i know it’s an honor to be salutatorian and everything but i’m TERRIFIED of public speaking. WHAT DO I DO? every time i give a speech, even in front of a small class, i COMPLETELY embarrass myself. i would rather not give a speech than make myself look like a nervous wreck. i think it would be better if only the valedictorian gave a speech… do i have a choice? can i refuse the speech? this is stressing me out so much. i honestly just want to relax and enjoy the ceremony at graduation. ADVICE??? please don’t tell me that it’ll be over with in 5-10 minutes because no, it will haunt me for the rest of my life if i embarrass myself. that’s just the way i am. i can’t let things go.
If you’re really this terrified, go talk to whoever’s in charge of graduation - there should be a teacher or admin in charge, I think.
I don’t think they can force you to speak. Be completely honest with them. Maybe you can mention that there are probably other students who would be better suited to make a speech at graduation - I’m NOT saying to finger point at certain people, but just say that generally.
Breathe. What grade are you in? If you are not a senior, then you have more than a year until graduation. Ranks change, so you won’t necessarily have to give a speech. But if you stay at #2, I think you could ask not to do the speech (ask your GC though). And despite what you think, it IS just a speech; besides, public speaking is a good skill to have, so facing this fear would be really helpful. You have more than a year to gain confidence, prepare your speech and work on your speaking skills. If you are a senior, you can as your GC if you can opt out of the speech, OR you can do the speech, get it over with, and move on with your life.
I was in a similar position - I gave the valedictorian speech at my HS, and I am not the best when it comes to public speaking. In fact, I generally also get nervous, particularly when speaking about a topic that I am less than perfectly familiar with.
One thing you can do is, after writing your speech, practice giving that speech, preferably in the same place as graduation. Your HS might have a practice ceremony before the graduation. This is a good idea when giving talks in general.
Lastly, realize that, if you do stumble upon a word or make a similar minor error, it shouldn’t “haunt” you. I’m sure I made several small mistakes during my speech. In that case, it’s best to just forget about them, enjoy graduation parties etc. and move on.
@neonerudite i’m a senior and it’s second semester so there’s nothing i can do to change my rank now is there?
First, congratulations! You have worked hard and this is an honor.
You should be able to respectfully decline the speech. Back when I was in high school, in the class one year ahead of me there was a similar situation with a young man who was truly terrified of public speaking. He approached the school principal ahead of time, and they came up with a terrific solution. At the graduation ceremony, the principal announced that “I would like to acknowlege our Salutatorian, John, who is present here today (John stood up for applause), he is unable to deliver the traditional address, so he has worked with the Senior Class Vice President who will deliver the address”
Best of luck.
@3puppies thank you so much for telling me this. i thought i was the only one who would even think of declining such an honor. what a relief.
I am going to go against the grain here and say you should do the speech. Unless you have serious anxiety problems, public speaking is a good experience for everyone to try. It is also the last chance to impart your wisdom on the people you have spent nearly the entirety of your life with. For the actual writing of the speech I would study the masters (ie. M.L.K. Jr.) and spend time practicing it in front of people.
I’m probably not the best person to answer, because I have no fear of public speaking,* but I have coached a number of students through their fear of public presentations for research conferences, so…
Don’t decline the speech. First of all, you’ll be in front of a friendly audience. Unless you’ve done really amazing idiocies like keying all the teachers’ cars (yes, this happened at one of the high schools in the county I grew up in), everybody there is pulling for you—and, in fact, since you’re the salutatorian, is listening out of respect. This has the added bonus of meaning that they’re willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.
Second, if you write your speech ahead of time (and I do mean ahead of time—not a day or two before), and practice it til you can pretty much deliver your points without a script, and then make sure to bring the script (I’d suggest 18-point font, 1.5-spaced—easier to see) up to the podium with you anyway, you will be confident enough that you’ll be able to pull it off quite well. As an added bonus, you’ll be able to deliver it with good dynamics and pacing if you’re familiar with it, so it won’t sound like something mumbled as it’s read off a page.
And finally, even if you totally bomb it, well, it’s a high-school graduation speech—I promise you that it isn’t going on your Permanent Record™ somewhere.
Cue Jerry Seinfeld’s observation: People’s #1 fear? Public speaking. #2 on the list? Death. That means that the person giving the eulogy would rather be in the casket.
I say go for it. Think of this as a great opportunity to conquer a fear and accomplish something new. Your audience will be friendly, in a good mood, and not expecting as much as you think.
I’m guessing that if you’re salutatorian, you are also an excellent writer, so writing a speech is something you can do. Delivering it in front of a crowd may be scary, but public speaking is a learned skill. Get someone to coach you. My daughter, when she found herself in exactly your position, got her younger sister with a background in theatre to coach her. I’m sure there’s a teacher or fellow student at your school or someone you know who can work with you while you practice. You’ll be reading the speech, you just need to speak clearly and be able to deliver it fairly smoothly.
Don’t take yourself quite so seriously. You’re afraid of making a bad memory but you may just make a great one instead. Go ahead and try it. If things go wrong resolve to laugh about it later instead of crying.
Just curious about @kvonnegut , if you had a chance to talk with anyone about your situation. Perhaps the relief in knowing that you could respectfully back out will give you the confidence to attempt this. But if your situation is as severe as you make it sound, please remember that help is available and the school wants the best for everyone. Commencement is a celebration - not a horror story.
I thought I would share a happy ending for you. My older sister still lives in my home town, and teaches there. She told me tonight that John, in my post #5 above, lives on her street (I knew this part already), and his daughter was just named valedictorian of her high school. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. She is a theater kid who has no fear of the stage, but I am sure she has heard about her father’s predicament and the solution they came up with.
As a medical professional, I think you have social anxiety (at least, fear of public speaking). I would suggest that you see a psychiatrist? They can prescribe medications that you take only just before speaking to calm your nerves a bit. This way, you have cut your cake and eat it too! Of course my advice would be to test the medication a few times before the actual event to make sure that you don’t have any unusual reactions or side effects. Its a fairly common problem, and easily remedied for the most part…
Good luck!
Schools don’t force kids to make speeches. My own HS Salutatorian opted not to. Last years Salutatorian at my son’s hs read a statement that probably lasted under a minute basically saying thanks and good luck.
I did the speech. It was an amazing experience by the way. I’ve never been more nervous in my life but I was somehow able to compose myself up there. It was crazy having all those people watching you at once. I’ll definitely never forget this public speaking experience. I’m glad I did it because I’m pretty sure I would’ve regretted not doing it. Afterwards people even came up to me to shake my hand and congratulate me which was really heart warming. My parents were extremely proud and I’m so glad I was able to make them happy this way. It was the least I could do for them. Thanks everyone for all the advice and responses given. I took each one of these posts into consideration for making this decision. It’s over with and I’m finally free from high school!!!
Congrats! That sounds like a great experience for you. What did you speak about?
Grats dude! Way to face your fears!
That’s terrific! You were a public speaker all along and didn’t know if! Just keep this in mind the next time you fear something:). Good luck in the fall!
Congratulations! Proud of you for going for it! And thank you for coming back to tell us how it went so we can celebrate your accomplishment with you!
@shawnspencer
Here’s my speech. It’s nothing too deep or inspirational. I just wanted to make it short and light-hearted to keep people from falling asleep. I also just wanted to get off that stage ASAP. I tried to make it rhyme as much as possible, but some of it might feel awkward. Also people really reacted to my first line which made it lot more comfortable being up there. Hopefully I didn’t offend anyone 
Salutatorian Speech
We, the class of 2015, have a reputation for being lazy
In fact, Mr. R------ once told me that he thinks we’re crazy
And though Mr. R-- calls us loud
I’d say that we’re actually quite proud
Of the feats we have achieved
And recognitions we have received
Such as our baseball team being number one in the nation
And V—a P—s receiving a Stanford admission
I think that all deserves a big celebration
So that’s what we’re doing here at graduation
But we’re also having a moment of reflection
About the past and the present and our future directions
Our mistakes are behind us
Our grades don’t define us
We’re free to choose from several possibilities
As we come face to face with our future realities
Something important I’ve learned from my high school career
Is that we shouldn’t be living our lives in fear
Instead we should go forth with open minds
And be our best selves without confines
Though I didn’t know what to say in this speech initially
And I almost rejected it timidly
I decided to do it, thanks to Hannah, Rachel, and Jolie
And create these rhymes so cleverly
To the class of 2015, a class with pride
We have the ability to take great strides
Now let’s prove them wrong
We’re not actually lazy
Maybe just a little rebellious
But nothing too crazy
The teachers and staff have tried hard to keep us in line
But I’m sure they always knew we’d turn out just fine
So a huge thanks to them and all of the parents
For putting up with our occasional troublesome presence
Now allow me to read you a couple of quotes
So that I can end this speech on an inspirational note
Tough times never last but tough people do.
Pay attention. Be astonished. Conquer your fears.
And wherever you go, go with all your heart.
CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2015!!!
We are the best class you’ve ever seen.