Graduate students are welcome to apply to be this year's Student Speaker at Graduate Student Convocation on Friday, August 21.
One student will be selected by a panel of faculty, administrators, and students to share an inspirational message for this year's incoming class.
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Eligibility
Applicants must have completed at least two semesters at Georgia Tech in the graduate program by the start of fall semester and be in both academic and judicial good standing.
Speech Requirements
The Graduate Student Convocation speech is approximately five minutes in length. The message should be reflective on your first year at Georgia Tech and include the following themes:
- Advise for students new to Georgia Tech
- Be universal in tone for master's and doctoral students
- Share your experience as a graduate student
Applicants must feel comfortable speaking at a podium in front of a very large audience. We encourage students to view previous speeches and visit with the Communication Center to help them prepare their speech.
Selection Process
All submissions will be reviewed by a committee consisting of faculty and staff, who will select the winner.
Once selected, the speaker is required to work with the Communication Center during the semester and meet in-person with event organizers for final review prior to convocation. Students do not need to be living on campus to qualify, but must return to campus by Friday, August 14 for rehearsal.
We will inform students of our final decision by Wednesday, July 22.
How to Apply & Application Deadline
Students must submit a video of them reciting their entire speech. Speeches do not have to be memorized for the submission.
Ideal submissions are a single shot of the student reciting their speech in a quiet environment and have clear sound quality so the panel can hear the student.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, July 10, 2019 at noon.
Graduate Student Convocation is Friday, August 21.
How do I submit my video?
Students are requested to send a link to the video file. Video files may be shared via YouTube, your Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Drop Box, or SendSpace. Please include your name and major and the start of your video.