The five finalists were selected last month for Tufts' Wendell Phillips Memorial Scholarship Award, an annual honor given to one upperclassman who has demonstrated a high sense of public responsibility and a talent for public speaking.
The finalists will be narrowed down to a single winner, who will speak at this year's commencement ceremony and will receive a cash prize.
According to Committee on Student Life (CSL) Chair Colin Orians, each finalist embodies the spirit of Wendell Phillips, a man who was known in mid-1800s Boston for his abolitionist efforts and great oratory skills.
The five students selected as finalists this year are seniors Harsha Dronamraju, Anna Gollub, Meredith Pickett, Alex Pryor and junior Jessica Snow.
"Everybody comes in with different backgrounds," Orians said. "[Their work] is usually something that they are passionate about and have shown dedication towards. It could be towards the political process, it could be in a homeless shelter, it could be something they did when they were abroad for the year."
According to Orians, the nomination process begins in early fall. Students generally receive nominations from their peers, teachers or faculty members, but also have the option to nominate themselves.
Once nominated, students receive an application package from CSL, Orians said.
"The CSL puts together two topics that they want students to respond to, and every year it's a different set of topics. Students write a short essay and do a short oral piece, which they burn onto a CD," Orians said.
The inclusion of the oral piece in the submission is important, since the ability to speak well is a large factor in deciding who receives the award and thus is allowed to speak at commencement.
CSL members listened to the CDs and examined the nominees' résumés with attention to students' activism and volunteering experience. The CSL members each ranked nominees on a one-to-five basis, then convened last month to agree on finalists.
Pryor, a finalist, has demonstrated proficiency in public speaking and a dedication to her peers through her work with the Tufts Community Union Senate. She currently serves as the Senate's historian.
"The Senate is a great way to give back to your most immediate community, which is Tufts," Pryor said.
She said that she was "totally surprised" to receive a nomination. "It would be such an honor to speak at graduation," she said.
Along with the other finalists, Pryor is preparing for an oral presentation on Mar. 3 that will mark the last step in the selection process.
Orians explained that the presentations will consist of a three-to-five minute speech in which students are asked to describe how their time at Tufts has affected the ways in which they plan to serve their respective community or communities.
"There are, like, a thousand answers to this question," Pryor said. "I'm working on coming up with the best one."
Finalist Meredith Pickett also said that her nomination came as a surprise.
"I would love to speak at graduation," she said. "I have really enjoyed my four years here and I think it would be an awesome way to end it and really represent my class ... It would be totally unique to speak at your college graduation."
Pickett explained that most of her public service revolves around her dedication to the political cause.
"I think I have a very big political focus ... My courses here have been focused towards politics and taking my service into the public sector. I see politics as a huge way to serve my community here."
She added that she was still thinking about the response she would give at her oral presentation.
"I'm trying to make my answer very broad and look not just at the typical things you learn at Tufts, but what its really taught me about people and this country and how it can help me in my future career in politics," she said.
Gollub, another finalist, is also still thinking about the best way to formulate her response for the oral presentation.
"It's a great question, and I have a lot to say," she said. "I really like the topic."
Most of Gollub's work on campus has revolved around her dedication to women's rights issues and public policy. "My [senior] thesis involves a lot of community participatory methodologies," she added.
The winner will be announced within two days of the final presentations.
Finalists Dronamraju and Snow could not be reached for comment.
