The Hays Speaking Prize 2025: Cultivating Courage and Connection

As dusk settled over campus last week, I joined fellow community members gathering in Wilkins Meeting House. The anticipatory chatter – including nervous whispers from the finalists – gave way to expectant silence as Tom Morgan introduced this year's judges and the first speaker approached the podium. In an era where we – students and adults alike – have ceded much of our attentional capital to constant digital communications and push notifications, there was something remarkably absent from the theater that evening. Scanning the ascending rows, I noticed not a single illuminated screen. This was a testament to the genuine respect for the courage and skill on display from the nine 2025 Hays Speaking Prize Finalists that commanded our collective attention.

The Legacy of the Hays Speaking Prize

The William C. Hays Speaking Prize honors Bill Hays, a former Proctor Board of Trustees member and standout on the Bowdoin College debate team. Conceived by former Proctor parent, trustee, and English teacher John Pendleton, and guided for many years by longtime English teacher Peter Southworth, the competition invites students to address significant contemporary issues through the lens of personal connection. 

The competition asks every sophomore to prepare and deliver a speech as part of the English 10 curriculum. Out of our 97 sophomores, nine were selected by their peers as finalists to present their speeches in front of the community. This tradition, now in its 26th year, remains a cornerstone of Proctor's commitment to developing confident, articulate communicators.

The Power of Personal Narratives and Connection

This year’s Hays speeches revealed the hidden burdens adolescents often carry – mental health journeys from athletic burnout to hospital stays, questions of identity across regional, generational, and cultural divides, reflections on body image that contrasts our harsh self-criticism with the compassion we readily offer others, and thoughtful critiques of our relationship with technology. Despite addressing challenging themes, many speeches also demonstrated the personal growth that unfolds when young people discover their authentic voices within supportive communities of family, friends, and educators.

How is it that Proctor students have the confidence to bare their souls before our community? The vulnerability on display is made possible by a school culture that creates "psychologically safe spaces." The Hays Prize exemplifies this concept in action: students take risks by sharing deeply personal experiences, knowing they will be met with respect rather than judgment. Last Monday evening, I felt deep gratitude to be part of a community that purposefully creates both the time and space for students to share their deepest truths and navigate vulnerability with remarkable courage.

The Multidimensional Benefits of Public Speaking

The Hays Speaking Prize develops skills beyond the fundamentals of public speaking. Research shows structured speaking programs increase communication confidence, leadership capacity, and willingness to engage with complex topics. The competitive environment demands rigorous preparation, requiring students to organize thoughts coherently and develop evidence-based arguments. This process cultivates essential communication skills – from articulation to body language – skills fundamental for future academic and professional success.

Additionally, students raise awareness about important issues while practicing constructive and civic discourse. This platform encourages participants to research topics deeply, enhancing their understanding while enabling them to educate others effectively. The exposure to well-articulated arguments from various perspectives broadens understanding and encourages critical thinking.

Perhaps most important of all, the process of crafting a Hays speech provides a framework for self-awareness through narrative reflection. This deliberate reflection helps students organize disparate thoughts, weave life events into meaningful patterns, and extract purpose from their experiences as they develop a clearer sense of self – who they are and who they want to become.

Celebrating Others

When watching the announcement of winners during Friday's Spring Family Weekend outdoor assembly, I was struck by the three winners’ genuine smiles as their names were called. More revealing, however – a detail I noticed more clearly when reviewing video footage later – was how their applause erupted into thunderous cheers when their fellow speakers were recognized. The celebration of their peers consistently outshone their acknowledgment of personal achievement.

This moment perfectly illustrated a culture where community members genuinely celebrate each other's successes. That is the essence of the Proctor community. As one current Proctor parent observed:

"What a gift that Proctor gives to all students - not only to learn how to craft and present a compelling speech, but also fostering a community environment where students feel confident and comfortable sharing openly and vulnerably with their peers."

View Photos from Proctor's Spring Family Weekend