Pittsburg State criminal justice graduate Tiffany Steifart has earned national recognition for a speech confronting the reality of incarceration, turning a class assignment into a message with a nationwide impact.
Steifart, a 2025 graduate, was named the 2025 Norton Speaker’s Prize winner, a national competition recognizing top student speakers from colleges across the country.
Her speech, “The Going Once, Going Twice, Gone: Mechanisms of Criminal Punishment in America,” was formed in COMM 207 Speech Communication, drawing from both academic research and personal experiences.
“This recognition reflects the strength of foundational communication courses at Pittsburg State and the ability of our students to connect research, personal experience, and effective public speaking,” Dr. Troy Comeau said, chair of the Department of Communication. “To see this work emerge from COMM 207 and receive national recognition is a tremendous accomplishment.”
Steifert’s speech focuses on her son’s incarceration and the uncertainty her family faced while trying to stay connected to him within the American prison system.
“In my speech, I briefly introduced my son, Tyler, who was incarcerated at Crossroads Correctional Facility at the time,” Seifert said. “Writing and delivering this speech provided a platform for our voices to be heard.”
At times, that experience meant having no knowledge of his safety.
“For about a month, we had no idea if he was alive or dead,” she said. “I remember calling the prison for a wellness check. After a long wait, a staff member told me, ‘He’s okay… He was walking around his cell.’ At that time, walking was impossible.”
That experience was a steppingstone, creating an emotional foundation for this speech.
“The exhaustion, fear, and anger demanded an outlet, and speech became that release,” Seifert said.
But turning that emotion into an effective message requires control.
“There were moments when the emotion overwhelmed me, and I had to step back… and ground myself in what I could control,” she said.
Faculty members said that balance between personal experiences and research is what made the speech stand out at a national level.
“Tiffany’s speech combined a compelling personal perspective with thoughtful research, clear organization, and strong delivery,” Dr. Alicia M. Mason said, a professor of communication. “It addressed an important public issue in a manner that was both credible and memorable.”
Steifert said her coursework in criminal justice and sociology helped her better understand the systems behind her personal experience.
“My criminal justice classes and professors were essential to shaping this speech,” she said. “I hadn’t anticipated learning so much about the sociological realities and the ways corruption and money have influenced justice.”
“Many Americans reduce incarceration to ‘three hots and a cot,’ unaware of the grim reality inside,” Seifert said. “Prisoners often endure squalid conditions, unsafe environments, and unmet psychological needs.”
For Seifert, sharing her son’s story publicly was challenging.
“The same baby boy I once waited to hear cry in the delivery room responded with honest, raw, and heartbreaking abandon,” she said.
Still, she says telling that story was essential, not just for her, but for others.
“My hope is that the audience leaves with a renewed sense of collective responsibility. That true change begins with ‘We the People,’” she said. “Don’t passively accept surface-level headlines. Pursue a deeper understanding and always stand up for what is right.”
Now working with the Restorative Justice Authority, Seifert continues to advocate for change beyond the classroom into real-world work.
“I’m embracing life as a trust fall, always turning over stones,” she said.
Her speech, once an assignment, has now become part of a larger conversation, one that goes far beyond Pitt State.
“We all have a vital role in demanding accountability and shaping the future of our criminal justice system.”