For the first time, an NAU student took home first place for storytelling at the annual Regents’ Cup. Benjamin Winkler, a philosophy, politics and law major, won a $15,000 scholarship for his top-notch oration.
The speech and debate competition presented by the Arizona Board of Regents, which took place Saturday, brings together students from NAU, ASU and UA to flex their skills and share different points of view in a civil way. The theme this year was liberty and responsibility.
Winkler spoke to The NAU Review about his experience preparing for and participating in the Regents’ Cup.
Why did you get involved in Regents’ Cup? Why did you pick storytelling?
I was introduced to the Regents’ Cup competition by a previous professor, Russell Pryba, who suggested I send in an application. I was interested in the course, not only because of my passion for public speaking but because of the incredible opportunity to meet professional judges and Arizona leaders. When deciding between storytelling and debate, I chose storytelling because of my interest in presenting and policy work. Storytelling became a great way for me to share my ideas and personal experiences without the stress of live debate.
How did you prepare?
From the start, I knew that I would be expected to memorize a 10-minute speech over the course of two and a half months. To prepare, I came up with potential ideas early on. Since storytelling operates as a combination of personal experiences, the theme of the competition (Liberty and Responsibility for 2026) and policy issues, the brainstorming process was one of the most difficult steps. That said, I believe it is important for any student interested in storytelling to first think of what policy issues relate to the theme, then move into personal reflection on how an experience in your life relates to that topic. Then I spent weeks curating the structure and progression of my story, only moving to memorize the speech once the draft was finalized about two weeks prior to the competition.
Most important, however, was the collaborative aspect of this preparation. I sought advice constantly from the other NAU storytellers, presenting my speech in different ways and gauging how to best engage my audience. Words cannot describe the community I found in this preparation course. I am positive that it is through their support that I found the confidence to make it to the end of the competition.
How did you feel going into the competition? How did the performance go?
Going into the competition, I was incredibly nervous. I struggled to eat the night before, focused only on preparing for my speech. The morning of, the stress peaked. But the support of other NAU students quickly calmed those fears. By the first round, I walked in not just ready to present, but excited to talk to the other students from ASU and UofA. The first performance went great, but as the rounds moved on, I became increasingly confident in my ability to present to larger audiences.
What did you think when you won?
To be honest, I couldn’t think at all when they announced I had won. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. We are our own worst critics, so I found myself too inspired by the other presenters to imagine winning first place. As I walked up on that stage to receive the award, I felt the support of my coaches and other students from all three universities. The praise was endless—from affirming pats on the back, to handshakes, to hugs from the friends I had made along the way. By the time I walked off the stage, all I could think about was sharing the victory with other NAU students who helped me get there.