At a graduation event, there will be someone who delivers a salutatorian speech. This kind of speech is normal to deliver in front of an audience of teachers, students, parents, and other attendees. To create the best speech, take a look at the proper contents and tips below.
The Contents in Salutatorian Speech
1. Thanking friends
The main part of the speech is thanking friends. They are the ones who share the most memorable moments with you almost every day. You can recall how precious they are to you by sharing some moments that will be unforgettable in your life.
2. Thanking teachers
In a graduation speech, thanking the teachers is also the main part of the speech. Teachers are the ones who guide you to the point you graduate from school. You can appreciate their hard work and praise how they become an inspiration for your life. State that you will cherish the memories.
3. Thanking parents
In a graduation event, there will be parents who also attend and you have to thank them. Parents are the support system that you get until you graduate. You can say that parents always encourage you to study harder, so the process of studying is easier with excellent final results to be proud of.
4. Sharing the memories
Memories will be unforgettable forever for everyone and you can insert the most precious one in the speech. To make it funny, you can share it as similar to sharing an anecdote. The audience will be entertained by your story. It can be a story with teachers or friends.
5. Your goal in general
Delivering a goal in a salutatorian speech is common. After graduating from school, you have a particular goal to achieve. Even though it is not specific, you can relate the goal to your friends as well such as continuing your study, working in a good company, etc.
6. Thanking the audience
You shouldn’t forget to thank the whole audience at the venue. They might be not parents or friends, but some VIPs attend the graduation. If there are several popular names, you can mention them with honorifics to respect them and their presence.
7. Words of wisdom
The words of wisdom are an important part of the salutatorian speech. You can take some excellent quotes from the most popular figure that relate to a graduation event. It will be a nice reminder to the audience. Insert it in the introduction or closing.
The Tips to Create Salutatorian Speech
1. Be straightforward
Delivering the graduation speech should be straightforward. Avoid using some cliche phrases in the speech because the audiences come from different backgrounds. The purpose is to respect them because some cliche phrases might be difficult to understand.
2. Don’t be too long
The speech shouldn’t be too long or the audience will get bored. The structure of the speech should be the opening, the salutatorian, and the closing. Inserting the anecdote should be brief. Usually, the normal speech for this event is only 5-6 minutes.
3. Be yourself
While delivering the speech, you should be yourself. Avoid nervousness by practicing a lot before the event. You can practice in front of the mirror and try impromptu mode, so your performance is more natural. Smiling during the speech is a good suggestion.
4. Be firm and loud
While delivering the speech, you should be firm and loud. The audience will be impressed with your performance. The event itself is overwhelming, so make them moved by the words you prepare for the speech.
A salutatorian speech is part of the graduation event. It should be well-structured and consist of some salutatorian paragraphs. The tips above will help you to create and deliver a good speech in front of everyone.