speaking at graduation for my online class in may, any tips?
I'm speaking at graduation (volunteer based, I wanted to do this), and I've never met anyone from my graduating class save for my best friend who moved online with me. I wanted to write my speech on the lack of community we have because of our online school, and I have a draft if anyone's willing to read and give me pointers. I'm okay with being a little like cringey or like corny, I just want the overall message to be good and somewhat memorable.
the speech is below:
Thank you to the students, teachers, parents, and staff who made these past four years everything that they could be for all of us. Now, I know not many of us know each other, but I hope I can leave you all with something meaningful to remember when you think back to your high school graduation. You all deserve at least that much from someone you’ve never met who is standing here.
That, is actually what I’d like to talk about. We all have likely never met each other until today. We saw each other’s names in some of our webmails, maybe saw each other in our live lessons once or twice. But, not once, did we actually meet each other, greet one another, get to know the other people making their way through high school. All those names we saw looked pointless to know, like a cast list in movie credits---just plainly insignificant. I’ll admit, I didn’t think twice as I scanned over each name I saw, mostly ignoring it. But, behind each name, is someone here today who got through thirteen years of school, despite the struggles, despite the hardships, despite all the odds that may have been stacked against them.
In this digital age, we don’t think twice about the insanity that is not even knowing who you’re graduating with. So, I want you all to simply look around, left and right, forward and back, and see the faces of those around you. You don’t even have to talk, just see. All those names that never had a face to go with them are here now. All those classmates who might’ve struggled or sped through their classes alongside you are here now. Every single one of those names now feels more real now, don’t they?
A huge part of graduation is community and connection, and, because of our online circumstances, we don’t have that. Despite us all being real people and peers, not just names or accounts online, we lack connection because we’ve never met. Our “community” is the collective experience of a non-traditional education.
We never got to meet a new friend, move lockers, play on playgrounds while picking up younger siblings. We never got to have a prom or a dance, no genuine clubs of hunting down materials and giving teachers headaches. We never got to text plans mid class for after school and beg your parents to agree to it. None of us had that.
I’d like to give you all one last assignment today. I want each of you to introduce yourself to someone, maybe get someone’s Instagram or Snapchat, hell, maybe even their number. Find someone worth talking to. See if they want to build a connection with you, figure out if you want to help build that too. Find someone worth signing up to a club with, making plans with, picking up siblings with. It is late, yes, but better late than never.
Building communities and connections is a two way street, and now that you have that chance in front of you, it’s up to you to take it—even if it doesn’t work out. You might not have a community so readily available like this ever again after this. Because when all is said and all is done, you can’t make a friend out of a computer screen.
Lmk what tips or things i should revise or edit, or if i should bring in other ideas. ty for reading :3