NOVA Loudoun MSTB Dean Mike Davis Wins DC GrandSLAM Championship

Mike Davis, NOVA’s Loudoun Campus Dean of the Math, Science, Technology and Business (MSTB), recently won the DC GrandSLAM Championship, described as “the ultimate storytelling competition.” Davis took the top prize in the event sponsored by the New York City–based nonprofit group The Moth.

Davis teaches chemistry to NOVA’s pre-nursing students, and his winning story recounted the immense fear he and his wife experienced when they encountered complications during the birth of their son. Mike was comforted by the fact that the nurse, Jamie, was one of his former students. As he looked around, he realized that there were no fewer than six nurses on the unit who were former students! 

Held on May 21 at the Theatre at Capital Turnaround event venue in the Navy Yard, the Championship brought together previous DC StorySLAM winners for the GrandSLAM.

Davis won a DC StorySLAM last year by telling the story of building the world’s largest periodic table using windows in a Chicago skyscraper.

StorySLAM open microphone storytelling competitions are held in cities throughout the country, with 10 volunteer participants chosen at random from each audience. The storytellers stand in front of a microphone and, without notes, tell a true five-minute story. Judges are selected from the audience, and each storyteller is scored based on storytelling ability and story content. After 10 winners are selected in each city, they advance to the GrandSLAM Championships using the same judging rules.

Click here to view Mike’s winning story. It’ll be seven minutes well spent!

Submitted by:
Bob Hull, NOVA Foundation, RHull@nvcc.edu