High School Graduation Speech Quotes:

Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.

- Neil Gaiman

topic: Inspirational, Graduation, Mistake, Inspirational Graduation, Inspire Students

Develop and protect a moral sensibility and demonstrate the character to apply it. Dream big. Work hard. Think for yourself. Love everything you love, everyone you love, with all your might. And do so, please, with a sense of urgency, for every tick of the clock subtracts from fewer and fewer.

- David McCullough

source: David McCullough's Commencement Address at Wellesley High School in Wellesley, Massachusetts, www.thedailybeast.com. June 9, 2012.

topic: Dream, Hard Work, Character, Love Everyone, Fewer

There is a good reason they call these ceremonies 'commencement exercises'. Graduation is not the end; it's the beginning.

- Orrin Hatch

topic: Graduation, Exercise, Reason, Memorable Graduation, High School Graduation

Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.

- Nora Ephron

source: FaceBook post by Nora Ephron from May 24, 2016

topic: Graduation, Education, Inspire, Looking Ahead, College Graduation

Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter.

- Bernard Baruch

topic: Inspirational, Funny, Life, Way In Life, Trying To Fit In

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.

- Dr. Seuss

source: "Personal Quotes/ Biography". www.imdb.com.

topic: Inspirational Life, Be Who You Are, Mind, Keep Smiling, Way In Life

It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might has well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.

- J. K. Rowling

topic: Inspirational, Success, Graduation, Failure In Life, Inspirational Harry Potter

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

- Beverly Sills

source: "Conquering an Enemy Called Average". Book by John Mason, 1996.

topic: Positive, Shortcuts, Grad, Go Hard, Inspirational Graduation

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

- Eleanor Roosevelt

topic: Inspirational, Change, Positive, Impossible Dream, Pursue Your Dreams

You cannot climb the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure.

- Zig Ziglar

topic: Motivational, Attitude, Failure, Climbing The Ladder, Commencement Speech

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.

- Judy Garland

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Inspiration And Motivation, Grad

Life is an improvisation. You have no idea what's going to happen next and you are mostly just making things up as you go along.

- Stephen Colbert

topic: Graduation, Ideas, Next, Memorable Graduation, Life After High School

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.

- Steve Jobs

source: Commencement Address at Stanford University, delivered 12 June 2005, Palo Alto, CA

topic: Love, Inspirational, Life, Inner Voice, Job Growth

Do not follow where the path may lead.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

topic: Path, Bikers, May, Solo Travel, Journey Inspirational

Go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.

- Neil Gaiman

source: Neil Gaiman's Commencement Address at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, www.uarts.edu. May 17, 2012.

topic: Inspirational, Graduation, Mistake, Inspirational Graduation, Inspirational High School Graduation

Just remember, you can't climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.

- Arnold Schwarzenegger

source: "Six Rules on How to Be Successful". Speech at the University of Southern California, www.graduationwisdom.com. May 15, 2009.

topic: Graduation, Hands, Pockets, Climbing The Ladder, Commencement Speech

To those of you who received honours, awards and distinctions, I say well done. And to the C students, I say you, too, can be president of the United States.

- George W. Bush

source: "Bad results?" by Nikki Sheehan, www.theguardian.com. June 11, 2001.

topic: Funny, Graduation, Humor, Inspirational Graduation, Inspirational School

Karate is the best thing you can do for your child.

- Chuck Norris

topic: Art, Children, Karate, Best Investment, Gun Safety

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

- Nelson Mandela

topic: Inspirational, Change, Inspiring, Social Power, Social Studies

All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.

- Walt Disney

source: "How to Be Like Walt : Capturing the Magic Every Day of Your Life". Book by Pat Williams, 2004.

topic: Inspirational, Life, Motivational, Best Success, Young Entrepreneurs

The fireworks begin today. Each diploma is a lighted match. Each one of you is a fuse.

- Ed Koch

topic: Success, Graduation, Education, Memorable Graduation, Inspirational High School Graduation

Sometimes just being still is the best thing you can do for yourself.

- Silas House

source: Silas House (2010). “Eli the Good”, p.96, Candlewick Press

topic: Just Being, Sometimes, Stills, 2 Amendment, Creative Outlets

Always be a first-rate version of yourself.

- Audrey Hepburn

source: "Business Etiquette for the Nineties: Your Ticket to Career Success". Book by Lou Kennedy, 1992.

topic: Self Esteem, Firsts, Rate, Inspiration And Motivation, Grad

Harry taught me that death isn't the end, it's the beginning.

- Jennifer Love Hewitt

source: "Dexter: Popping Cherry". TV series, 2006.

topic: Graduation, Senior, College, Inspirational Graduation, Memorable Graduation

Be yourself, it's the best thing you can do.

- Greyson Chance

topic: Being Yourself, 2 Amendment, High School Commencement, High School Graduation Speech

Openness isn't the end. It's the beginning.

- Margaret Heffernan

source: "Dare to disagree". TED Talk, www.ted.com. June 2012.

topic: Graduation, Senior, College, Memorable Graduation, Inspirational High School Graduation

You'll never know what you're capable of if you don't try.

- Sarah Michelle Gellar

source: Biography/Personal Quotes, www.imdb.com.

topic: Graduation, Trying, Ifs, Leaning In, Graduation Speech

My favorite animal is the turtle. The reason is that in order for the turtle to move, it has to stick its neck out.

- Ruth Westheimer

source: "‘Other People’s Rejection Letters’: 8 Of The Craziest Rejection Letters" by Bill Shapiro, www.huffingtonpost.com. May 11, 2010.

topic: Moving, Animal, Order, Inspirational High School Graduation, Inspiring Graduation