Graduation and the events leading up to it are immensely important and stressful, especially when it comes to the finalization of grades and whether or not that hard work is reflected in personal academic standard.
The concept of a graduation speech or who will be speaking might come to mind when discussing walking across the stage.
When the topic of who speaks at graduation, speeches, or who is at the top of their class is posed, Valedictorians and Salutatorians are usually the people think about.
A Valedictorian is a single individual who has the highest grade point average in their class, has achieved other accomplishments in or outside of school, and possesses great leadership and communication skills.
However, there is also the “Top Ten” academic system, which ranks students with varying high grade point averages to showcase their academic excellence at their grade level.
Having a list of individuals rather than just one person highlights the accomplishments of multiple students who have excelled throughout high school and achieved various academic feats as a collective.
While Valedictorians may seem ideal because they highlight one’s achievements and provide opportunities to enhance their careers, it can also overshadow the accomplishments of others who may have reached similar heights in their education.
Moreover, the stresses associated with being a Valedictorian can vary and may be overwhelming.
To achieve this title, one must take all advanced courses offered from the start of freshman year through the end of senior year and maintain consistent academic performance throughout high school.
Other stressors could include the upheld pressure that they have for themselves, what their peers have, their parents, or even their academic advisors have for them. It can be tiring trying to reach everyone’s expectations while trying not to get burnt out.
Preparing a graduation speech can also be a daunting task for a Valedictorian because the speech is meant to inspire and motivate the graduating class. Creating that symbolic bridge to sum up the majority of all of the graduates’ years creates significant pressure regarding the impact one individual can have on a collective group.
Performing a graduation speech can also create a sense of overwhelming fear of messing up in some way, being laughed at or not being able to resemble everyone and their successes properly.
Leadership and public speaking are critical skills that a Valedictorian must master if they wish to stand at the podium at graduation and be recognized as the top student in the class.
The benefits of having a group of students in the “Top Ten” can encourage, motivate, and provide diverse perspectives on achieving top-of-the-class status. Watching, learning and collaborating with each other could give everyone the opportunity to see what steps they are taking to maintain their place in the rankings.
A sense of community established within the top 10 group will provide students with support for the hardships that they all may be facing when tackling different academic challenges.
Diversity can be demonstrated through the courses that the students have taken to get to where they are now, such as taking all science intensive classes, math comprehensive and complex classes, or even all history and social science courses.
However, the overall factor to become a part of the top ten percent of your class is the overall maintenance and consistency of one’s grade point average.
Additionally, sharing the weight of determination and stress is less burdensome compared to putting it all on one person’s shoulders.
When it comes to choosing speakers for the graduation ceremony in front of hundreds of students, there are various methods for selection. It could involve a collaborative effort where several individuals speak consecutively or submit speeches for administrators to vote on who will address the graduating class.
Regardless of who is chosen to speak, all individuals in the “Top Ten” will receive some form of medal or pin to recognize and reward their achievements.
In the end, when given a choice on which one is better, the “Top Ten” system is more beneficial for the individuals included in those rankings and provides the other peers with hope for themselves and their academics.
