By Benjamin Smith
Staff Writer
Vol State hosted its annual Story Slam in the Caudill Hall Auditorium, where students shared true, personal stories from their lives. The Communication Studies department organized the event and allowed students to present short, unscripted stories lasting two to four minutes.
The 2025 Story Slam featured 11 student speakers. Naomi Kate Grissom (center) won first place and a $100 prize for her story titled Bad News. Aaron Carpenter (right) placed second with his story, A Big Win, and received $75. Third place went to Anna Johnson (left), who won $50 for her story A Hike to Remember. Students who attended the event voted for the winners at the end of the program via a QR code. Faculty organizers handed out the prizes after the votes were tallied.
Story Slam has been held annually since 2019. According to Communication Studies Professor Sheri Waltz, the event was initially conceived by Professor Shellie Michael in 2019. “Assistant Professor of Communication Ines Petrovic-Garcia and Shellie Michael host this event each year for the Communication Studies department,” Waltz said. “We were looking for a way for students to connect outside the classroom, and in 2019, storytelling was having a large resurgence.” Communication Studies Chair Karen Hill also served as this year’s MC.
Waltz also said the event gives students “a rare opportunity to connect beyond speeches, assignments, and classroom walls.” She explained that by sharing personal stories—whether funny, meaningful, or deeply vulnerable—students can see one another as real people with unique experiences. “Listening to these stories builds empathy, strengthens a sense of community, and helps students recognize shared challenges,” she said. Waltz added that Story Slam events create a supportive space where student voices can be heard, confidence can grow, and participants can learn to value diverse perspectives.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Story Slam continued online. Waltz said the department held the event virtually to maintain the connection and sense of community it fostered each year.
This year’s Story Slam included a first for the college. “This is the first year that we have had dual-enrolled students come to campus to participate,” Waltz said. “During the year the event was held online, one dual enrollment student also participated virtually.”
Story Slam was the idea of Professor Shellie Michael, who said she developed the concept because of her personal connection to storytelling. She worked with Sheri Waltz to write a grant proposal and received funding that enabled them to create a storytelling curriculum and the annual Story Slam.
“I come from a family that values storytelling,” Michael said. “Stories are entertaining and forge bonds. We foster connection and empathy by sharing and hearing tales of difficulties, triumphs, and lessons learned. We discover commonalities, and we discover what makes each of us unique.”
Michael also took inspiration from events like The Moth, a group dedicated to the craft of storytelling based in New York City.
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