Congratulations to all of our teams for an amazing run at the State Championships hosted at the Hamilton Grange School.! And a special congrats to Megan Gu and Hillary Jacques for earning speaker awards. Then, Katherine Lai and Amber Shen continued on day 2 with a winning record in the highest division at the state championships reaching double octo-final. Finally, Hillary who competed as a maverick, 1 person team, and the youngest debater at the tournament in 4th grade wowed the judges reaching octo-finals.
Hillary in particular showed her true colors by not only stepping up and becoming a one person team, but by also becoming the youngest debater at the tournament (she's in the fourth grade). She amazed the judges as she argued whether or not the United Nations should grant India permanent membership on the Security Council, after leaving Day One undefeated. She reached octo-final. All told, we couldn't be more proud of our entire team and we cannot wait to see the impact they make next.
While the effects of debate on the confidence and public speaking of our Early Scholars debaters is undeniable, the development of well-rounded characters is even more impressive. Early Scholars does not only seek to improve students’ public speaking abilities but to also turn them into leaders. While competing in the high stakes octo-finals at the 2019 New York State championships, Early Scholars students Katherine Lai and Amber Shen used their time between rounds to encourage and mentor younger competitors new to the debate arena. Their selfless endeavors, no doubt, helped these newcomers feel better prepared for their debates.
Taken together, Katherine Lai and Amber Shen in particular made their presence known on Day 2, with a winning record that finally culminated in a double octo-final. Likewise, we offer an enthusiastic congratulations to Megan Gu and Hillary Jacques, each of whom earned coveted speaker awards.
Hillary Jacques (Speaker award & Octo-finalist)
Amber Shen & Katherine Lai (Octo-finalist)
Megan Gu (speaker award)
