High school graduation – that day you have dreamed about for years – is quickly approaching. And to add to the excitement, you are the president of the student body and have the honor of delivering a speech!
It is a real achievement to be one of the few who gives high school graduation speeches. And you want to make sure you get it right and deliver a memorable and touching speech.
Below are a few simple tips for writing a high school graduate’s speech.
1. Keep it personable and avoid condescension
One of the biggest turnoffs for the audience is to hear a speech that is condescending in tone. If you are the person giving a speech, you can avoid this problem.
Write you speech in a manner that is personable. Do not use big words or speak in multiple languages in an effort to impress others. It will backfire.
Instead, keep your targeted audience in mind as you write the speech. What is something you would like to share with its members? What will your classmates find interesting, and how can you best relate to them?
2. Use a bit of humor
You do not want your fellow graduates to fall asleep when you are giving your big speech. One way to keep their attention is to use a bit of humor.
Do not mistake this advice, though, for inserting jokes – unless you are a natural comedian. Instead, include a little humor here and there – simple things that will bring a laugh or smile.
3. Keep it brief
Too many speechwriters get carried away, and prepare something that is far longer than what the audience wants to hear. Remember that people have a short attention span, and you should not make your speech any longer than 15 minutes or so.
4. Include a story or two
When you are working on your speech, include a story or two. Make sure they are stories that your peers can really identify with, as that is the kind of thing that will keep them engaged when you are talking.
5. Write from the heart
Finally, when working on a speech to give at your high school graduation, you need to use your voice. And the way that you do that is to write from the heart.
You need to be true to yourself, as your speech is a way of sharing part of yourself with others. While you want to keep it appropriate for the occasion, you also want to make sure that the speech sounds like it comes from you. If the words you write do not sound like things, you will say, then your speech will suffer.