How to Make an Impact Before Graduation

By Julia Dunn on February 12, 2017

By this time of the year (February already?), college seniors might be feeling more pressure to make an impact (or leave a mark) on their schools before they grab their scroll on the commencement stage this spring.

The months until graduation are dwindling and you know that as much as you might be looking forward to graduating and moving on to post-grad plans (graduate school, first big time job, or something else), you also want to make the most out of your last bit of time in university.

Image via Pixabay.com

If this applies to you and you’re stumped on how to make your mark at school, try the following.

1. Apply to be a commencement speaker

Are you excited by the thought of representing your graduating class at commencement? Do you already have ideas for a powerful speech that hundreds of students and their friends and family would love to hear? What better way to leave an impression on your school than to be a commencement student speaker?

There’s no harm at all in applying/auditioning, even if you can’t seem to convince yourself that you’re good at public speaking. At commencement, nearly everyone in the audience is excited and energized because they know someone who is about to graduate; you could play a part in their memories of graduation if you deliver a speech!

Wondering what to write about?

Don’t make it 100 percent about you — maybe make it 30 percent about you and your experiences, but 70 percent of your speech should be relevant and/or applicable to any graduate. You want your speech to touch as many people as possible without focusing only on your own achievements, memories, and other details that don’t include other students at your school.

A good speech is a piece of art that should summarize the experiences and dreams of your graduating class without overgeneralizing too much and without being negative (in no graduation speech should you say “now, we go out into the real world of struggling to find jobs we actually like, and moving back in with our parents because we can’t make enough money”). The speech should be hopeful, optimistic, and warm-hearted so that students feel recognized and appreciated before they hit the stage.

2. Join an academic or administrative committee at your college

Looking to make institutional change in administrative processes or academic policy? Contact your school’s student union to find out about openings for students to fill committee seats.

For instance, at University of California, Santa Cruz, students can apply to sit on committees such as the Committee on Educational Policy (CEP), Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC), Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid (CAFA), Committee on Planning and Budget (CPB), and many more. Some of these positions are even paid, so you can not only make your voice heard amongst administrators but also get a little cash at the same time!

Committee experience is also great to discuss after graduation when employers or graduate schools ask you what you’ve done to get involved on campus. Furthermore, having opportunities to speak directly with administrators is valuable experience — you’ll develop skills for communicating across difference, as administrators and students do not always share the same perspectives on campus issues.

It is crucial that university committees include student voices since most university policies directly impact students — how can administrators know that students care about campus policies if students don’t sit on their committees?

3. Plan an event

Students love events on campus — if you have an event proposal or idea for a community project that hasn’t been done before, gather a group of students to help you execute your idea! Universities have plenty of resources to help students create their own events and prepare for all of the tasks involved (getting purchase orders, reserving venues, conducting outreach, recruiting volunteers, etc).

4. Paint a mural

Most universities have art around their campuses, many of them having murals around school. The legacy of a mural lasts a long time as long as the mural stays up. If you have an idea for a mural, do some research on campus resources to make it happen and if you don’t consider yourself super artistic, find another student who might be able to trace your design on the wall so that all you need to do from there is fill in the shapes with paint.

Image via Pexels

You won’t be able to finish the mural all by yourself, so you’ll probably work with a small team of people to paint the mural. This is a great community-building activity along with being a great way to leave an imprint (quite literally) on your school that students will see after you’re gone.

Although these are avenues for making a visible impact on campus, you may think of your own simpler ways to leave an impression on your campus. Maybe you’ve started an organization unlike any other on campus or maybe you’ve gotten together with some friends to pick up trash on campus. “Making an impact” can manifest in different ways for different students! Here’s to living it up in college in the final few months before commencement.

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