“I’ve used water today. And so have you.”

That’s how Lily MacDonald, a graduate student studying Strategic Communication at American University, opened her speech.

Originally from Scotland, MacDonald moved to Washington, D.C., in August 2025 on a Fulbright Scholarship.

Near the end of the spring semester, students in a speechwriting course taught by Professor Eric Schnure were tasked with delivering a short speech advocating for a cause that was personally meaningful to them.

MacDonald chose water.

More specifically, she chose to talk about what happens when it’s not there.

“When I first started