My first debate tournament went well. I made it to the semi-finals – a feat deemed unattainable by someone in their first debate. In this round we were clearly outmatched. The opposing team had been debating for years and subsequently, their case was much more solid. After the debate was over my partner and I left the room immediately, too bummed out to have to stay and listen to the negative commentary. We had just taken our seats in the auditorium of about a hundred people when they host of the tournament came through the door, and gave a look of pure confusion. “Why aren’t you two up there getting ready?!” she said hastily; and all of a sudden everything changed. Chris and I ran outside the room to let loose with some giddy screaming and jumping, just long enough for us to compose ourselves and get back inside to debate.

As I said, the finals were in an auditorium in front of close to a hundred people. This was a personal test because public speaking had always been an issue for me. I knew the results would be close. Unfortunately, I lost the debate by a two to one vote; however, the skills that I gained that day had a lasting affect as I eventually went on to succeed at several other prestigious debate tournaments.