Public Speaking Competition

Thank you for joining us at the Fall 2024 Public Speaking Competition!

Fall 2024 Competition Winners
From left to right: Sean Daly, PCC Lead Mentor (MC), Titobiloluwa Edward (1st place), Jayla Hankins (2nd place), Lemuel Bristol (3rd place), Kayla Ward (Audience choice winner)

The theme of this year's competition was "How My Cultural Identity Has Shaped Me." Each COMM 131 (Public Speaking) section selected a student with the best informative speech. From there, six finalists were chosen to compete. Once selected, each contestant was required to use the Public Communication Center to ensure their speech was competition ready. First, second, and third place won a prize of monetary value. The audience choice winner won a prize pack worth $50 from the UStore.

This year's judges were Sarah Parker-Hughes, Co-Director, Public Communication Center, Director of Commencement, & Faculty, Communication Studies; Gregory Dutcher, Adjunct Professor, Communication Studies; Kiara Anthony, Adjunct Professor, Communication Studies; and Great Oluwaferanmi, PCC Mentor & Mass Communication major

Fall 2024 Public Speaking Competition Winners:

Titobiloluwa Edward

1st Place

Titobiloluwa Edward, Information Technology major

Jayla Hankins

2nd Place

Jayla Hankins, Chemistry & Communication Studies major

Lemuel Briston

3rd Place

Lemuel Briston, Science Information Technology major

Kayla Ward

Audience Choice

Kayla Ward, Sociology & Anthropology major

Past Public Speaking Competitions 

Spring 2024 Public Speaking Competition Winners:

Ryan Riddell

1st Place

Ryan Riddell

Rose Kinder

2nd Place

Rose Kinder

Ikechukwu Ihejirika

3rd Place

Ikechukwu Ihejirika

2019 Public Speaking Competition Winners: 

Towson University's first annual Public Speaking Competition took place on April 16th, 2019. Competitor’s had to prepare a 5-8 minute persuasive speech which addresses at least one of the core tenets of the Department of Communication Studies curriculum: advocacy and public discourse, identity and culture, and leadership and organizational communication.

Rebecca Malstrom

First Place Winner, Rebecca Malstrom ’19

Rebecca preformed a moving speech titled “Read My Lips.” Malstrom illustrates how her experience as a member of the deaf community is shaped by the expectation that she reads the lips of the hearing individuals around her. 

Brandon Nance

Second Place Winner, Brandon Nance ’22

Brandon gave his speech titled “Sneaker Culture.” He captured the audience by describing the relationship between sneaker culture and the African American culture.

Ilya Schroder

Third Place Winner, Ilya Schroder ’19 

Ilya demonstrated how one can defy the odds by “Ignoring the What If’s.” Ilya compares his own experience to the expectations of society, and shows the audience what is possible if they believe in themselves and ignore preconceived notions.