By Rebecca Carlton and Steven Krolak
(NEW ALBANY, Ind.)–Jessi Kramer, a freshman pre-nursing major from Corydon, Indiana, has won the 2022 Voices of Change Speech Contest, earning a scholarship valued at $250.
She urged listeners to select healthier beverage choices in her speech titled “Stop the Consumption: Eliminate Soft Drinks from Your Daily Routine.” Kramer is a member of the IU Southeast Grenadiers women’s volleyball team and loves to coach youth volleyball. Her speech was inspired by her commitment to fitness. She gave up soft drinks three years ago during a volleyball season, and has never looked back.
Charles “Chris” Isaacs, a graduate student from Marengo, Indiana in the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies (MIS) program studying organizational leadership and communication, took second place and with it a scholarship valued at $150.
Isaacs delivered a speech entitled “Feeding Friends and Neighbors: Community Support Agriculture (CSA) and a Path to Food Security in America,” inspired by his passion for community gardening as the owner and operator of Second Chance Farms in Marengo.
He is now in the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies (MIS) graduate program, studying organizational leadership and communication.
Now in its tenth year, the Voices of Change Speech Contest speech contest features exemplary persuasive speeches from the top five representatives of 2021 public speaking classes, as selected by their classmates.
It was created to celebrate the vision and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and reinforce Dr. King’s advocacy of change through civil dialogue, to hopefully compel audience members to take personal action for the betterment of themselves and/or society.
The complete results of this year’s contest are:
| Student | Place | Scholarship Award | Speech Title |
| Jessi Kramer | 1 | $250 | Stop the Consumption: Eliminate Soft Drinks from Your Daily Routine |
| Charles “Chris” Isaacs | 2 | $150 | Feeding Friends and Neighbors: Community Support Agriculture (CSA) and a Path to Food Security in America |
| Aarren Reeves | 3 | $100 | But Look at Them!: Reducing Time on Social Media and Comparison with Others |
| Serah Johnson | 4 | $50 | Bad Bacteria: Why Your Dentist Is Concerned about Your Heart Health |
| Tabby Jackson | 5 | $50 | Shop Local: Save Your Soul |
The Voices of Change speech contest is co-sponsored by the Department of Communication Studies and the Office of Campus Life.
Homepage photo courtesy of Jessi Kramer.