Got something to say? The Citadel’s Lowcountry Speaking Invitational challenges you to develop and deliver an original message in our annual public speaking competition that pits school against school in the Charleston area.
The rules are simple: create an inspiring, engaging, and thought-provoking speech with a chance to win cash prizes, recognition as “The Best Speaker in the Lowcountry,” “Best Speaker in the Corps,” and make connections with industry professionals from local government, nonprofits, business, and media.
Train with The Citadel’s Public Speaking Lab staff and competitors in the months leading up to the competition. Our weekly training sessions focus on speech development, delivery, and feedback.
Gain confidence in your ability to address a crowd professionally: Competitors consistently note that the competition process is what helped them overcome their speech anxiety.
Popular speech topics include
- Passions & Interests
- Literature & Stories
- Pop Culture & Sports
- Motivation & Inspiration
- American & World History
- Myths & Folklore
- Science
- Psychology
Previous Winners
April 14, 2026 @ The Citadel’s Capers Auditorium
1st Place
Ashley Butler, Charleston Southern University
“At this point in the letter, I’m not sure what to say next. For how do you explain to your younger self all the changes that will come? How do you explain that this change is good and happens to us all…No, Ashley. You do not marry him. Instead, you learn to trust in the Lord and not a man for your joy. You do not become a pilot. Instead, you get to fly across the stage. And yes: at one point, a lot of your friends will be taken from you. But you gain so, so many more.”
2nd Place – Audrey Dobbins, Charleston Southern University
- “The Thirteenth Stamp”
3rd Place – Kate Glorioso, Medical University of South Carolina
- “Failure”
Viewer’s Choice – Jack McCall, The Citadel
- “The Hardest Question”
Best Speaker in the Corps – Gracie Mark, The Citadel
- “You are a Leader to Me”
Judges: Bobbi Conner, South Carolina Public Radio; Amy Kovach, South Carolina Aquarium; Chris Makowski, Town of Summerville; Charistin Clark, ABC News 4
April 7th, 2025 @ The Citadel’s Capers Auditorium
1st Place
William Harris, The Citadel
“I remember thinking to myself ‘What have I done?’ All my friends are back home with their toes in the water, butt in the sand, and I was getting hailed on in New Mexico. The Zack Brown Band does not write songs about that. But Type 2 Fun is something all too familiar to anyone who walks these halls. The Citadel prepares you for Type 2 Fun. None of it is fun in the moment, but I would give anything to go back, and I know you will, too.”
2nd Place – Madison Odom, Charleston Southern University
- “From Why to How: Changing the Question”
3rd Place – Grace Brantley, Trident Technical College
- “Including You”
Viewer’s Choice – William Harris, The Citadel
Best Speaker in the Corps – William Harris, The Citadel
Judges: Bobbi Conner, South Carolina Public Radio; Emilie Zuhowski, Live at 5 News; Jackie Kohlhepp, The Rez Rev; Corey Werkheiser, College of Charleston
April 16, 2024 @ The Citadel’s Bastin Hall
1st Place
Bayleigh Gentieu, The Citadel
“Here I was feeling all those obstacles I overcame weren’t enough. All those people who told me I wasn’t smart enough, I wasn’t good enough, and I didn’t belong were right. This rejection broke my heart. But as much as I wanted to curl up and hide because my dreams were crushed, I didn’t. I didn’t allow myself to give up. I was not going to allow this obstacle to define me. So, I applied to The Citadel, received a four-year Army scholarship, and got to achieve my dream of being a commissioned officer in the United States Army…Think about where you come from and where you are now. All those obstacles and adversity that you had to overcome. All those people who told you that you weren’t smart enough, weren’t good enough, and weren’t going to make it. Think about what your heart is made of”
2nd Place – Ashlyn Howard, The Citadel
- “It’s Not Me. It’s Not You. Then Who?”
3rd Place (tie) – Zlata Tabachna, The Citadel; Corbin Snavely, The Citadel
- “The Taste of Freedom” (Tabachna)
- “Pressure is a Privilege” (Snavely)
Viewer’s Choice – Bayleigh Gentieu, The Citadel
Best Speaker in the Corps – Bayleigh Gentieu, The Citadel
Judges: Colonel Robert Pickering, Dr. Deirdre Ragan, Patricia McArver, Gervais Del Porto, Dr. Tracey Sigler, Dr. Kirsten Passyn, Alexander Fox
April 19, 2022 @ The Citadel’s Bond Hall
1st Place
John Acker, The Citadel
“The line came down. He passed it to the next person. It came down again, and he passed it down again. And when it was finally Arland’s turn to grab the line for himself, the plane sunk, and he wasn’t there anymore. He died that day, and it took a year to figure out who he was. All these articles were written of ‘this mysterious man in his fifties who saved five people.’ When they found out, President Reagan gave him a medal and called him a hero. But I know better. I don’t think hero was in Arland’s mind that day. I like to believe the word Citadel was in his mind that day. I like to believe the experience, training, and time he spent on this campus was on his mind when he took that line and passed it to the next person in the most selfless act. We are each called to be our own Citadel and to protect those within and around us. Our duty, above all else, is to look after those around you. Be a Citadel. The world is never counting on you more than right now”
2nd Place – Shiloh Smiles, The Citadel
3rd Place (tie) – Ashlyn Howard, The Citadel; Jackson Turner, The Citadel
- “Embrace Your Identity Crisis” (Howard)
- “Ignite Your Spirit” (Turner)
Best Speaker in the Corps – John Acker
Judges: Colonel Charles Dunne, Dr. Deirdre Ragan, Lieutenant Commander Kevin Adcock, Professor Danielle Moore
April 7, 2021 @ The Citadel’s Buyer Auditorium
1st Place
Adam Walker, The Citadel
“I turned twenty-five four and a half weeks ago, and this is my seventh year in undergrad. Come May, I will be the oldest second lieutenant commissioning out of The Citadel, and I am here today to talk to you about failure…As I sat in a holding cell, something clicked. I realize I had been asking the wrong questions. Instead of asking my professors why they were failing me, I should have asked myself ‘why was I was handing in assignments late or not at all.’ Instead of asking my friends why they were shutting me out, I should have been asking ‘why am I taking advantage of these friendships.’ Instead of asking my parents why they were cutting me off, I should have been asking ‘why am I taking their love and support for granted.’ And the kicker was instead of asking the police officers why they were arresting me, I should have asked ‘why I was breaking the law in the first place.’ Basically I was asking everyone else why they were failing me when I should have been asking ‘why am I failing myself?’
2nd Place – Shiloh Smiles, The Citadel
- “The Mask I Wear”
3rd Place – Daniel Wilkes, The Citadel
- “An Ode to Charlie Brown”
Judges: Colonel Charles Dunne; Dr. Deirdre Ragan; Dr. Scott Curtis; Patricia McArver; Erik Hund, Toastmasters of Charleston; Carter Coyle, Live at 5 News
October 21, 2020 @ The Citadel’s Bond Hall
1st Place
Angelea Lance, The Citadel
“Pride is a great servant, but a horrible master.”
2nd Place – William Hope, The Citadel
- “The Power of Probability”
Judges: Lieutenant Commander Kevin Adcock; Colonel Charles Dunne; Dr. Lindsey Spring; Patricia McArver