SUU Senior Named National Student Speaker of the Year by Honorary Society

Published: December 06, 2004 | Author: Terry L. West, Director of Forensics | Read Time: 1 minutes

Sherry Nay, a Southern Utah University senior Communication major from Gunnison, UT, has been selected as the National Student Speaker of the Year by the forensic honor society, Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha. More than 300 colleges and universities nationwide sponsor chapters of the honorary, which is the early 20th century merger of two organizations with a near-100 year history.

Nay, who received the award at the recognition banquet ending the DSR-TKA national conference and speech and debate tournament, was chosen by committee based on outstanding attributes in forensics, academics, and service to both the forensics and general community. DSR-TKA Student President LaToya Edwards of the University of Mississippi cited Nay's Novice National Championship in Communication Analysis, previous third place finish in Persuasion, and more than 50 other tournament awards for forensics excellence. Nay maintains a 3.96 grade point average and is President of both the SUU Forensics Chapter of DSR-TKA and Lambda Pi Eta, the national academic honor society for Communication students. Her service includes operating forensics workshops for area high schools, working as a volunteer with Alzheimer's patients, and involvement in community environmental clean-up programs.

Nay received the Student Speaker award after the keynote address given by DSR-TKA's National Professional Speaker of the Year Awardee, 2000 Gold Medal Olympic wrestler Rulon Gardner. Gardner stressed the need for a "never give up" attitude in life's endeavors, a message consistent with DSR-TKA's call to produce ethical communicators. Nay's selection as Student Speaker of the Year is intended to emphasize her record as the ideal of a forensic student champion.

Nay will graduate from SUU in Spring of 2005, and choose from among several graduate school opportunities to continue her career in Communication.

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