Graduation speakers fill their speeches each May and June with words of wisdom that they hope the listeners will carry forward to all of the opportunities and changes that await them. If they are successful, the graduating class for which these words were originally written will recall them. Some of us are better at this than others, and far too often only remember how boring most of the ceremony was, or the terribly hot weather that grabbed hold of these meant-to-be-wise words and wrung them out before they could inspire anyone at all. I imagine these past few years have been especially difficult, yet this tradition has continued to thrive. Much as the emphasis has been on all-things-internet, I did a Google search recently to see if I could find some good examples of graduation speeches and extracted a list of words cited time and again in the most successful and remembered speeches. While I have never been asked to speak for one of these special occasions, I recently thought about some of the words I still remember from all of the high school and college graduations that I have attended over the years — love, hope and change are only a few. Preparedness, transformation, life-long learning and belief in oneself are a few more. Passion for what one is choosing to do in life is my all-time favorite however. No one said it aloud, it was one word that most adults used in a very different fashion. However, when one thinks about it, it fits. Many graduating classes choose their own speaker and often are able to find someone they know will say just the right words for them at this time. If it is a well-known local individual, they can be sure that whatever words are uttered are meant for them especially. Even the shortest speech and inexperienced speaker is able to come up with meaningful words of wisdom for a unique class.
The ending exhortation of every speech still includes some variation of these two words: “Go Forth!” Comedian and actor Tim Allen’s 2021 graduation speech reportedly included the words, “To be successful you need to continue learning.” Musician John Legend told graduates, “Love should be your North Star.” Both encourage graduates to summon up those essential ingredients to ensure success in one’s life and the boldness and confidence to ensure making a difference. Go forth, indeed!
By DOLLY VISCARDI – Special to the Herald Times
