One of the crowning achievements for any high school student is to be awarded the honor of keynote speaker at graduation.
At New Trier, the speaker is selected through a rigorous tryout process. Candidates submit their speech to a committee and the committee brings selected students in to present their speech. The keynote speaker is ultimately selected by this committee.
This year’s speaker for the class of 2015 is Amanda Berlind.
“I am honored to represent the senior class,” said Berlind. “I’ve had a lot of good memories and the school offers wonderful opportunities, so I thought [being the speaker] would be a great way to end the year.”
When Berlind, who will be studying music composition and possibly double majoring in English at New York University, found out she would represent the senior class as the commencement speaker at graduation, she was not allowed to tell anyone.
However, that didn’t stop her from celebrating a little.
“I went out into the hallway and then my friend who had been eavesdropping already knew [that I would be the graduation speaker], so we started screaming,” said Berlind. “I ran down the hallway and then I think I kicked someone’s locker. Someone came by and told us to stop talking.”
Needless to say Berlind’s reaction definitely had merit.
It is a huge honor to be tasked with giving a commencement speech. Berlind was selected from a pool of 18 applicants, which was eventually whittled down to eight. Berlind did say she felt some nerves.
“I’m really nervous. I think I’m going to throw up,” joked Berlind. “I think I’m good at speaking, I don’t know if I’m good at public speaking. I’m anticipating being nervous. Like three minutes before the speech I’m probably going to go somewhere and freak out or I’m probably just going to run away like one of those runaway brides.”
Jokes aside, Berlind is very excited to be giving the speech.
“I’m really excited and the nerves, luckily, probably won’t kick in until right before, when there’s no chance for me to get out of it, so no runaway bride situation.”
And while nerves may be high, there’s lots of anticipation for what Berlind will have to say in her sending off message to the senior class.
Not many students have been able to get much information as to what Berlind has in store for what’s expected to be a capacity crowd in Evanston.
“It’s a secret,” she said. “It’s confidential. I want it to be a surprise. I want everyone to say ‘I didn’t expect that!’”
However, while she wouldn’t give any clues as to what her overall message of the speech is, her mixed attitude towards New Trier helps in making any sort of predictions.
“It is true that I bash New Trier a lot,” said Berlind. “But I think that New Trier, for all the bad stereotypes, it also is one of the only places in the country that offers this volume of opportunities and they’re all incredible.”
Students, staff, and family members alike could be in for a treat when Berlind takes the stage on May 31 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.