Graduation Information

Commencement Student Speaker Tryouts

You're Invited to Audition for the Class of 2021 Commencement Speaker

Do you believe that you can inspire and motivate the class of 2021? Yes! Then we encourage you to apply and possibly become this year’s student commencement speaker.

To be considered, SUBMIT your Speaker Application, picture, and proposed speech by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 16. Commencement Student Speaker Application

Eligibility

To be considered for Student Commencement Speaker, applicants must:

• Have earned a current GPA of 2.0 or higher
• Be in good academic standing
• Have displayed good citizenship while a student
• Will be receiving an Associate Degree from Foothill College
• Must be Present Day of Commencement

Guidelines for Your Speech

• Approximately 5 minutes of original content
• Shared orally in front of an audience of 1000 people or more virtually
• Mindful of the audience, including a diversity of graduates, families, and friends

Elements of a Successful Speech for Commencement

• A message that inspires, encourages, and reflects the vision and hopes of the graduates
• A compelling story that incorporates your Foothill College experience (i.e. volunteering, balancing work/school, involvement in community, overcoming hurdles, taking risks, a transcendent learning experience, or others)
• A message that is substantive, meaningful, entertaining, and suitable to the occasion
• A clear and cohesive organization of ideas or messages

Speaker Selection Process

• A graduation committee will review all submissions
• Graduating students will be selected for an interview to present their speech on May 19, 2020 between 1-6pm.
• Student will be notify if selected or not on May 18, 2021.
• The chosen student speaker will be supported by our professional staff in developing their final speech and rehearsing delivery, to ensure they are confidently prepared, and will need to record themselves and submit recording by June 7th, 2021.