I have a valedictorian speech to write!

[Lyric]

I've never given a speech before in my life, but that's going to change next Thursday. I just got my GED results back, and it looks like I'm going to be the GED valedictorian this year. I'm supposed to write a speech to deliver at commencement, and I'm very nervous about it. A lot of my anxiety stems from the fact that unlike most of the other GED grads, I didn't "bond" with classmates during the year. I did 99% of my studying at home, and used my time at the Adult Ed center solely for taking Official Practice Tests. I don't even know any of the other students' names, much less what obstacles and hardships they overcame in order to graduate. I feel a bit lost.

Any ideas/comments/thoughts you all might have would be very much appreciated. I'm meeting with the ABE advisors on Monday to discuss whatever rough draft I'll have put together by then.

In the meantime.....WOOHOO!!!!

:woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: :bounce: :woohoo: :bounce:

[matcom]

1. I am SO PROUD of you!

:applause:

not sure what advice I have. wouldn't talk too much about your own struggles but maybe in general about what the GED means to you and everyone else (you can imagine).

talk about the collective future of all who have reached this great achievement and how the world has now opened up for all of you!

:hug:

[Lyric]

2. Thank you matcom!

:hug: :loveya:

I was thinking that too--and also perhaps mentioning things like:

1. Our "graduating class" has people of all ages, from 18-65, which is remarkable when you think about the different life experiences represented there.
2. GED grads were determined enough to take the initiative and go through the hardships of juggling classes, jobs, babies, and relationships in order to get where we are today.
3. Maybe talking a bit about my personal journey to get to this place--I've had one of those lives with an unbelievable amount of drama and tragedy.


I haven't gotten much further than that as of yet.

[bigwillq]

3. Congrats!

Good for you! :toast: :bounce:

Maybe try and tie in a bit of your struggles, which I am sure most can relate to, with a general speech about overcoming obstacles and achieving goals.

[Omphaloskepsis]

4. Are you open to help?

How long should it be? I would be willing to help with an outline.

And most of all... Congrats.

[Lyric]

6. I am SO open to help.

I'm a complete n00b at speechwriting, so I'm open to any help I can get. :hug:

[Omphaloskepsis]

16. Any clue about how long this should be?

I have about two minutes written now. This is actually kinda fun.

[Lyric]

17. About 10 minutes, I believe

At least that's what I had been led to believe by my ABE advisor on the phone earlier. Thank you so much. :)

[Omphaloskepsis]

21. I'm not sure of the duration... But this is what I have... I'm drunk too.

First, I would like to thank everyone in attendance tonight. Your support has been instrumental in my success and the success of my fellow classmates. I applaud you. Thank you for your support.

I would also like to thank the faculty. Their dedication to us has resulted in amazing things. Lets give them a round of applause.

I would like to thank the faculty and student body for providing me with a chance to speak to you this evening. I am honored.


I apologize in advance. This is awkward for me.. I'm not really sure what to say. Should I reflect on the time we have spent together? Should I talk about where we are going in the future? I'm not sure.

I guess I should start with the first. I would like to let everyone know that I appreciate everything I gained from each and every one of you. I wish I could of taken the time to get to know each and every one of you better. I made a mistake, I wish I could go back in time a change things, but, I can't.

And now.. I will speak about our future. This is awkward for me. I don't feel qualified to speak on the subject.. To use a cliche, "We are all in the same boat." I don't have any answers about what we should do next. I'm not sure what my plans are yet.

But I will say this... Each and every one of us worked hard and sacrificed to stand here today... And for that, you should be proud.. And now, lets celebrate.

Thank You...

[bicentennial_baby]

5. Sweetie! I *knew* you could do it!

You have no idea how happy I am for you! eeeek! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

:loveya:

:hug:

[Lyric]

7. I'm so excited!

Thank you so much for the confidence in me. :loveya: :hug:

If money wasn't so tight, I'd be out celebrating ALL NIGHT tonight for sure! :bounce:

[bicentennial_baby]

9. We'll have to come visit sometime, I'll take y'all out!

I haven't seen Wild West Virginia in quite some time! :D

You're most welcome...And you deserve all the good that comes your way. :hug:

[Lyric]

11. Yes yes YES!

I would love to meet you guys! We want to come to Massachusetts too--I've never been there, and I really want to see it someday.

If you come here, though, I totally want to cook with you. :loveya:

[bicentennial_baby]

Oh yes, that would be lovely!

I love cooking with people...We would rock out! :D

And yes, come to Boston when you can...we do have a spare room, y'know ;)

:loveya:

[Lyric]

14. Damnit, now you gave me an earworm...

Please come to Boston for the Springtime
I'm staying here with some friends, and they've got lots of room
You can sell your paintings on the sidewalk
By a café where I hope to be working soon

[idgiehkt]

15. omg

that's exactly what popped into my head as well...

:rofl:

[Lyric]

25. Hey, bi_baby?

ThinkBlue1966 wants me to ask you, "If we come visit you in Boston, will we have to drive over Tobin Bridge? Pleeeease tell me we won't have to go over Tobin Bridge!" :scared:

Apparently she had a traumatic experience, wherein she got lost and had to go back and forth across that bridge countless times trying to find her way back again. :rofl:

[Wetzelbill]

8. hey that is great

Congratulations!

I would say just go out and say how you feel and what is important to you. You may not know the other's obstacles, but you do know that you all had to overcome certain ones. That's important in itself, that you can speak of taking a different path to graduation is something you all can identify with.

I have three suggestions.

Start with a story. A short one, doesn't necessarily have to be funny, just something relatively interesting. Maybe about how you came to enroll in the classes etc. People like stories better than a regular speech. Also, I prefer stories because the old line about starting with a joke doesn't always work. Some people aren't funny, but we all pretty much have decent stories to tell.

When you make a point, do it in threes. I don't know why, but human beings are wired to respond to threes. Such as "I came. I saw. I conquered." Or "We live. We learned. We loved." Or "That agreement was fair, just, and equitable." Or "Abortion should be safe, legal and rare." Statements all made in threes. It works. But like I said, do it to emphasize a point, not for every little thing.

I also think you should rehearse it, but not necessarily hinge everything on exact wording. You shouldn't necessarily go up there and read a speech almost like you are reading a paper in front of everybody. Maybe have some general bullet points you want to go through, and rehearse what you are going to say around those points. I recently gave a 5 minute presentation on Blackfoot tribal lore and Christianity. I didn't write down my exact remarks, I instead just made a few different points I wanted to follow plus told a short traditional story in my own words. I practiced it over maybe 10-12 times, so when I actually did it, it flowed smoothly. I never wrote a word down on paper, but knew my material well enough and worked around the specifics that I wanted to emphasize. So I would say get a few specific ideas you want to touch on and work around those. Maybe keep a few notes for yourself as reminders, but just go do your thing.

Good luck, and again, congratulations. :)

[Lyric]

12. Those are TERRIFIC suggestions!

Thank you so much! :hug:

*copy/paste/saves your post*

[Wetzelbill]

18. oh you're welcome

yeah, I have my moments. I sorta blacked out like Will Ferrell in "Old School" when I wrote that post. :)

[wildhorses]

10. wo0t

:applause:

[idgiehkt]

13. congrats!

I've read what you shared about what you've been through and that and your poetry are very inspiring, congrats to you!

[Orsino]

19. Use impeachment as your theme.

Or work in a few references.

[Blue Belle]

20. That is so Great!! Congratulations!!

The best thing you can do is relay your own personal story. You've probably had a few hardships and obsticles to overcome... use them.

[GenDem]

22. That is simply fantastic!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! Your story is one of the most inspiring things I've heard in a long time.

I don't have any suggestions for your speech, other than some kind of theme about overcoming obstacles and persevering.

Enjoy the moment, and good luck in your next chapter!

:yourock: :applause: :bounce:

[Oeditpus Rex]

23. Was there ever any doubt?

:hug: :loveya:

[Lyric]

24. Not from ThinkBlue1966, or from you

:hug:

From me? Ohhhh yeah.

[philosophie_en_rose]

26. Dear guys,

As we fight our way northward into the great unknown, only one thing remains certain. I hate you guys. I hate you with every tired muscle in my Confederate body. We have taken Topeka, and now I must lolly the men over to Missourah. Because I will not stop until we have won it all. Because I hate you guys. I hate you guys so very very much.

Yours,
General Cartman Lee