Valedictorian

Valedictorian is an academic title of success used in the United States, Canada, Central America, and the Philippines for the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony.

Graduation is getting a diploma or academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated with it, in which students become graduates.

Central America is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast.

McKinney Boyd valedictorian reveals unauthorized immigration status in graduation speech by The Dallas Morning News

The chosen valedictorian is often the student with the highest ranking among their graduating class.

Valedictorian Speech 2016 by Daniel Moye

The term is an Anglicised derivation of the Latin vale dicere, historically rooted in the valedictorian's traditional role as the final speaker at the graduation ceremony before the students receive their diplomas.

Latin is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages.

So the valedictory address generally is considered a final farewell to classmates, before they disperse to pursue their individual paths after graduating.

In Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, India, and the United Kingdom, the title valedictorian is not used frequently.

In Australia, the title is sometimes awarded to a member of a graduating university class on the basis of contribution to the school rather than academic success.

The highest-ranking student in a graduating class is often referred to as dux, and may or may not give a speech.

In France the term Major de promotion is used, although the term is not related to any ceremonial role, as there are rarely graduation ceremonies in schools or universities.

France, officially the French Republic, is a unitary sovereign state and transcontinental country consisting of territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories.