About This Story
This commencement speech reflects my passion for creating writing that encourages reflection, hope, and human connection. It was designed for a graduating audience preparing to move into a new season of life. This speech uses storytelling and conversational language to create a message that feels encouraging, relatable, and meaningful.
This project strengthened my skills in speech writing, audience awareness, emotional engagement, and rhetorical organization. It also helped me to develop confidence in using narrative and reflective communication that connects with listeners on a deeper level. The speech reflects my writing style as warm, thoughtful, and human-centered, with a strong focus on creating meaningful experiences through storytelling.
The Commencement Speech
Hello, Class of 2026!
We have finally made it! A day we thought would never come. A bachelor degree finally in our hands!
Our goals … teaching and writing. Writing in the style of rhetoric… even though, four years later, we are still not completely sure what that word means exactly… But some how and some way… we will all change the world with our writing, our words, and our digital messages pasted all over social media. Like rhetoric ninja warriors.
We will use the art and skills that we have developed over the last several years to use language effectively – communicating, persuading, and connecting with audiences all around the world in meaningful ways.
It will be so easy to say good bye to discussion boards and those long nights trying to complete assignments before the midnight deadline, but it will be so hard to say goodbye to all the new meaningful relationships we created along the way.
To our school friends – struggling through all the same or similar classes as we were. They understood exactly how we felt... week after week… because they were carrying a load similar to our own. Thank you for your support and encouragement.
To so many teachers – that have opened doors to new ideas and understanding. They navigated us through new concepts, engaged us to explore new forms of digital writing, and guided us until we overcame and broke free from the dark side of AI and could navigate it with ethical ease. Now the Force is fully integrated within each of us. These same Writing Masters were also there for each of us that day we didn’t think we could keep going. By the way… Thank you, for all of that!
To our families and friends off campus – Thank you for being patient when we said “no” to so many fun activities we couldn’t attend because of our school and homework responsibilities. Thank you for supporting our mental health, our financial struggles, and our empty stomachs.
We can always look back and remember those relationships, our favorite courses, and those favorite places we went to escape the busyness on campus. Those secret hideaways where we could find a little solace to get assignments done in between classes.
For me, it was the Albertsons Library, first floor… where the large windows sprawl across the back wall. A single row of tables and chairs facing the Boise River. I could see the blue sky, the beautiful tall green trees, and the birds flying around busy doing whatever it is birds do. Just me, my laptop, an hour and a half, the outside view, and a chocolate chip cookie for lunch… because that’s all I could afford that day. I am still thinking about etching my initials underneath that table.
To all of you... English majors and writers… Yes, we are officially writers. We have been empowered with “rhetoric”… Wield your power and passion for good. Share messages of hope and encouragement, build people up, always look on the bright side, and be reluctant to point out the bad, harmful, and negative that surrounds us every day.
My fellow graduates… Go change the world… Thank you, BSU!