The Ely Prize in Public Speaking

By Ethan Mendez Class of 2028

Editor’s Note: The Ely Prize was originally given by a member of the Class of 1892 in memory of his mother, and is presented to the student who gave the best speech in the Global Seminar Public Speaking Competition.

Wouldn’t It Be Nice if It Were Universal?

As a little kid, life wasn’t what most people would call normal. I spent a lot of time in hospitals, appointments, surgeries, and long stays at the hospital that made the walls of those hospitals feel almost like home, knowing the nurses and doctors who treated me with care, always being playful with me. At the time, I didn’t understand what was happening or why. All I knew was that I had to keep going, keep showing up, even when I didn’t feel like I had the strength to. 

And in these moments, the scary ones, the painful ones, the quiet ones at midnight when all I could hear was the machines beeping and I couldn’t sleep, there was always someone with me. My mom, my family. Through every hardship, they were there. Supporting me, comforting me, just… BEING there, even when they couldn’t fix whatever was going on with me. And back then, I never realized just how lucky I was.

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