In his graduation speech, 14-year-old US school student, Jack Aiello, paid tribute to his school and its teachers – through mimicking the voices of the 2016 US presidential candidates.
The speech – which paid tribute to the teachers and programs of Thomas Middle School, located in Arlington Heights, Illinois – has since been viewed on YouTube more than two million times.
“I've decided that since we're in the middle of an election year, that I would do my graduation speech in the style of some of the 2016 presidential candidates,” he began, starting off with Donald Trump.
“Let me just tell you that Thomas [Middle School] has been such a great school, I mean, quite frankly it’s been fantastic.…we’re learning languages from Spain, from France, from Germany and China!
“You know, people say I don’t like China, I love China. I mean, I love China. I mean, I have so many terrific friends in China. But I took Spanish and let me just tell you, by the way, that it was fantastic. Muy fantastico.”
Aiello proceeded to impersonate other candidates such as Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders’ – but he couldn’t leave the incumbent POTUS out of such a spectacle.
“I’d just like to start off by thanking our excellent principal, Mr Kaye. He has done a terrific job of preparing us for high school,” he said.
Kaye told the Daily Herald that Aiello “nailed” the speech, adding the audience could “feel the excitement as he was moving from one candidate to the next.”
“You could actually feel the excitement as he was moving from one candidate to the next. His timing was perfect. He got a standing ovation. It was so fun.”