Courtesy of Wekiva High School
Key Points
- Wekiva High School students ranked high at the National Civics and Debate Championship held Jan. 16-19 in Orlando with over 300 participants from 15 states.
- Junior Andrea Lara took second place in impromptu speaking and senior Diego Alvarez ranked in the top 20 nationally for extemporaneous debate.
- The National Civics and Debate Championship was sponsored by the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative and the Florida Department of Education.
Wekiva High School (WHS) students performed well at the recent National Civics and Debate Championship against over 300 high school students from 15 states, ranking high on the list of event honors.
Sponsored by the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative in partnership with the Florida Department of Education, the National Civics and Debate Championship tested students’ civic knowledge, debate skills and perseverance in various debate events that took place Jan. 16-19 in Orlando.
“We experienced record-breaking participation, unforgettable moments and the highest level of competition we’ve ever seen,” the National Civics and Debate Championship posted Monday on Instagram.
Wekiva students received individual honors for their debate skills. Junior Andrea Lara finished second place overall in impromptu speaking. Senior Diego Alvarez ranked in the top 20 nationally for extemporaneous debate.
Wekiva seniors Azul Garcia and Daniel Idowu, juniors Joyce Chasya Dadje and Gloria Pierre, and freshman Zanaya Bailey also competed at the national tournament.
“Competing against a massive field of over 300 high school students from 15 states, our team proved they are among the best in the country,” Wekiva principal Anthony Russell wrote in his weekly school newsletter.