I’ve heard my fair share of commencement speeches. Most are decent, some are bad, and some times, albeit rarely, you stumble across one which stops you in your tracks and leaves you saying, “damn, that was a good speech!” I am pleased to report the later while I recently attended my son’s high school graduation at Corona Del Sol High School in Tempe, Arizona.
As someone who works as a media trainer and helps people with messaging and presentations, I pay close attention to speeches and may I say this one was brilliant. 18 year old Daniel Karbon based his speech on a conversation he had with a fellow student who described students she did not know as “randoms”.
Karbon uses changes in tempo and pitch to draw attention when needed. With a touch of rapping and a hint of Dr. Seuss, he weaves a terrific story and uses skills I normally only see in the very best of adult speakers. While it starts slow, and the video appears to have been shot on a phone, I implore you to invest a little more than six minutes of your time. You will be glad you did.