Graduation Information

Commencement Student Speaker Tryouts

You're Invited to Speak for the Class of 2020 on June 26

This Year's Theme:  60th Annual Commencement Anniversary

Do you believe that you can inspire and motivate the class of 2020? Yes! Then we encourage you to apply and possibly become this year’s student commencement speaker.

To be considered, SUBMIT your WRITTEN SPEECH proposal by 3 p.m. on Friday, May 22 to Erin Ortiz at ortizerin@fhda.edu

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
• Must be Present Day of Commencement

Guidelines for Your Speech

• Approximately 5 minutes of original content
• Shared orally in front of an audience of 500 people
• 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
• This year’s theme: 60th Annual Anniversary (acknowledge in your speech that we are celebrating our 60th Anniversary, does not have to be long).
  

Speaker Selection Process

• A graduation committee will review all submissions
• Graduating students will be selected for an interview to present their speech on May 29, 2020.
• 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