Terrebonne Parish native Emma Adams wins First Place in prestigious University of Tennessee Public Speaking Contest

Congratulations to Terrebonne Parish’s own Emma Adams, who recently won first place in the prestigious McClung Public Speaking Contest at the University of Tennessee.

The McClung Public Speaking Contest is a semi-annual competition at the University of Tennessee which showcases the informative speaking talents of students taking the Public Speaking course (CMST 210). Teachers and judges systematically select a handful of presenters from a pool of about 900 students every semester who then compete for prizes.

A Vandebilt Catholic High graduate and current university sophomore, Emma beat out hundreds of other students in multiple rounds of competition with her informative presentation on Princess Diana’s fashion influence within the United Kingdom. She officially cinched first place in the final round on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

“It was such an honor to be nominated in the first place, and it felt great to have my professor recognize my hard work,” said Adams. “I kept the mindset of just doing the best I could through each round, and even though I was nervous, I knew it was important to just get out there and do my best whatever happened. It was just an honor to be there.”

Adams is currently majoring in Marketing with a concentration in Customer and Brand Strategies, and a minor in Advertising/Public Relations and Event Planning and Design. She hopes to one day start her own event planning businesses.

Congratulations for this exceptional accomplishment!