Naomi Lapp Klassen, recent graduate, wins binational oratorical contest

Naomi Lapp Klassen, a recent graduate of Goshen College, won first prize in the Mennonite Central Committee’s 2025 binational intercollegiate C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest. Her speech, “Engaging with Mass Incarceration: Seeking Agency and Sight,” won at Goshen College’s contest in February.

Lapp Klassen, who graduated in May with a double major in history and criminal and restorative justice, received a $500 cash award along with a $500 conference scholarship from MCC. Currently, she is completing a long-term volunteer program at Corrymeela Community, a retreat center focused on peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

“I am incredibly honored,” Lapp Klassen said of her award. “As a young person entering a world that often feels lacking in hope and restorative vision, it is encouraging to hear that my thoughts regarding mass incarceration and engagement within local communities have resonated with others.”

She added, “I’d also love to give a sincere thank you to my advisor, Robert Brenneman, and contest organizer Anna Groff for making this speech possible in the first place! Goshen College holds such a warm place in my heart, and I cherish the lifelong connections and diverse opportunities I received as a student there.” Brenneman is a professor of criminal justice and sociology and director of both the honors program and the criminal and restorative justice program; Groff is an associate professor of communication.

There were six finalists in this year’s binational contest. Rylee Weishaupt from Hesston College took second place, while Teena Faust from Conrad Grebel University College earned third.

This year’s judges were Joanne Gallardo (conference minister of Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference of Mennonite Church USA), Robert Suderman (former general secretary of Mennonite Church Canada, and Mennonite World Conference secretary and chair of the Peace Commission) and Saji Oommen (director for global engagement with Five & Two Network).

The C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest, sponsored by the U.S./Canada Mennonite Central Committee, provides students with a platform to engage in meaningful discourse and advocate for peace. The contest honors the legacy of C. Henry Smith, a revered Mennonite historian and professor, by empowering students to develop their rhetorical skills and contribute to the cause for peace.