Sample graduation speech for keynote or guest

speaker
Thank you for that kind introduction and thank you for inviting me to speak today. I'm very pleased to
be here to join you in celebrating this wonderful occasion.
First of all, congratulations to all of you. You should be very, very proud of yourselves for
accomplishing this goal. Well done. I know you must all be excited to get your hands on your
diplomas and run out into the world. But as cartoonist Garry Trudeau said, “Commencement
speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released
into the world until they have been properly sedated.”
That's where I come in as the key note speaker. I'll try not to sedate you too badly.
To the families of those graduating and earning certifications, congratulations to you and you should
know that your support through this process made an enormous impact. I'm sure you're very proud
of your graduates as they close this portion of their lives and prepare for their next steps into a new
career.
Graduation is one of those steps in life that defines a coming of age - the ending of one era of life, as
a student or the one being shown the ropes, and moving on to a new stage in which you are a
leader, a do-er and an achiever in the wider world. I'm sure many of you have firm plans and have a
good idea of what's coming next, some of you have a pretty good idea of what you want to do next, a
dream and a lot of hope to get you there, and some of you are just amazed that you got to this
graduation point at all! Well the coming times will be exciting, they will be trying but they will be all
dependent on you and your determination.
It's been ## years since I graduated from college and things have changed just a bit since then.
It was year you graduated: On TV, the popular shows were (fill in your own info), the top movies
were (Fill in your info), the radio was playing (Fill in your own info and a stamp cost (Fill in your own
info) cents. In the news, (Add a few well known news items or add tidbits that identify the era, such
as the Cold War, disco, poodle skirts, hippies, the Vietnam war, the First Gulf War, etc.)
I had big plans for myself. I was a graduate of (Fill in your college name), and I was going to fill in
your info here with the idea of being humorous - for instance: be single for life, never have kids,
drive a corvette, be a millionaire in 5 years, travel the world in my yacht, get elected to Congress in a
year or so, wear my hair long, live in a big house, play quarterback for the Broncos/or input local
team).
You see, I planned to take it easy, not work too hard and enjoy life.
And here I find myself at a graduation once again but number of years later, my life didn't turn out
quite the way I planned. Input information here that mirrors what you said above. For instance, I've
been married for ## years, I have 4 kids, 2 cats and a dog, I drive a beat up car and I'm far from a
millionaire. Instead of traveling the world I spend my vacations at (name a local amusement park or
mall) with my kids and I don't play football - I watch it on TV. And though life didn't turn out the way I
thought it would, I don't regret a bit of it - I haven't failed - I've adapted found what makes me happy
and fulfills me and so will you.
Life doesn't usually follow the plans you lay out for yourself. You will all experience the highs and
lows of life, the difficult and the easy and unfortunately, there may sometimes be times of too many
difficulties and just not enough smooth sailing. Your true success will be defined by how you handle
both of these times.
As you graduate and take on new challenges, chances are you won't be making a million bucks at
your first job. In fact you might not get the first or second or third job you interview for. You may
never become a CEO of a fortune 500 company in your life, but that's OK. The important thing is you
have already taken the initial steps needed to build a more promising future. Every class you've
taken, every lab, every essay written and every certification you've earned, they have all been
preparing you to adapt to change and challenges. Especially 8 am and Saturday classes - I know
those were tough! But as you know, it's a tough world out there- nothing will be handed to you - you
have to earn it - and it will mean more to you because you will earn it.
To give you an example of how perseverance can pay off, let's me talk about (Here talk about a
personal hero or a story of someone who inspired you with their work ethic.
You have taken a key step towards your successful future and also the betterment of your family and
your community. You've worked hard, spending months learning new skill sets. Our complex and
technical world today requires education and skills that were not needed in the past. Ultimately -
your well educated generation will benefit us all in the future.
Let me leave you with this thought from Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Do not follow where the path may
lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.”
You're now armed with one of the most important tools needed to forge your path ahead. It's not the
diploma itself that counts - it's about what you've learned along the way and what you do with the
education you've gotten in your journey to graduation today. Your future is in your hands - no one
else's. Seize this opportunity.
Best of luck in all your future endeavors.

Good morning. I would like to take this time to honor my beloved teachers who
have greatly helped in molding me to become the woman I am, standing in front
of you today. Thank you for inviting me. Words will never be enough to
express how life changing it was to attend Neo-Vision school; beyond the top-
notch education, my developed love for performing and declamation - my
personal relationship with the Lord was so taken care of and put in utmost
importance when I was studying here. So I am deeply honored to be your
speaker for today.

I also would like to acknowledge the presence of our dear students,

Today I have the privilege of speaking on the topic,  “ready to face life’s
challenges”. Now you might be thinking that you feel too young to be
bombarded with such a complex subject; but I want you to know that young as
you are - your voice, the choices you make, your actions, and your relationships
with the people around you, your family and friends - they matter very much;
which means the way you deal with life’s challenges is very important, too. As
I speak on this matter today, I would like to focus on this passage:

Matthew 6:33
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things
will be added to you.”

As you take on new adventures in your academic journey, you must be ready to
face three sure things: one, that you will have a lot of exciting, joyful new
experiences. Two, that you will also have to confront difficult challenges. And
three, that as long as you fix your eyes on Jesus, and equip yourself
accordingly, everything will be okay.

The world we live in now is constantly changing. Not everything is set in stone
- even our hobbies, our dreams, sometimes our friends, and many other aspects
of our lives, even the trending topics on Twitter - they all change. But one thing
remains the same in all this - and that is God. When we fix our eyes on Jesus,
no matter what happens around us, we will always have the assurance of joy
and peace knowing that we have an eternal, unchanging Father who has our best
intentions in His plans for us. So, to be ready in facing challenges, we must
remember that whatever we do, we must seek Him first in prayer and
fellowship, seek the advise of our parents and family, and do our personal best
in whatever situation we are in.

With this I want to encourage you to strive to become the best version of
yourself, holding on to the understanding that the Lord is always with us to
guide, protect, provide for, and love us. Do not compare your capabilities or
achievements with that of others, but work hard instead out-do your own
accomplishments. When you fail, do not be disheartened. Always remember
that God has set out unique plans for our lives, and sometimes that plan
includes failure. But in any case, we should see these failures and challenges as
an opportunity to rise - a chance to thrive and become better; a chance to use
setbacks for a comeback. It’s also an opportunity for us to look at life as not
defined by what our successes are or how many accolades we have, but instead
by how much we continuously grow in spirit, in truth, and in love.
Isaiah 41:10 says,
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed. For I am your God. I will
strengthen you
and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand.”

I hope that today marks the beginning of an incredible new journey for you.
May you take
courage, and be excited for what’s in store ahead. Always remember that life is
a big adventure and we must hold steadfast onto the Lord, and enjoy the ride.
Today may we celebrate your achievements, honour those who have helped to
bring you here, and gear up for what’s in store in the future. My name is
Princess Joyce Pring, Neo-Vision School
Batch 2006, servant of Jesus, student of life. Congratulations, students and may
the odds be ever in your favor… God bless you!