As the days go by, the graduation ceremony for the class of 2026 is quickly approaching. This means it is time to find the people who are going to represent the voice of the seniors at graduation. This year’s auditions were held on May 18.
Every year, English Department Chair Angelina Cicero works with the schools administrators to set up a date for seniors to have an opportunity to audition to speak in front of their senior class. A committee of judges is formed and includes Mrs. Cicero, the building administrators, and several other invited teachers, and students are also encouraged to come listen as audience members during auditions.
To decide who will speak at graduation, the committee members have two methods of scoring. The first method is that everyone ranks the speakers on the scale of 1-3, and then if a tie breaker is needed, there is a rubric that critiques more of the quality of the speech and writing with more detail.
Cicero is not only looking for well written speeches, but meaningful qualities built into them.
“One of the most important things that the speaker can capture is an approach to the theme that feels of the moment, and specific to this unique class full of individuals and this unique moment of history,” Cicero said.
A current senior, Aanya Bharathwaj, who is continuing her education at the University of California, is auditioning to be one of the speakers for graduation.
“When writing my [speech], I want something that is unique or niche rather than saying over used ideas, like ‘everyone is changing,’ Bharathwaj said.
Mrs. Sarah Robinson is one of the counselors at Homestead who has accepted the invitation to be a part of the committee to listen and discuss each student’s speeches. She enjoys hearing students reflect on their time at Homestead in such a positive way.
“Graduation speeches give an opportunity for students to take the time to think about gratitude and think about their experiences, as well as to recognize the sense of community that the current senior class has uniquely to them,” Robinson aid.
As time feels like it’s going faster than anticipated, the final moments at Homestead for the class of 2026 are near. The 3 seniors selected to speak at graduation will carry the honor of representing their senior class one last time.
