“5 Inspiring Graduation Speeches to Motivate and Challenge Graduates – ShareAmerica”

In the United States, the graduation ceremony* at the end of an academic year is a rite of passage that would not be complete without the speech of a distinguished personality, chosen in particular from the world of authors, executives leaders, elected officials or entertainers.

And every year, some of these speeches attract the attention of the media and remain etched in the memory of young graduates.

According to the non-profit organization Toastmasters International*, which has been training communicators since 1924, a good speech is entertaining, engaging and motivating. Speakers who hold their audience’s attention usually tell a small story and focus on what matters in life (trusting your instincts or tackling tough issues instead of accepting the status quo) .

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in his May 6 speech to the Georgia Institute of Technology Class of 2023, began by diplomatically tipping his hat to the professional American football player who spoke. earlier, complaining to the audience that “now they have to listen to a guy who won his last trophy in a youth football competition, for his ‘participation'”. The head of the American diplomacy acknowledged that it is difficult to make decisions in life, but insisted on the importance of remaining true to your fundamental values ​​while being ready to question yourself.

“It’s never too late to change course,” said Antony Blinken, who himself began his career as a lawyer, then worked in a film production company before becoming a diplomat.

Here are excerpts from other graduation speeches:

In his speech to the class of 2018 at Howard University in Washington, just two years before his death at age 43 from colon cancer, actor Chadwick Boseman urged graduates to find a mission, and not just a job: “Your very existence is intimately linked to the reason for your presence here. Whatever your career choice, remember that the difficulties encountered along the way only serve to forge you so that you can achieve your goal. »

Author George Saunders, speaking to the class of 2013 from Syracuse University (New York), stressed the importance of kindness: “What I regret most in my life are the lack of kindness. Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and when I reacted…reasonably. With reserve. With moderation. »

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in her address to the class of 2012 at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, asked graduates to challenge their opinions and learn from the perspectives of others: “There is no There’s nothing wrong with having an opinion and defending it with passion. But when you’re absolutely sure you’re right, argue with someone who disagrees with you. And if you constantly find yourself in the company of those who say amen to everything you say, change the company. »

Surgeon and public health researcher Atul Gawande, addressing the class of 2021 from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, observed that, like surgeons, graduates will have to improvise when things go wrong. “Often a failure is not necessarily a failure at all. However, you have to be ready to face it. Will you admit that things are bad?Will you take steps to correct them? Because the difference between triumph and defeat, you will see, is not a question of willingness to take risks. It’s knowing how to get out of trouble that counts. »

Comedian Amy Poehler, who addressed the graduating class of 2011 from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, offered advice while making her audience laugh. She emphasized the importance of others in the lives of graduates: “Be open to collaboration. Others and their ideas are often better than yours, she said. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend lots of time with them, and it will change your life. Nobody got here today having gone it alone. »

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*in English