ESCANABA — Rhyan Murtha has been selected as the 2021 Student Commencement Speech Contest winner. Murtha will graduate with an associate in arts degree from Bay College.

During her time at Bay, she was a member of the first women’s cross country track team, served as a trained supplemental instruction leader, and was a tutor for courses related to English, biology, sociology, psychology, and anthropology.

Murtha is currently attending Northern Michigan University, where she plans to graduate in December with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education language arts and a minor in integrated sciences.

She spends time volunteering at Lake Superior Village in Marquette and is part of Transfer 101, a volunteer program at NMU that helps students navigate the transfer process.

Her winning speech can be viewed at the upcoming commencement ceremony. Bay College will launch the virtual 2021 hybrid commencement ceremony on the college’s website www.baycollege.edu/commencement and social media sites on April 24.