Each year, hundreds of students stride across the Glenbard South gymnasium floor to receive their long-awaited high school diplomas. Graduation ceremonies are notorious for being dull or predictable, and sometimes even worthless or impersonal. As the season for graduation commences, it is important to consider what would make this momentous event more memorable while showcasing the initial purpose of the ceremony: to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduates and to encourage them to succeed in the next phase of their lives. For many, this would be accomplished by inviting more personal speakers to the podium, such as a teacher or an alumn.
This year’s Glenbard South graduation ceremony already has many valuable minds crafting the perfect graduation speeches. Traditionally, among Principal Santee and District 87’s superintendent stands the student council executive board and the senior class president. Without a doubt, every individual giving a speech at the graduation ceremony will do a phenomenal job reflecting on the last four years and inspiring the audience to make the most of their lives, but some still feel there is a lack of connection between the audience and the speakers. Adding additional speakers that the students feel even more connected to could prove to be valuable in constructing remarkable graduation ceremonies for the coming years.
One suggestion students feel particularly drawn to is asking a teacher to speak at the ceremony. In particular, students have expressed interest in hearing from a faculty member voted on by the graduating class. Kaitlyn Urbanowicz, the secretary for the student council’s executive board and one of the people asked to give a speech during this year’s graduation ceremony, took interest in the idea of having students vote on a staff member or teacher to give a speech, stating that nominating a teacher would be interesting, “… because that gives them more agency over their graduation ceremony, which is something that I think we are somewhat lacking”. Backing Urbanowicz’s thought was another 2025 graduating senior, Abby Edwards. Edwards explained that “having a teacher speak at graduation would be so fun because it would make the speech more meaningful”. A handful of other students shared these sentiments, with the general consensus being that having a voice in what your graduation ceremony looks like is essential to retaining attention throughout the ceremony and creating a lasting impression. After talking with Maddie Weber, a 2023 Glenbard South alumn, it is clear that students crave a sense of contribution in this rite of passage. Weber noted that she thinks “having a speaker that was voted on by the graduating student body would foster a connection between the students and the faculty, extending the connections beyond just simply having had those teachers in class.” She also commented on the fact that this would encourage a sense of individual advocacy in addition to a final act of corroboration with your graduating peers. Making this final decision together would establish a long-lived bond between peers and make the graduates feel even more recognized by the school. By allowing students the opportunity to hear parting thoughts from teachers they look up to and have formed close bonds with over the last four years, Glenbard South would create a tradition of memorable and personalized commencements filled with attentive and engaged graduates.
The prospect of having a retiring teacher or staff member speak at the graduation ceremony was another idea that likewise garnered support from this year’s senior class. As the retirees part ways with Glenbard South alongside the graduates, having one of the teachers or staff members give a farewell speech could be a fascinating way to reflect on how Glenbard South has grown and changed throughout the years as each class passes through and all of the possibilities for success, adventure and happiness it has fostered throughout the years. Together, the students and the staff have made Glenbard South a better place. This year, our beloved Ms. Vickers, Ms. Mankowski and Ms. Rahtjen will be leaving their legacy at Glenbard South as they stroll into retirement. Having a retiring faculty member speak at the graduation ceremony would further immortalize their importance for the students beyond merely Door Four. Hearing how Glenbard South has impacted their lives now that they are parting ways would prompt us to consider how we have improved Glenbard South and how Glenbard South has transformed us into the people we are today. This short additional speech could be a token of gratitude for all of the people who have worked diligently to make a difference in our lives here at Glenabrd South and be the final edge to encourage a generation of changemakers.
A speech from recent alumni could also prove to be a valuable addition to the Glenbard South graduation ceremony. Bella Dodd, the senior class president for the 2025 school year, remarked that she does “think that having an alumn who graduated from South speak would be a rewarding addition to the ceremony. I feel like the students talk about how we hope your future is this and that, but an alumn can actually say your future will look like this or that”. Dodd presents a terrific sentiment in her response when she explains that having alumni speak at the graduation ceremony would be more concrete evidence of what the graduates are capable of and prepared to do than simply the current students expressing their desires for the future. While it is certainly important to hear from peers during a graduation ceremony, this additional speech could be convincing evidence of the possibilities that await you after graduation. Another Glenbard South Raider, Makenna Miller, warned that “if it is someone nobody in the graduating class really knows, then it might not be able to hold most people’s attention for very long, so they have to be conscious about who they pick”. Miller’s warning is certainly something to keep in mind, as the intent of adding additional speeches to the ceremony is to foster a connection between the school and the students. With this being said, alumni who graduated one or two years prior could prove to be an integral part of the ceremony since the graduates may recognize the familiar faces, have had classes with them or even played a sport alongside them. Seeing what it looks like to be a Raider alumn and hearing about how Glenbard South has prepared your peers for life outside of high school from someone you recognize and trust could be an important part of the graduation ceremony in the coming years.
Glenbard South graduation ceremonies are certainly bittersweet as we say goodbye to our second home but say hello to our futures. Having a personalized graduation ceremony with lasting words from those you look up to most could be enough to make this transition into the future just a little bit easier.
