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SPD's Commencement Speaker Search

SPD is launching a search to find its 2023 Commencement Speaker. If you are completing your studies and would like the opportunity to address your fellow graduates, please consider applying.

Deadline: April 10, 2023


The Requirements

To be qualified, candidates must:

  • Be graduating with a degree or certificate from the School of Professional Development in the current academic year  with a 3.5 GPA or higher.
  • Submit a short biography.
  • Provide the name of at least one faculty reference.
  • Submit a link to a video of your speech.

The Speech

Write a speech that you would want to deliver to the  graduates and their families. Keep in mind that the audience will be students from all of SPD's 26 graduate programs. There will be current and emerging K-12 teachers, higher education staff, human resource professionals, and others who have chosen to earn a graduate credential to advance their careers. Some students will have taken all of their courses on campus, some will be fully online students, and some will be students from one of our off-campus cohorts. Even though they are a diverse group, there are commonalities that everyone can relate to as graduate students. Make sure you consider these common experiences as you are writing your speech.

Suggested length: 450-600 words.

The Video

Once your speech is written, record yourself delivering it. Please do not get hung up on production values.  Shoot it with your computer's camera or the one you have on your phone. You can save it on your Google Drive or upload it to YouTube. Either way, make sure you send us a link that we can open. (You may want to send it to a friend to test out first.) 

Suggested length: 3-5 minutes.

The Biography

We want to get to know you as a candidate! Please submit a biographical statement in which you share some aspect of your life that will resonates with your fellow students and faculty.  Did you have any life changes or challenges during your study? Do you have any academic or professional accomplishments, volunteer work, or meaningful projects that you've worked on that would be of interest to the audience? What else should we know about you?

Suggested length: 500 words or less. Or more. You decide.

The Contact

If you have questions or need guidance, please contact Kim Giacalone via email or at 631-632-7896.

The Entry Form