Gentil Karangwa and Jackson Blake Win the Spring 2026 “Best of the Best” Speech Contest at Baylor

The Spring 2026 version of Baylor University’s “Best of the Best” speech contest was held on Monday, May 4, 2026. Communication Department graduate students nominate the best speakers from each of the 60 students in their public speaking groups. Those students give their final speeches before an audience of 200 students who vote to determine the outcome.

In the 8:00 am class (Section 01), the nominees for the best speaker contest were Caleb McNeill, a freshman ProSales/marketing major from Tulsa, Oklahoma; Gentil Karangwa, a freshman international studies major from Rwanda, now living in St. Louis, Missouri; Shayla Curtis, a sophomore exercise physiology major from Delta, Colorado; Kate Friesenharn, a freshman communication major from Boerne, Texas; Jaylon Brown-Delgado, a freshman finance and professional sales major from McKinney, Texas; and Julianna Ghafari, a sophomore biology major from Houston, Texas. The top speaker, as selected by the vote of the audience was Gentil Karangwa; the second place speaker was Shayla Curtis.

In the 9:05 am class (Section 02), the nominees for the best speaker contest were Levi Griem, a corporate communication major from Birmingham, Alabama; Tabitha Ruffin, a freshman management major from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Erica Smith, a freshman political science major from Prosper, Texas; and Jackson Blake, a freshman accounting and management information systems major from Aledo, Texas. The top speaker, as selected by the vote of the audience was Jackson Blake; the second place speaker was Tabitha Ruffin.

Dr. Rich Edwards, professor of communication, is the director of the large public speaking classes at Baylor University, and director of the Best of the Best Speech Contest.

Congratulations to the winners and to all nominees in the “Best of the Best” speech contest in the Spring 2026 semester at Baylor University!