How to Format a Commencement Speech
- 1). Begin with an opening that grabs the audience's attention and creates an interest in what you have to say. Openings should last a few minutes, and can start with a great quote, a provocative statement or a question that intrigues the audience. Some speeches can also start with a humorous anecdote as long as it isn't offensive. Your goal is to captivate the audience as you introduce the main subject of your speech.
- 2). Transition into the main portion of your speech. Use examples from your own life or from the lives of famous people to emphasize each point you make. Using real-life examples helps personalize the speech and establishes a connection with the audience.
- 3). Include memories of your own educational experiences, then provide specific examples of how you applied lessons from school into your life, and how that helped you achieve success. Express gratitude for the foundation that the institution -- or education in general -- established in you, and its role in your development as a human being.
- 4). Conclude by stating your hopes for the graduating class and issue a challenge for their future. Express your desire that each person try to do something to change a small part of the world. Thank the institution for inviting you to speak and end with a great quote, a poem or a humorous story that is memorable. The conclusion should only be a few minutes, about the same length of time as the opening.
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