Tanner Speakman shows students that opportunities at UAH are endless 

By Lucy Alred

Tanner Speakman sets a high bar for campus involvement: College of Business Student Ambassador, Student Government Association (SGA) student body president, Sales Club vice president, Tennessee Association of Alcohol, Drug and other Addiction Services (TAADAS) operations and financial analyst and Order of Omega Honor Society chapter president. He’s also a full-time economics student. 

When Speakman first arrived on campus, his mind was set on an engineering degree. However, after taking some classes, he discovered that his heart was leading him to economics. Making the decision to switch was hard, but he ultimately found that the College of Business was the right fit for him. 

“Switching into the College of Business was the moment everything shifted,” said Speakman. “It was the first time I felt I had found a community where I could build something meaningful, contribute to others and grow into the kind of leader I wanted to become.”

As a vital part of so many organizations and clubs, he has led efforts that have raised over $250,000 in charity for multiple different causes. 

As a College of Business Ambassador, Speakman has a direct impact on students and their college experience, which he says is his favorite part. In this position, he connects with students in order to ensure they have all of the support they need at all times. Remembering how he felt when he first arrived, he gets fulfillment from helping others find their place. 

“As I settled into the College of Business, I quickly realized how much the COB had already given me, and I wanted to give back even more. Serving as a College of Business Ambassador has already allowed me to support prospective students who, like me, were searching for their place.”

Speakman carries the same values into his professional career as an operations and financial analyst at TAADAS. He has rebuilt their systems, revamped workflows and led statewide programs, all in hopes of leading the company into a better place than how he found it. Because of these efforts, he was promoted and offered a full-time position upon graduation in May 2027. 

Speakman has long appreciated life in the fast lane. When he was 18, he started his own stock car racing team. Even though he has since backed off racing himself, he was able to start volunteering with the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and is now traveling the country alongside NASCAR drivers in his spare time. 

Alongside all of these positions and titles, one of the most honorable things about Speakman is his growth. From a freshman who had no idea where to go next, to a thriving economics and finance student now, his level of focus and ambition was the game changer, but one thing was always the same: his character. 

“What matters most to me about my time at UAH is not how I started, but how I grew. Being able to contribute to something larger than myself has been one of the most meaningful parts of my college experience.”