Example of a Graduation Speech

Fudan Graduation Speech – Class of Spring 14’

"Cleverness is a gift. Kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy — they're given after all. Choices can be hard." - Jeff Bezos

What brought us here? How is it that so many people from different countries are sharing experiences in a complete different place, with completely different tasks that at the end have the same purpose? Most of the decisions we make through life will led us to fails or successes, but they all the same time will help make us who we are; and who we are is what helps us define who we want to be.

Good morning everyone and thanks for being here to listen to these few words I have to say by representing my generation. I am sure that through these four months we have lived with different goals in mind, different perspectives and what is most important, with different experiences from what we have learned before. All of us came to Shanghai to discover something new, some discovered an incredible culture, some others discovered their truly selves and others founded amazing bridges or networks that do not only represent great opportunities but also magnificent ways to built relationships and friendships that hopefully will last for a lifetime. At the end, what really matters is not that things happened exactly the way we planned them, but that the way they happened helped us to shape our present, a present from which we should be proud of just for being here today.

Maybe we do not realize it but the persons who arrived to Shanghai at the beginning of the semester are not the same ones anymore; an incredible experience had shaped us all in variable and incredible ways. For the ones who had never had an experience abroad a whole new perspective that involves from friendship to culture, responsibility and adaptation was born, while for the lucky ones who had similar experiences in the past, a new opportunity of expanding their memories and capabilities portfolio was accomplished.

In my case, when...