are good for you. And don't be frightened. You can always change your mind. I know. I've had four careers and three husbands. And this is something else I want to tell you, one of the hundreds of things I didn't know when I was sitting here so many years ago: you are not going to be you, fixed and immutable you, forever."

Barbara Kingsolver: DePauw University, 1994

The sentiment of Barbara Kingsolver's speech resonates today just as much as it did in 1994.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and give you one little piece of advice and that is like the idea of a future. Believe you have it in you to make the world look better rather than worse seven generations from now. Figure out what that could look like. And then if you're lucky, you'll find a way to live inside that hope, running down its hallways, touching the walls on both sides."

Micaela Bahn is a freelance editorial assistant and recent graduate from Carleton College, where she majored in English literature. She loves running, photography, and cooking the best new recipes.

Nitya Rao is the editorial assistant at The Pioneer Woman, covering stories ranging from food, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, news, and more.

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Graduation Speeches Everyone Needs to Hear—Not Just New Grads

A couple of commencement speeches, viewed by millions, stand out from the rest..

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Commencement speeches run the gamut from instantly forgotten to landmark addresses. Many of us long ago let slip from memory the words spoken from the podium at our high school or college graduation.

Other commencement speeches may deeply connect with graduates and their loved ones and friends but have little impact outside the doors of the auditoriums or gymnasiums where they were delivered.

“Whatever game you choose,” he said in conclusion, “give it your best. Go for your shots. Play free. Try everything. And most of all, be kind to one another—and have fun out there.”

And then there are those rare occasions when a commencement speaker not only touches the hearts of the graduates, but also captivates millions of others looking for inspiration and guidance.

Harry Potter at Harvard

At the beginning of her speech, she said, “I have wracked my mind and heart for what I ought to say to you today.” Ms. Rowling wisely restricted herself to two principal themes: the benefits of failure and the power of the imagination. For the former, she looked back at her life following her departure from college, saying: “A mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless.”

Oddly enough, that cascade of failures freed her to follow her childhood ambition and write novels.

“My greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea,“ she said. ”And so, rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” The knowledge that she could fail, grow stronger, and gain self-confidence made her secure in her ability to survive and to move forward.

The meaning of Ms. Rowling’s second theme, the power of the imagination, extended far beyond her ability to tell stories beloved by millions. Of imagination, she said that “in its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.” Ms. Rowling found her own powers of imagination and empathy woven together during her time working for Amnesty International in London, where she encountered horror stories of oppression and torture in other lands.

‘Up to Your Neck in Mud’

“If you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never be able to do the big things right,” he said.

In the rest of the speech, he covered nine more points illustrated by examples from his SEAL training. Comparing the skills of the bigger men with the smaller, he underscored the superior abilities of the “munchkin crew” who “outpaddled, outran, and outswam all the other boat crews.” The lesson?

“SEAL training was a great equalizer,“ he said. ”Nothing mattered but your will to succeed. Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education, not your social status. If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.”

Failure to meet standards, Adm. McRaven told his audience, meant a “circus” for the offender, two hours of grueling physical exercise at the end of the already arduous day, but “the pain of the circuses built inner strength and physical resiliency.” Such circuses occur frequently in life, the admiral told his audience, and you can build your own store of courage and strength by facing up to them even “when you’re up to your neck in mud.”

Since then, Adm. McRaven’s speech has been viewed more than 19 million times.

Most important of all, however, their message touched hearts and minds. Learn from failure. Never give up. Take risks. Show empathy. Aim high, work hard, and do your best.

We humans need to hear these old verities again and again, yet this workaday wisdom is so familiar that it might fall on deaf ears, inspiring boredom rather than enthusiasm. These two speakers gave their listeners a renewed appreciation of virtue, ambition, and effort.

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J.K. Rowling concluded by returning to one of these old ideas:

“Even if you remember not a single word of mine, you remember those of Seneca, another of those old Romans I met when I fled down the Classics corridor, in retreat from career ladders, in search of ancient wisdom:

“‘As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.’

“I wish you all very good lives.”

A final note: Many of you readers have a child, a grandchild, or a young friend who graduated from high school or college this spring. Consider sharing the remarks of Ms. Rowling and Adm. McRaven with them. Better yet, give those young people your own graduation talk. What wisdom can you share with your 22-year-old daughter to ease her path into the broader world? What advice can help your 17-year-old grandson make his way into the future?

Speak to them. Who knows? Your words might change the world for the better.

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Biden is a threat to free speech. Trump should call him on it.

Donald trump and other presidential candidates are missing a compelling argument going into this election. while democracy is not on the ballot, free speech is..

Since his dystopian speech outside of Independence Hall in 2022, President Joe Biden has made " democracy is on the ballot " his campaign theme. Pundits have repeated the mantra, claiming that if Biden is not elected, American democracy will perish .

While some of us have  challenged these predictions , the other presidential candidates are missing a far more compelling argument going into this election. While democracy is not on the ballot this election, free speech is.

The 2024 election is looking strikingly similar to the election of 1800 and, if so, it does not bode well for Biden.

In my book " The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage ," released last week, I discuss our long struggle with free speech as a nation. It is an unvarnished history with powerful stories of our heroes and villains in the struggle to define what Justice Louis Brandeis called our "indispensable right."

One of the greatest villains in that history was President John Adams, who used the Alien and Sedition Acts to arrest his political opponents – including journalists, members of Congress and others. Many of those prosecuted by the Adams administration were Jeffersonians. In the election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson ran on the issue and defeated Adams.

Government efforts to limit free speech are Orwellian

We are now seeing what is arguably the most dangerous anti-free speech movement in our history. President Joe Biden is, in my view, the most anti-free speech president since Adams. Under his administration, we have seen a massive censorship system funded and directed by the government.

A federal judge described the system as " Orwellian " in its scope and impact.

Biden has repeatedly called for greater censorship and accused social media companies of “ killing people ” by not silencing more dissenting voices. Other Democrats such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts have pushed for restrictions on "unacceptable" speech.

Will Trump destroy our democracy? Let's tone down doomsday rhetoric and trust our system.

The Biden administration seeks to censor even true statements as disinformation.

For example, I testified before Congress last year on how Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, extended her agency’s mandate over critical infrastructure to include “ our cognitive infrastructure .” The resulting censorship efforts included combating “malinformation” – described as information “based on fact, but used out of context to mislead, harm, or manipulate.”

The left has picked up the cudgels of censorship and blacklisting once used against them. During the McCarthy period , liberals were called "communist sympathizers." Now, conservative justices are called  "insurrectionist sympathizers."

Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store .

Candidates should call out Biden on censorship

In this election, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Jill Stein, Donald Trump and Cornel West should talk about the threats against free speech at every debate and stump speech. They will have to overcome a news media that has been complicit in the attacks on free speech, but these candidates can break through by raising it as a key issue dividing Biden from the rest of the field.

Democrats and the news media have hammered away at cracking down on those accused of "disinformation." The public, however, has not been won over by those seeking to limit their right of free speech or the push to amend the First Amendment because it's too "aggressively individualistic."  

'Reject the evidence': Is Joe Biden's bizarre behavior a GOP 'cheap fake'? It's up to him to prove that he's OK.

So far, the anti-free speech movement has flourished largely in the echo chambers of academia and the media. It is time for the public to render its judgment.

As discussed in my book, we are hardwired for free speech. It is in our DNA. Despite these periods of crackdowns on free speech, we have always rejected those who wanted to regulate the views of others. Jefferson called the Federalists “ the reign of the witches .” (Ironically, Jefferson would himself prosecute critics, though not to the same extent as Adams).

Attacks on free speech have returned with a vengeance before another presidential election. After fighting in the courts and in the public to expand censorship, Biden should now have to defend it with the voters. Let's have at it, as we did in 1800.

Free speech is again on the ballot. It is time for the public to decide.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and the author of " The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage ."

You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page , on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter .

UCLA graduation avoids large disruptions, but is marked by pro-Palestinian chants and a walkout

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UCLA’s largest commencement ceremonies kicked off Friday mostly devoid of protests — but punctuated by short demonstrations, chants and a pro-Palestinian walkout at one event — as thousands of students received degrees after a tumultuous educational journey through a global pandemic, labor strife and political polarization.

More than 26,000 people, including 6,600 graduates, gathered at Pauley Pavilion arena for three ceremonies into the evening for the College of Letters and Science, the biggest commencement events out of more than 70 that will take place through Monday.

After nearly two months of campus tensions amid pro-Palestinian student activism, no large-scale protests materialized. There were moments of chanting for “free Palestine” and the waving of Palestinian and Israeli flags at the arena during one afternoon ceremony. A third evening commencement ceremony went off without disruptions.

The largest protest Friday occurred at the Luskin School of Public Affairs morning ceremony, where dozens of graduates wore kaffiyeh scarves in support of Palestinians and all three student speakers decried the violence in Gaza and UCLA leadership. A group of students walked out, before their diplomas were conferred, onto the grassy Dickson Court — the same place where police dismantled a pro-Palestinian encampment more than a month ago — and held a mock graduation. The formal Luskin event, which bestowed degrees to 295 graduate students, was among the smaller celebrations of the day.

‘You should be ashamed,’ congresswoman rails against UCLA chancellor during antisemitism hearing

Republicans questioned UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and the presidents of Northwestern and Rutgers university on the their handling of pro-Palestinian encampments, including UCLA “checkpoints” put up by protesters that prevented people they identified as Zionists from entering a camp.

May 23, 2024

Notably absent from Pauley Pavilion ceremonies Friday was UCLA Chancellor Gene Block, who typically speaks at the main commencements, including last year’s. Block, who is stepping down July 31, has come under intense criticism for his administration’s response to protests. A university official said he wanted to “keep the focus on students.” UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt — who will be interim chancellor before University of Miami President Julio Frenk takes over the permanent role — also did not appear on stage at Pauley Pavilion.

But overall, a festive and joyful atmosphere prevailed throughout the day for tens of thousands of graduates and visitors. Streams of black-gown-clad students and faculty members — and their loved ones in blue-and-gold accented suits and dresses reflecting Bruin colors — filed into graduation venues.

Anthony Contreras, 36, clutched a bouquet of red roses for his girlfriend, Sarai Buruel, who graduated with a master’s degree in social work. “It’s so exciting,” said Contreras, who was on campus with eight members of Buruel’s family. “I’ve never been to a graduation ceremony at UCLA before.”

Jack Lin, a senior graduating with a degree in computer science, attended the Pauley Pavilion event with friends to watch his girlfriend, Audrey, graduate. Lin, whose Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science ceremony is set for Saturday in the same building, said he had been distraught over the last two months as protests, violence and the union strike upended the campus.

“We were a little worried there might be no graduation because our parents planned to fly in from Taiwan,” said Lin, of Chino Hills. “So we’re excited it still happened.”

As most students celebrated their milestone moment with excitement — sporting colorful leis and brightly decorated mortar boards — a few student speakers expressed anger and grief over campus tensions that have pushed UCLA into the center of national controversy over policing, vigilante violence, pro-Palestinian protests and accusations of antisemitism.

Speaking at the Luskin ceremony, Sebastian Cazares, who graduated with a master’s degree in public policy, criticized the administration for turning UCLA into “a war zone” and enabling “police brutality” against students and faculty. But he also expressed optimism about the future of his fellow graduates in creating more “equity and righteousness” in the world.

“I have renewed hope in the students here who join a historic international movement for change in the greatest college antiwar activism seen since Vietnam,” Cazares said. “Every past moment of grave injustice and humanitarian tragedy historically always will lead to an equal reaction of transformational justice.”

During the mock graduation ceremony for students who walked out of the Luskin gathering, Ananya Roy, a Luskin School professor of urban planning, social welfare and geography, addressed the small crowd. She commended the students, faculty members and their loved ones for “standing up for the truth” as private security guards watched from yards away.

“I’m in awe of the courage you all have shown today,” Roy said. “Our words matter and I know you will continue to lead us toward the horizon that is decolonization and abolition. Free Palestine! Cops off campus!”

The bold Luskin scene stood in contrast to events a short walk away inside Pauley Pavilion, where protests were short-lived.

There, many students danced, high-fived and shouted in celebration as they appeared in camera shots beamed on a big screen. Dozens of students wore kaffiyehs. At least two decorated their caps with the phrases “free Palestine” and “free them all.”

Speaking from the stage, Melissa Nessman, the director of UCLA’s transfer alliance program, directed students to avoid disruptive behavior.

“Refrain from actions that disrupt or prevent speakers from being heard,” said Nessman, who is also the chief of college commencement. She said that “we recognize and value freedom of expression” but suggested that commencement was the wrong venue for activism.

Banners and flags were banned from the arena — as they were last year — but a small number of students and audience members sneaked in Israeli and Palestinian flags.

One brief but tense moment took place during the afternoon event, when more than a dozen students seated near the back raised their hands — clad in red translucent gloves as a sign of protest — and held up Palestinian flag-colored sashes and Palestinian flags. There were cheers as well as boos from the crowd. A student near the front row stood up on his chair to unfurl an Israeli flag and waved in the direction of the pro-Palestinian students.

In his commencement speech at the three ceremonies, actor and UCLA alumnus Sean Astin broadly criticized activists.

“We must protect each other. We are a team. But it’s hard to remember at any given moment because we are filled with moral outrage and political animus, he said.

He also criticized the university.

“The UC system, UC administration has been too far out of touch with our students, our faculty, our academics, our researchers, our unions,” Astin said to cheers.

After Astin’s speech ended, the same pro-Palestinian students again stood up, chanting for a “free Palestine.” Some audience members did too. One man in the audience responded by yelling “U.S.A.! U.S.A.” as a handful of people joined him. There were also a few boos. The chants and response briefly drowned out a speaker on stage.

Mary Osako, vice chancellor of strategic communications, described the first main UCLA ceremony as “poignant and simply beautiful.” She said the absence of disruptions at it “illustrates our students’ unified desire to mark this moment as a sole celebration of their success.”

It was a viewpoint that Meghan Buddy, who graduated with a degree in molecular cell and developmental biology during the morning Pauley Pavilion celebration, shared.

“It’s definitely been an unusual year, but that has always been the case for us because we began school during COVID,” Buddy said. “Even if commencement was disrupted, I’d still be happy because I’m here, able to celebrate graduation and be with everyone.” Buddy, whose parents flew in from Michigan, said she planned to move to Salt Lake City to work as a research scientist at the University of Utah.

More than 15,000 UCLA graduates will receive degrees during graduations through the weekend.

Several ceremonies were to take place at Royce Hall, one of the oldest campus buildings, which is adjacent to the central green where a pro-Palestinian encampment went up April 25. Law enforcement arrested more than 200 activists there on May 1 after a night of mob violence against protesters.

The attack is the focus of internal and external investigations because of an hours-long delay in police response to quell the violence, a failure that led to the removal of UCLA’s then-police chief and the creation of a new Office of Campus Safety.

UCLA has faced multiple demonstrations since then as pro-Palestinian activists have demanded that the university end its financial ties to weapons companies and Israel — including two short-lived encampments. The most recent one on Monday night ended with 25 protesters under arrest and ordered to stay away from campus for two weeks.

Questions of antisemitism and anti-Muslim sentiment have also been an issue. Block faced hostile questioning last month by a congressional committee over complaints about rising antisemitism on campus; several Jewish students have sued the university over accusations of pro-Palestinian protesters illegally restricting campus access, and the U.S. Department of Education in December announced a civil rights investigation into UCLA.

Some faculty members boycotted UCLA’s traditional ceremonies.

Graeme Blair, an associate professor of political science and member of the Faculty for Justice in Palestine group, said he did not attend on Friday in protest of UCLA’s treatment of pro-Palestinian protesters.

Instead, Blair joined graduating student activists at an alternative ceremony for the “People’s University of the Liberation of Palestine” on Thursday at McCarty Memorial Christian Church in West Adams.

Blair said about 100 graduating students — in undergraduate and graduate programs — were present, as were dozens of faculty members and student supporters who were not graduating.

Blair said several of those graduating students were prevented from attending ceremonies on campus because of ongoing discipline proceedings from arrests, including the temporary ban from campus for students arrested during Monday’s protests.

UCLA is one of seven University of California campuses — from Davis to San Diego — celebrating commencement over the next few days. But ongoing flare-ups and controversy over pro-Palestinian protests have forced universities to put in place new security measures as they welcome tens of thousands of guests and graduates for a milestone moment of pride and accomplishment. That includes a new clear bag policy for all major events at UCLA.

A clear-bag rule is in place at UC San Diego, where the main events take place Saturday, while at UC Riverside, officials said clear bags are “preferred” for ceremonies on Monday and Tuesday.

Some universities are requiring tickets and security screenings for the first time, including UC Santa Barbara, where celebrations take place through Sunday.

At UC Irvine, UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis, morning ceremonies Friday rolled out smoothly, with the conferring of thousands of degrees.

More to Read

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian students walk out in protest at Stanford University graduation

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About two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at UCLA, ordered to stay away from campus

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Jaweed Kaleem is an education reporter at the Los Angeles Times, where he covers news and features on K-12 and higher education. He specializes in reporting on campus activism and culture, including issues on free speech, religion, race and politics. Kaleem previously worked for The Times as a Los Angeles-based national correspondent and a London-based foreign correspondent.

Connor Sheets is an investigative and enterprise reporter at the Los Angeles Times.

Angie Orellana Hernandez is a 2023-24 reporting fellow at the Los Angeles Times. She previously worked at The Times as an arts and entertainment intern. She graduated from USC, where she studied journalism and Spanish. Prior to joining The Times, she covered entertainment, as well as human interest, legal and crime stories at E! News. Her writing can also be found in USA Today, the Boston Globe, CNN and KCRA3.

Teresa Watanabe covers education for the Los Angeles Times. Since joining the Times in 1989, she has covered immigration, ethnic communities, religion, Pacific Rim business and served as Tokyo correspondent and bureau chief. She also covered Asia, national affairs and state government for the San Jose Mercury News and wrote editorials for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. A Seattle native, she graduated from USC in journalism and in East Asian languages and culture.

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More From Forbes

Trump unlikely to pass immigration law to admit all college grads.

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Donald Trump speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference on August 6, 2022, in Dallas, ... [+] Texas. In a recent podcast interview, Donald Trump said he favored giving green cards to all foreign graduates of U.S. universities. For a variety of reasons, if elected, Trump is unlikely to pass legislation to award green cards to all foreign graduates of U.S. schools. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Despite his administration’s record of blocking high-skilled immigrants, Donald Trump said he favored giving green cards to all foreign graduates of U.S. universities. His statement during a podcast interview gained significant attention. During four years as president, Trump never proposed increasing the admission of college-educated immigrants or awarding automatic green cards to all international students graduating from U.S. universities. His administration enacted numerous restrictions on H-1B visa holders and employment-based immigrants, including prohibiting their entry in 2020. Expected opposition from his immigration advisers and other factors make it unlikely that, if elected, Trump will pass into law or pursue as a serious legislative initiative granting green cards to all foreign graduates of U.S. universities.

The Podcast Interview

On June 19, 2024, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump taped a podcast interview with venture capitalists on the show All-In . “What I want to do and what I will do is you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically as part of your diploma a green card to be able to stay in this country,” said Trump. “And that includes junior colleges too, anybody graduates from a college. You go there for two years or four years.” Trump promised to address the issue on “day one.”

In response to media interest, the Trump campaign released a statement from press secretary Karoline Leavitt: “President Trump has outlined the most aggressive vetting process in U.S. history, to exclude all communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters and public charges. He believes, only after such vetting has taken place, we ought to keep the most skilled graduates who can make significant contributions to America. This would only apply to the most thoroughly vetted college graduates who would never undercut American wages or workers.”

Under current law, the federal government can block the admission of public charges, Communist party members and supporters of terrorism.

Trump’s Record On High-Skilled Immigration As President

Donald Trump has often said he wanted “merit-based” immigration, but while in office, he and his appointed team showed little interest in admitting even the most highly skilled foreign nationals to America. His administration waged what analysts viewed as a regulatory war against companies, international students and H-1B visa holders. (See here .)

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H-1B visas are often the only practical way for high-skilled foreign nationals, including international students, to work long term in the United States. Because of the time it takes to receive an employment-based green card, foreign nationals normally must first obtain an H-1B visa or other temporary status.

After Donald Trump became president in 2017, his administration’s policies significantly increased the denial rate for H-1B petitions for initial employment (typically new employees counted against the H-1B annual cap) to 24% in FY 2018 and 21% in FY 2019. Paperwork in the form of Requests for Evidence skyrocketed. In 2020, after a legal settlement forced U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to cease several of the Trump administration’s practices, the denial rates fell to 2% , close to their historical average.

H-1B petitions for continuing employment increased to 12% in FY 2018 and FY 2019. The denials of extensions for existing employees caused many professionals to leave the country. As with initial employment petitions, the legal settlement caused H-1B petitions for continuing employment to drop to 2%.

In his last year in office, Trump went further by blocking the admission of high-skilled temporary visa holders and employment-based immigrants into the United States. In June 2020, Trump used his authority under section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to issue a proclamation that suspended the entry of H-1B, L-1 and other temporary visa holders. A similar proclamation issued in April 2020 prevented the entry of nearly all categories of immigrants, including employment-based. No other president had used the authority in this sweeping manner.

Practical And Political Obstacles To Trump’s Statement Becoming Law

If elected, Donald Trump is unlikely to pass legislation to award green cards to all foreign graduates of U.S. universities. His longtime immigration adviser, Stephen Miller, and others would almost certainly work to stop such a proposal from becoming law. That is particularly the case since the policy could increase the number of immigrants to America by one million annually. Miller has long toiled to reduce legal immigration, including the entry of high-skilled foreign nationals. By enacting various administrative restrictions, Miller lowered the number of immigrants admitted while Trump was president. He has expressed admiration for the Immigration Act of 1924 , which ended most immigration to the United States.

In 2017, after Trump reached the outlines of a deal with Democratic Congressional leaders to protect Dreamers (young people without legal status) in exchange for border security measures, press reports indicated Miller and others worked to undermine the deal. “For weeks, top officials to the president have been working behind the scenes to upend a DACA deal that President Trump had been struck with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,” reported the Daily Beast . “And spearheading the campaign of behind-the-scenes impairment was White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller.”

According to the book Border Wars: Inside Trump’s Assault on Immigration by New York Times journalists Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Michael D. Shear, Miller helped convince Trump to endorse Sen. Tom Cotton’s RAISE Act by saying the bill did not reduce immigration. The bill cut legal immigration by 50%.

If Trump’s statement on giving green cards to foreign graduates of U.S. universities were turned into a bill, Miller or other immigration opponents could kill it. The simplest way would be to tie passage to provisions that Democrats would never support, such as elements of H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act , which passed the House of Representatives in May 2023 with no Democratic votes. That would encourage Democrats to prevent passage in the Senate by filibustering the bill. Connecting the proposal to other measures that Democrats are against, such as eliminating all family immigration, would be another approach. There would also be Republicans who oppose the measure. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) have criticized Trump’s statement on green cards for college graduates.

In 2022, during negotiations over the CHIPS and Science Act , Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) blocked including an exemption from green card limits for many international graduate students from U.S. universities in science and technology fields. That provision, which had passed the House of Representatives, was an important but more modest immigration reform than Trump discussed during his podcast interview. Given his sway within the Republican caucus, the measure likely would have become law if Donald Trump spoke out in favor of it at the time.

An attempt by Trump to please the podcast's venture capitalist hosts, one of whom hosted a fundraiser for him in Silicon Valley, may explain the former president’s eagerness to advocate an expansive immigration proposal. His pledge about admitting foreign college graduates came after podcast host Jason Calacanis asked Trump if he could promise to “give us more ability to import the best and brightest around the world to America.” Trump promised that he would. Individuals on social media pointed out Trump made similar comments on August 18, 2015, when he tweeted, “When foreigners attend our great colleges & want to stay in the U.S., they should not be thrown out of our country.” After being elected president, Donald Trump did not pursue that policy.

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"None of this should be surprising": John Oliver calls out GOP "cancel culture" hypocrisy

Conservatives "trying to ban any speech they don’t like" but "when it’s theirs, it can be mandated by law", by nardos haile.

John Oliver  on Sunday's edition of  "Last Week Tonight"  called out the latest chapter of the culture war Republicans are waging on public schools.

Oliver noted that Louisiana last week became the first state to require the Ten Commandments be displayed in public classrooms "from kindergarten to publicly funded universities," highlighting the growing trend of Republicans pushing Christian ideology into public education. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed the bill into law last Wednesday, saying, "If you want to respect the rule of law, you gotta start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses."

Oliver retorted "First: Moses was not the original lawgiver. That would be—say it with me—Ur-Nammu, king of the ancient Sumerian third dynasty of Ur, that’s right. It’s something we all know. But more importantly, it’s true: Louisiana will now require the Ten Commandments be displayed in all public classrooms, even kindergartens. Which is absurd."

"Kindergarteners don’t need 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife' next to their cubbies. That’s not a thing they do. And even if they did, who cares? They’re five. If you’re that worried about your wife running off with a five-year-old, your marriage has problems no god can fix," Oliver joked.

The host also pointed out that behind the governor, "one of the kids collapsed and Landry never once turns around to see what’s going on."

"But that’s a perfect encapsulation of the Republican Party today—loudly pretending to care about the well-being of children while completely ignoring the literal well-being of a child," Oliver stated.

The host added that the bill's sponsor also had no concerns about how the new law would affect non-Christian or Jewish students.

"You don’t believe this alienates students who are not Christian or Jewish?" an opposing lawmaker questioned Republican state Rep. Dodie Horton.

"No ma’am, I don’t. This is about a moral code that our country was founded upon and they can simply turn their heads, I suppose," Horton responded.

Oliver replied: "Yeah, they can simply turn their heads, you suppose. You know, the thing the governor of Louisiana seems completely incapable of doing when a child falls right behind him."

The host noted that the "clearly unconstitutional" law is already facing a lawsuit threat from the ACLU. "And you’d think they’d stand a good chance to win—especially as Kentucky actually passed a similar law decades ago, only for it to be struck down by the Supreme Court in 1980. But the truth is, as this constitutional expert points out, this time could be different," he said.

While the the Supreme Court's precedent held a similar law as unconstitutional, "precedent isn’t what it used to be" given the political leanings of the current court, an expert said in a clip on the show.

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"Yeah, that’s putting it mildly. Precedent used to mean justices had to have a really good reason to reverse course on settled law, and one better than just, 'My billionaire friends said they’d take me to Barbados next time,'" Oliver said in an apparent reference to Justice Clarence Thomas.

This isn't the only battle schools have faced in the last several years, from book banning , banning trans students from using gender-affirming bathrooms and now a new conflict over public displays of symbols in Tennessee, Florida and Utah has led to the states all introducing bills to ban Pride flags in schools.

"None of this should be surprising, conservatives love to rail against 'cancel culture' while trying to ban any speech they don’t like. So when it’s someone else’s symbol, it’s an affront that needs to be burned or banned, but when it’s theirs, it can be mandated by law, and anyone who doesn’t like it can just turn their head and not look," Oliver concluded.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver airs on Sundays at 11 p.m. ET on Max.

about "Last Week Tonight"

• John Oliver calls out "uncritical fawning praise" of Indian PM Narendra Modi amid growing crackdown
• John Oliver rates his favorite Eurovision contestant, Windows95man, a "14,000 out of 10"
• "Doesn’t feel like a coincidence": John Oliver alarmed over right-wing efforts to censor libraries

Nardos Haile is a staff writer at Salon covering culture. She’s previously covered all things entertainment, music, fashion and celebrity culture at The Associated Press. She resides in Brooklyn, NY.

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Alexandra covers the 2024 U.S. presidential race, with a focus on Republicans, donors and AI. Previously, she spent four years in Venezuela reporting on the humanitarian crisis and investigating corruption. She has also worked in India, Chile and Argentina. Alexandra was Reuters' Reporter of the Year and has won an Overseas Press Club award.

Washington-based correspondent covering campaigns and Congress. Previously posted in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Santiago, Chile, and has reported extensively throughout Latin America. Co-winner of the 2021 Reuters Journalist of the Year Award in the business coverage category for a series on corruption and fraud in the oil industry. He was born in Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard College.

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Russia, Ukraine each return 90 prisoners of war, Russian Defence Ministry says

Russia and Ukraine have each returned 90 prisoners of war in a swap, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.