By: Jennifer Newman, Staff Writer
Graduation speeches are often remembered long after the ceremony ends, capturing the emotions, memories, and hopes of an entire class. This year’s student speakers explained that they are focused on creating meaningful moments for their classmates while balancing the pressure of speaking before a large audience.
Through hours of rehearsal and support from teachers, the seniors are preparing to celebrate the graduating class’s accomplishments and look toward the future.
Senior Grace Mathews will be delivering the introduction speech alongside fellow student Senior Leilani Ryang. Mathews shared that preparation has mainly involved repeating the speech over and over until it feels natural. “I’ve been practicing it out loud lots of times, lots of reps,” Mathews said.
The speech is shared between two speakers; the pair alternates sections throughout the presentation. Mathews explained that although the speech is relatively short, she still wants to appear confident and connected to the audience while speaking. “I only want to look down for a little,” she said. “I’m hoping to be looking at the audience almost the whole time so that they feel more connected with the speech.”
Mathews noted that teachers, including Ms. Noecker and Mr. Shagogue, have helped the pair improve their delivery. One of the biggest points of feedback was pacing. “The main criticism was to slow down because we are very fast speakers,” Mathews explained. “We definitely tend to rush through it a bit.”
The speech has also gone through several revisions to make sure it reflects the experiences of the graduating class as a whole. “We’ve had to tweak the speech a bit to make it more generalizable to everyone,” she added.
Senior Maya Gambhir will be giving the keynote speech during the ceremony. Gambhir explained that she has been using any free time she has to rehearse and memorize her speech. “I’m practicing the speech whenever I have a free minute,” Gambhir said. “Whether it’s during a free period, at the dinner table, or on FaceTime with my friends, I always find an opportunity to practice in front of people”.
Gambhir explained that her speech focuses on optimism and growth as students move into the next chapter of their lives. “My speech is very forward-focused and positive about the future,” Gambhir remarked. “It can feel overwhelming to be leaving so much behind, but there’s a lot of really important lessons we’ve learned and can take with us.”
She also hopes her message resonates with classmates who may feel uncertain about what comes next after high school. “I’ve received some really impactful advice, and I want to share it with others,” Gambhir added.
Senior Henry Yarmus will deliver the turning the tassel speech, traditionally one of the final moments of the ceremony. As Student Government Association President, Yarmus said it is an honor to close out the evening. “I’m very honored to be speaking at graduation,” Yarmus said. “It’s always been a goal of mine.”
Although his speech is shorter than some of the others, Yarmus noted that he is still dedicating time to practicing before the ceremony. “Memorizing it shouldn’t be that hard, but I’m still spending time practicing,” he explained.
Yarmus added that his experience with presentations in Future Business Leaders of America has helped him feel comfortable preparing for the event. “After so many FBLA competitions and events, I’ve realized how much I enjoy presenting and public speaking,” he shared. “I also like to think that all the experience with it I’ve had makes me pretty good at it!”
In addition to the student speakers, Mrs. Nichols will play an important role during the ceremony by reading the names of graduating students as they walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. While the role may seem simple to some, Nichols explained that she has spent a significant amount of time preparing to make sure every student’s name is pronounced correctly.
Nichols shared that she has already gone through the names of all graduating seniors and has listened to the audio recordings students submitted, pronouncing their own names. “I wish all students would do this and pronounce their name because it’s very helpful,” Nichols said.
She has also been working with Ms. Casper, who will also be reading names during the ceremony, to ensure they are both prepared.
Despite her experience speaking in front of students, Nichols admitted that graduation still makes her nervous. “There’s no such thing as not being nervous about this kind of thing,” she explained. More than anything, Nichols said she worries about making a mistake while announcing students. “I’m worried I’ll mix up or mess up other people’s names,” she said.
For Nichols, correctly pronouncing students’ names is especially important because of a personal experience involving her own family. She recalled that when her sister graduated from high school, her middle name, Kuma, was incorrectly pronounced as “Kuna.” “People she went to college with from her high school called her ‘Kuna Tuna,’” Nichols said. “I know how annoying it can be to have a name pronounced incorrectly, and I want every student there to feel respected and honored properly.”
As graduation day approaches, the student speakers and staff members behind the ceremony continue preparing for one final celebration of the Class of 2026. Whether delivering speeches, turning tassels, or carefully reading each graduate’s name, every person involved is working to make the night meaningful for the students crossing the stage. Through their preparation, dedication, and personal touches, they hope to create a ceremony that not only honors the accomplishments of the graduating class but also leaves seniors with a lasting memory as they begin the next chapter of their lives.