The 2022-2023 Speech and Debate has finally come to an end, and honestly, as someone who has been doing Speech and Debate for the past three years, I am a bit sad and relieved that my Speech and Debate career is ending. Despite the many ups and downs that have occurred within these past four years, Speech and Debate has remained a constant in my life and has taught me to face these challenges head on. Without the many values I’ve learned from not only the activity, but also the team as well, I wouldn’t have been able to have attained half the confidence I have today when it comes to unexpected situations, especially public speaking circumstances.

As I depart from the team, I want to thank my fellow seniors for making my time with the team as memorable as it was. They have grown with me throughout these years, and I am very proud of each and every one of them for sticking with Speech and Debate despite the trials that life has thrown at them.

Secondly, I want to thank my dearest novices this year. They have been such a pleasure to be around and have kept me entertained this entire year with their silly antics and charming personalities. They all have so much potential and have grown a lot over the course of this year alone, and I can’t wait to see what new heights they will achieve as they progress through their high school career.

Another group of people I’m grateful for are my Ad-lib teammates. Without their unconditional support, I don’t think I would have done so well this year, and I enjoyed teaching every one of them and helping them practice their speeches. They are all very talented people, and I know they will do great things in the future with their aptitude and skill.

Finally, I’d like to thank Mr. Rumsey for being an awesome coach. He let me join the team after my mom called him and let him know of my prior experience at Speech and Debate camp. He is the glue that holds our team together, and I truly hope our team realizes how extremely lucky they are to have him as their coach. He has stuck by with us for six years and has helped all of us grow into the people that we are today.

I really enjoyed my team with the Arizona College Prep High School Speech and Debate team and all the memories and friends I made along my way to becoming a senior on the team. I’m so proud of everything our team has done since we first began, and I’m ecstatic to see the team’s growth for as long as time will allow.