Undergraduate Speaker

Each year an undergraduate student is selected to speak at Commencement. Members of the graduating class are invited to submit a speech for consideration through this process. If you know someone who might be a good candidate for this process, please share this page with them.

First Step

To be considered as the speaker, you will need to draft a speech and submit it in writing by 11:59 p.m. on March 20.

The speech should be a reflection on your years at Loyola. Choose a phrase—"Strong Truths Well Lived," "people for and with others," "Set the World on Fire," or “how Loyola prepared us to be #LoyolaReady for the future”—and speak to what that means to you and to your fellow graduates. You can certainly share from your own experience, but as the student speaker at Commencement you will also want to speak more broadly about the Loyola experience to all graduating students. Your speech should take 3-5 minutes to deliver when read aloud.

If selected, this speech will be the basis for the speech you will deliver at Commencement.

Please email your submission to academicevents@loyola.edu by 11:59 p.m. on March 20.

Second Step

A committee of faculty and administrators will select the top 3-5 speeches to move on in the process.

Third Step

If you are selected as one of the three finalists, we will record you delivering your speech and present the videos to the President and his Cabinet.

Fourth Step

The President and his Cabinet review the finalists’ videos and select one to represent the Class of 2025 at Commencement. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to academicevents@loyola.edu.