Speaking
Public Speaking and Guest Lectures
"Jayla was absolutely and totally inspiring. Her topic was SO applicable to girls and women everywhere, especially during this time. As she was talking, all the girls in our GSG team group chat were going on about how bubbly she was, they loved her!"
Dr. Jayla Moody Marshall is a sought-after speaker whose work explores the intersections of equity, identity, and purpose in higher education and beyond. Drawing on her expertise as a scholar, storyteller, and practitioner, she creates thoughtful and engaging learning spaces rooted in care, criticality, and joy.
Below are some of her signature topics, informed by her guest lectures, graduation speeches, keynote talks, panels, and workshops across campuses, conferences, and community organizations. This is not an exhaustive list.
SIGNATURE SPEAKING TOPICS
Higher Education & Student Success
From Margins to Meaning: Cultivating Purpose Development for Historically Marginalized College Students
Creating a Plan for Your Dissertation: Tools for Structure, Joy, and Sustained Progress
The Graduate School Journey: Navigating Graduate School with Intention, Grace, and Strategy
Applying to Graduate School 101: Demystifying the Process and Centering Your Why
Leadership, Joy & Purpose
Finding Joy in Discomfort: Lessons in Growth and Becoming
Your Purpose is Peeking Out at You: Vocational Discernment for Emerging Leaders
Healthy Leadership: Leading with Boundaries, Wellness, and Authenticity
Equity and Changemaking
Civil Discourse on Campus: Dialogue, Difference, and Building Brave Spaces
Rooted Identities, Thriving Futures: Fostering Heritage and Innovation in Research
I’m a Changemaker. So What?: Moving from Awareness to Action in Equity Work
Watch Dr. Jayla Moody Marshall provide the Graduate Student Charge at the Spring 2025 NC State College of Education Commencement Ceremony. (23:00 - 29:00)
In January 2025, Dr. Jayla Moody Marshall moderated the Martin Luther King Jr. Campus Commemoration event at North Carolina State University.
Dr. Jayla Moody Marshall spoke with 40+ Black undergraduate women attending HBCUs across the country about cultivating and operating in purpose. This event was hosted by Braxton Simpson Enterprises, Inc.
Dr. Jayla Moody Marshall served as a panelist for The Placement Exchange, discussing the topic: “Bridging the Gap Integrating Theory and Practice in SAHE Graduate Programs.” Linked here.
Jayla shared a virtual stage with comedian and actress Maya Rudolph at the Girls Supporting Girls Conference in 2021.
Dr. Jayla Moody Marshall spoke to and provided tips and tools to the Georgia State University Goizueta Scholars about the graduate school applications. The Goizueta scholarship helps increase the number of students of Hispanic/Latinx heritage who enroll and complete their undergraduate degrees at Georgia State University, Jayla’s alma mater.
Dr. Jayla Moody Marshall presented at the 2024 ASHE CEP Mentor-Protégé Program. The program is intended to provide members of racially/ethnically minoritized populations with mutually beneficial mentoring relationships. At the event, Jayla shared tips and tricks on creating a dissertation plan.
