Skip to Main Content
       
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Commencement

Student Speaker Audition Criteria

The 114th Annual Commencement Exercises will feature an address by a Spring/Summer 2025 candidate at each ceremony.

Auditions

  • Sign up to audition via the Student Speaker Google Form by Sunday, March 30 at 11:59 PM HST.
  • Email a copy of your speech to uhm.commencement@hawaii.edu by Monday, March 31 at 11:59 PM HST.
  • Preliminary auditions will be held on Friday, April 4 at 4:30 PM in Crawford Hall 115.
  • If a speaker is not selected in the preliminary round, top candidates will be invited for a final round of auditions.

Eligibility

  • Must be a candidate for Spring or Summer 2025 graduation
  • Students completing additional courses in Fall 2025 are ineligible
  • Must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (as of January 2025)

Selection Criteria

  • Content: The speech should be:
    • Thoughtful, creative and inspirational (avoid clichés)Well-organized with a clear messageAppropriate for a graduation settingRelevant to the audience, including other graduates, families, and the UH community
    • Focused on the entire class, not solely about the speaker
  • Delivery: The speaker should:
    • Project their voice and maintain good pacingEngage and connect with the audienceMake regular eye contact
    • Use written notes sparingly or not at all

Time Limit: The speech must not exceed five (5) minutes.

Additional Information

  • Be prepared to introduce yourself before the audition (not included in the time limit). Judges may ask a couple of questions about you before you begin.
  • The content must be identical to the speech delivered during the ceremony.
  • The audition order will be determined by lottery.
  • Auditions are open to the public, but not to those auditioning. Disruptive attendees will be asked to leave.
  • A selection committee, consisting of representatives from the administration, faculty, staff, students, and the alumni association, will choose the winning speaker.
  • All candidates will be notified of the decision via email or phone.
  • The selected speaker will work with a coach from the Communicology Program to prepare for the ceremony.

For more information, contact the Commencement Team at uhm.commencement@hawaii.edu.