The Last Lecture, Commencement Speech

One of DSKUSSS members brought a new article on the commencement speech! University students in the states usually graduate on May and June. So, on these months, lots of commencement speeches come out to the world. Some of them will be remembered as a master piece! Now is the time to listen to our member's thought! If you have any comments on it, feel free to share your ideas!

The Last Lecture, Commencement Speech

Soeun Kim

Pusan National University

Polymer Science and Engineering

May and June are the time of graduation in the U.S. At this time of the year, hotels around the school are fully reserved of students’ family.

However, there is one more popular ceremony in graduation day, the commencement speech. It is a speech given to graduating students, generally at a university. A commencement speech is typically given by a notable figure in the community, during the commencement exercise. The person giving such a speech is known as a commencement speaker. Very commonly, colleges or universities will invite politicians, important citizens, or other noted speakers to come and address the graduating class. Then, why is the speech popular?

 This is not because the speakers are popular or famous, but the speech itself can be a compass of the life not only for the graduating students, but also others. The speakers who come from many fields tell us their wisdom of life, and encourage us to do something. They tell us not their success, rather, the failures they made. The students can learn some lessons from their failures and how they overcome the adversities. That is why the commencement speech is considered as the last lecture of school.

There are lots of good commencement speeches. Many times, they were the lighthouse for people, and touched them. For example, at the Stanford University in 2005, Steve Jobs made a speech for the graduating students. He emphasized, “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” This sentence became popular over the society and moved the people.

The graduation is very important for the graduating students as now they have to move out to the “real world”. Before the one step to reality, the last lecture of the school could be their supporter of great helps.