Public Speaking: A Necessary Platform for Advocacy

       This last week I was blessed to be flown out to Plymouth, Vermont by the Coolidge Speech and Debate Program to compete in the national speech and debate tournament after winning the “Best-in-State” title and qualifying as a top 10 finalist of 237 competitors. After competing in the state speech league for three years, I was excited to meet others from around the country of outstanding caliber who hold lots of the same passions. 

Each speech competitor was tasked with speaking their own interpretations of President Calvin Coolidge’s speeches. With four speeches being assigned, but one being chosen and prepared, I was left with a wide array of Coolidge’s presidential speeches to choose from. After discussing with my coach Pranav Chati, a past speech competitor at my high school, we landed on his 1924 speech: What it Means to Be a Boy Scout. My selection was based on my personal goals to inspire the youth and fellow competitors, as President Coolidge inspires us to exemplify the best of America through the moral fundamentals of nature, law, and God all throughout the speech. I left the audience with the president’s method to “make a great contribution toward a better understanding of our country” by simply holding a reverence for the truth, and living by it.

I left nationals with five declamation speeches delivered and a 4th place trophy, a token of success both me and my family are grateful to have achieved. 

This speech tournament being my last of junior year, I came home with recollections of my public speaking journey, reminding myself that this activity is larger than the palpable competitive stage. Throughout high school, I’ve been fortunate enough to have had the opportunites to speak on vehicles of change that have been employed in my high school and can be in school districts all across America. How Elevating Student Voice Can Change School Culture was an initiative supported by my district administration and staff, specifically Dr. Robyn Jordan and Mrs. Soroya Smith. I was the student representative of the Big Rock team: a district staff team with nominated students designed to cultivate three big rocks: inclusive excellence, culture, and personalized learning. Since my sophomore year of high school, I have had the privilege to speak at student achievement committees, student panels, board conferences, and more.

Notably, two high school seniors and I presented to the Ohio Department of Education’s Academic Excellence for All conference and educators at the national level for the ASCD 2023 conference. Being the youngest individual and only student to speak at this conference, I felt empowered to share how other schools can change culture with focus groups, feedback, staff-led teams, and most importantly, motivated students.

Now, I plan to stay involved in the public speaking world in both spheres: for competitive success and advocacy. 

To instill confidence in teens to create change within their own communities, I founded Declamate, a free public speaking program to provide every student with a voice to not only compete but foster newfound change. By partnering with schools in the Cincinnati area, I hope to spread the word about free speech camps so all youth can have access to speech delivery techniques and exposure to complex topics.

To share the stories of others and bridge the gaps of controversial topics, my friend and I attend Cincinnati’s very own Fountain Square with a simple message: free conversations. Listening to so many voices, experiencing welcoming and supportive members of the town I’ve grown up in, and holding various discussions from diversity to politics has taught me what large of a platform public speaking can form.

Although my high school speech career is coming to an end, my passion for speaking is not. By doing the small things like giving a few resources to a school through declamate.org or holding conversations with the people of Cincinnati, I hope to instill confidence, bridge gaps, and foster change in my communities with the power of public speaking.