Grays Harbor College student Jennifer Blodgett earned Runner-Up honors at the Washington Statewide Inspirational Speech Championship, held in July at Centralia College. Blodgett was recognized for her powerful speech about overcoming breast cancer and also received the Shawnee Award, voted on by her fellow competitors and presented to the student who made the weekend the most fun for everyone involved.
Blodgett was one of five students selected to compete in the championship from among nominees representing Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges. Students begin the process by submitting three-minute audition videos, which are evaluated by a panel of out-of-state communication professionals. The panel selects the top five speakers to advance to the statewide competition.
This year, Dr. Andrew Gaines, Theatre Arts and Communications Instructor at Grays Harbor College, nominated and coached both Jennifer Blodgett and Nabeel Hameed. In addition to Blodgett earning a spot among the top five competitors, Hameed was selected as an alternate for the championship.
Blodgett’s speech, “A Life Worth Saying Yes To” can be viewed on YouTube.
