Student Speaker Competition

One graduating student will be selected to deliver a brief inspirational speech as part of the SON Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. The goal of the student speaker is to represent their classmates and speak to their fellow students.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be graduating from a MS or doctoral program in 2013, and eligible to walk in the SON Graduation Ceremony
Be in good academic standing
Submit your typed speech manuscript by the deadline
Present your speech before a Selection Committee in April if chosen as a finalist

Speech Guidelines
The speech may be no longer than 5 spoken minutes. The speech may be serious, humorous, personal, or more general in nature. The Selection Committee will be looking for a speech that will resonate with the entire SON student population, as well as families and faculty attending the Graduation Ceremony.

Suggestions to consider when writing your speech:

What would you want to hear as a graduate of SON and as an audience member? Choose a strong topic.
How have you been inspired, and/or how will you inspire future generations of student nurses?
Reflect on your educational experience and triumphs at SON. What is the value of your SON education?
Graduation is a day for celebration – be sure to include your sense of accomplishment and pride!

Selection Process
A Selection Committee will be convened to review all submitted speeches. Finalists will be selected and asked to present their speech to the Selection Committee the week of April 15th (exact date TBD).

To Apply
If you would like to be considered as the student speaker at SON’s Graduation Ceremony, please submit a typed manuscript of your graduation speech to Tania Quispe in OSS by Friday, April 5th. If you have any questions, please schedule a meeting with Tania, tpq2101@columbia.edu.