Graduation comes for seniors on June 17th, where the seniors will bow out of Dominion High School. One senior will be bowing out in a spectacular fashion and that’s Zaina Tarafder, who will be the student speaker at the ceremony.

“I was super excited and glad that my hard work paid off,” said Tarafder on hearing that she was selected to be speaker. She notes that she was inspired by literary elements of her childhood, wanting to highlight that the class is moving “into a new chapter of adulthood.”

A major part of her upcoming speech is nostalgia, which she describes as a big part of the narrative she is going to tell. “I want to convey the importance of knowing your roots and appreciating the places that we have all come from,” Tarafder said.

Ryan Rowles, her band teacher, is extremely excited to see his student take the stage. “[It’s] so well deserved for a hardworking student who has represented Dominion so well at the district and state level in many facets.”

Rowles notes that he knows that she will be a good speaker. He said, “I believe her performance skills will allow her to deliver a speech that is effortless and powerful.”

English chair Shelli Glynn, who helped select Tarafder, details the selection process. “The selection process consists of, basically, applying to be the speaker by contacting me and then you submit a speech of four to seven minutes,” Glynn said. The committee then chooses which speeches they’d like to hear, and the students provide an audition. Afterwards, they decide which one should be heard and notify the student.

Glynn points out her delivery as a key to her being chosen. “She was very animated and very articulate,” said Glynn, pointing out how Tarafder stood out because of this and the themes she’s going to articulate during the speech.

“I’m thrilled that you have a student speaker and I hope she does a really good job and that everyone is pleased,” Glynn stated.