Welcome

Thank you for that introduction, and thank you to all of the parents, relatives, and faculty and staff that could make it here today. It's my privilege to speak to you today at the Class of 20__ graduation ceremony.

Introduction

You know, it's funny that they give this ceremony a name like "commencement." If you break down the word - don't worry, I won't give you any English homework - you see the word "commence." That's such a fitting word for a day like today, when we celebrate what's already been accomplished but wonder about the future that we're about to commence. Without a word like "commencement" to remind us of what this day means.

And whether we like it or not, today's the day of our commencement, our entering in the "real world" that so many of us have been talking about for four years. Well, in some cases, five years. Or maybe six years. But it's not about how long it took us to get to today - it's about what we plan to do and how we set about doing it.

Reflection

Four years ago, we were celebrating the same thing: a graduation. From high school instead of college. And in that time, we also had some apprehension and fear for the future while acknowledging that we were going to miss some of our old friends and classmates. And here, four years later, we have to face that same feeling: the bittersweet combination of nostalgia and excitement that comes when you turn off one road in your life and onto another.

The difference this time is that instead of simply turning onto the road, we're finally merging onto the highway. For most of us, this is the end of our official scholastic journey. While some of us will further our educational development in graduate school, today marks a turning point for many of us that we can't ignore: we're headed out there into the real world. Should we be nervous? Not after decades of experience in school. But a little apprehension is understandable.

Future

What does the future have in store for us? If we knew that, the future wouldn't be any fun. But we can only hope that the hard work we've put in during our college years and the relationships we've formed have helped shaped us into capable adults, people who are ready to face the challenges ahead with a healthy attitude and just a little bit of irreverence in the face of obstacles. The rest of our life, we'll be adults who have been given every opportunity to succeed. It's now time to capitalize on that opportunity.

Conclusion

During my college years I did learn one important lesson that I'll share to you now: if you have a public speech to give, do your best to be brief. So I'll make sure that the lesson definitely sunk in and leave it at that. Congratulations to my fellow students!