A valedictorian speech is a sort of privilege, so be thankful, honest, and authentic. Issues related to writing a valedictorian speech from scratch are covered below at college-writers.com in greater detail.
Choose a Theme
The writing process starts with deciding on a theme or a central message of your speech. What message do you want to deliver? Here are some common themes for graduation speeches:
- The meaning and the impact of your education from your perspective.
- The way you and your classmates have come from the very beginning to 12th grade and your plans for the future. You may not even stop at college graduations and make some assumptions regarding your careers.
- The importance of perseverance and hard work for your education and the role they will play in your future.
- How this degree will change your life.
- How will you remember school when you start a completely new life?
Be Grateful
Most often, a thank you section is the first part of speeches. You should thank people who gave you an opportunity to speak, as well as hosts. If it’s high school graduation, you might also thank the principal, the school board members, and other important people before delivering your speech.
Get Attention
You should think of how you will start your speech because the beginning of your speech is especially important. Here are some nice things to start with:
- An inspirational quote;
- An anecdote;
- An interesting fact;
- A question.
You need to grab your audience’s attention, and a good way to do it is to start with an anecdote. It may be a true story that happened in your life, as well as a story about some famous personality. You may also tell a story about your classmates or parents — the main thing is to write something inspirational and related to your life or your plans for the future.
The Body of Your Speech
Depending on the topic of your valedictorian speech, you should create an outline with the three main sections of your paper: the introduction, body, and conclusion. As you can see, the structure of a speech is similar to that of an essay. The body of your speech may focus on your memories, current events, or a meaningful story. You just have to clearly understand your message and the topic. If your speech will be about the past, present, and future, you can make three major sections in the body of your speech, filling them with different stories and facts. The body of your speech is its longest part. We recommend that you prepare enough material to read it for 15 minutes, however, don’t forget to check the guidelines and requirements of your school.
Conclusion
This is the last part of your speech but it’s no less important than other parts. Your conclusion should deliver a message your audience will think about after you finish the speech. End your speech with a call to action, prediction, or an inspirational quote. A prediction would be the best choice if your speech is about the future.