(Photo provided by Myka Beck)

Myka Beck was in her public speaking class one day when her Professor Kaila Todd said they could leave early if their work was done. However, on her way out, Todd stopped Beck and said, “I need to talk to you.”

“I thought I was in trouble,” Beck said. “But then she’s like, ‘Don’t worry, you’re in the opposite of trouble. I actually wanted to nominate you for the speaking competition.’”

The Stine Speaking Showcase is an opportunity for the Communications Studies Department to nominate top speakers from each public speaking class to compete for the title of best public speaker.

“The showcase is a chance for students to really put on display the skills that they’ve learned in class and to begin to see the stuff that we learn in the classroom,” Todd said.

A main reason why Beck was nominated is that she stood out in her public speaking class.

“She exceeded expectations in all of her assignments,” said Todd, assistant professor in communication studies.

Before she made her decision, she needed to know more about the event. She was told that if she made it to the top five, there were scholarships ranging from $200 to $1000.

“I just decided to do it because I was free on that day, and I like to do public speaking,” Beck said. “So might as well, and obviously I have the chance to win some cash.”

The nomination to the Stine Speaking Showcase led to a whirlwind of events that culminated in her winning for her speech, “Excavatum Education.”

“My speech is over a condition that’s called Pectus Excavatum,” Beck said. “It’s a condition I have, and it’s a chest deformity that makes a concave [in] your sternum, and it can cause complications because that creates less space in your chest cavity, which can result in heart and lung problems, breathing problems, body image issues. It’s interesting because the depth of the concave doesn’t relate to the severity of the condition, and there’s a wide range of symptoms where it’s not like other conditions.”

According to Todd, Beck’s hard work and dedication are what helped her win.

“I worked with her on her outline, [helped] practice her speech in class, and I also met with her outside of class to practice,” Todd said. “I had seen how hard she was working on it, and Myka’s just incredible at taking feedback and all of the things that we had been working on.”

She expressed how happy she was that Beck won the showcase.

“She executed flawlessly in that final round,” Todd said. “I was absolutely elated whenever she won.”

The spring showcase featured 19 semifinalists who participated in two semifinal rounds, followed by a final round featuring the top five speakers. The topic of the speech was informative speeches.

The five finalists were:

• Finalist: Amara Lee presenting “Social Media and Mental Health.”
  (Nominated by Sreerupa Sanyal; received a $200 student scholarship.)
• Finalist: Alyssa Briner presenting “Are We Turning to Medication Too Soon?”
  (Nominated by Sreerupa Sanyal; received a $200 student scholarship.)
• Third place: Mackenzie Ingle presenting “Life Saving Diagnosis.”
  (Nominated by Cathy Schrag; received a $400 student scholarship.)
• Second place: Lexi Wegner presenting “Under Pressure: Turning Stress into Success.”
  (Nominated by Holly Manning; received a $700 student scholarship.)
• First place: Myka Beck presenting “Excavatum Education.”
  (Nominated by Kaila Todd; received a $1,000 student scholarship.)