Graduation speeches are typically pretty standard. Most of us probably don’t remember much (if anything) from our own ceremonies because, despite the hard work put into the speeches, the day and accomplishment themselves far outweigh any commencement speech.
Graduating Senior, Sydney Helgeson decided she didn’t want to deliver a standard speech to her peers – she wanted to give them something to remember.
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At Sydney’s high school, you have to actually audition to speak at the graduation ceremony. According to Sydney, she had no interest in giving a speech but her mom continued to encourage her to do so.
The idea of speaking in front of that crowd was unappealing, but the accomplished, award-winning choir singer didn’t mind the idea of singing to a crowd that large. So, she decided to audition to give a speech, through song.
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At the beginning of her speech, she told her class that “when words fail, music speaks.” Then, the accompanying music to Lady Gaga’s “Shallow” came over the speakers and Sydney began to sing her own version of the song.
She changed the lyrics to the song to bring back memories and inside jokes between the students in the graduating class. She sang of the iconic marble stairs in the school (that everyone seems to fall down) to all the state championships the teams have won.
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Not surprisingly, the unique “speech” made its way to the internet and quickly gained viral status. Sydney’s song gained thousands of views seemingly overnight.
It’s not only the distinctive way she delivered the speech that has grabbed people’s attention, but also how gorgeous Sydney’s voice is. “Shallow” is not an easy song to sing, and requires a large vocal range, but Sydney crushed it effortlessly.
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If this is a new trend in graduation speeches, we think it’s safe to say everyone is here for it!
Check out Sydney’s mind-blowing performance in the video below and don’t forget to share with your friends!
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