Student Speaker Slays Senior Speech

Kindness is more than just an attitude or an action; it should be the basis of every human experience. This is what Senior Halimatou Diallo lives by and wants others to be influenced by. Diallo will be the student commencement speaker for the class of 2025’s graduation ceremony at UMBC on June 11, 2025.

At first, this would’ve been one of Diallo’s 2025 Wild Card moments. However, later on, as she thought about it, she decided to prepare a speech to audition days in advance. Rush hour could never. In her sophomore and junior years, she looked at many previous graduation speeches, yet only one caught her attention. The way the speaker focused her attention to speak interpersonally was truly moving and impactful. Soon after, Diallo would audition and get the opportunity to speak at graduation! “My dad was over the moon and called all my aunties and cousins,” she states. 

An interview was conducted with her to see some of the inside scoop on her speech! “We’re us because of the impressions we leave on people,” is how Diallo would describe human experiences. Her philosophy on the world around her started to shift as she got older, with her first year describing herself as “anti-social” in her freshman year. 

Over time, she understood that every day, if she could make someone smile, that would mean a lot to her. Her speech will dive into themes such as kindness, human interaction, social acceptance, and more on June 11, 2025. The themes to take away can have a significant impact on how our world thinks and how change can be made in a 2- to 5-minute speech. 

Highlighting a topic that can seem so popular but so hard for society to comprehend can be difficult, but Diallo’s speech is hoping to motivate the ears that listen. Mr Kelly, theatre teacher and panel judge for the auditions, states, “Halimatou’s speech has a beautiful message for all of our graduating seniors, and I hope they enjoy it.” You could think about that grad party barbecue after graduation, or think of Diallo’s message to the class of 2025 graduates about overcoming with kindness.