I choose to speak so as to amplify the voices of the silenced. Speech and Debate is a powerful medium through which I awaken consciousness to crucial issues that affect society. When uncomfortable topics are examined and distilled, empathy leads to advocacy. The following is a sampling of pieces that have not only garnered awards, they have served as my soul’s lifeblood:

Drawing on my own personal history as an elementary school child with a severe lisp, I compiled works of poetry and prose and performed a piece I entitled “Word Wonder.”

Adoption is an arduous process for a parent, but adult children experience alienation that is relegated to the shadows. I explore these issues in Rock Wilk’s, “Broke Wide Open.”

“Broke Wide Open” (2021-2022), Dramatic Interpretation.

September 11, 2011: A day born in blue skies and choked by fire. I compiled multiple works of poetry and entitled my piece, “A Plume of Smoke to Remember.”

“A Plume of Smoke to Remember” (2020-2021), Oral Interpretation.

In The Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort experiences the highs of money and drugs and then tries to obtain redemption.

The Wolf of Wall Street as a Redemption Story (2020-2021), Dramatic Interpretation.

Accomplishments and Honors in Speech and Debate:

President of the Forensics Society for the 2022-2023 school year.

Current Ranking Status:

2,528 Merit Points earned (1% of all competitors in the Nation)

Fourth in the state of NJ overall (all categories combined)

First in Dramatic and Oral Interpretation (NJ)

Third in Expository Speaking and in Storytelling (NJ)

Fourth in Program Oral Interpretation (NJ)

Top 30 of 1,000 participants in the Nation overall (all categories combined)

Third in Dramatic Interpretation (Nation)

Individual Placements:

National Speech and Debate Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, 2022: Placed Seventh in Prose Speaking, Octofinalist in Poetry Speaking.

National Speech and Debate Tournament, 2021: Octofinalist in Poetry Speaking.

Tournament of Champions, 2022: Oral Interpretation Semifinalist.

NJ State Tournament: placed Second in Oral Interpretation (2021), Third in Program Oral Interpretation (2022), and Fourth in Dramatic Interpretation (2022).

University of Pennsylvania, 2022: Placed Third in Oral Interpretation.

Princeton University, 2022: Semifinalist in Dramatic Interpretation

Princeton University, 2020: Placed Third in Oral Interpretation.

Yale University, 2021: Semi-finalist in Oral Interpretation; Quarter-finalist in Dramatic Interpretation.

Harvard University, 2022: Octofinalist in Oral Interpretation and Dramatic Interpretation.

Qualified for Nationals three times (2020-2022).

Received six gold medals at the Speech and Debate Tournament of Champions (2019-2022).

Placed First in numerous categories at multiple local events, including the Summit High School Tournament, Randolph High School Tournament, etc. (2019-2022).

In total, I have completed over fifty tournaments since my freshman year.

2019-2022: Dedicated time over the summer to recruit new students and help prepare them for the upcoming year.

2022: Petitioned for and started a Summer Speech and Debate program at Delbarton to mentor elementary school students interested in Speech and Debate.

2022: Started an educational workshop to uproot stigmas regarding speech impediments.

2022: Taught a class at Summit High School about Program Oral Interpretation.