Iwas recently recognized as the Colorado Outstanding Speech and Debate Educator. I was honored and surprised to receive such a prestigious award. One of my fellow coaches had nominated me, and part of that process was listing all the things that I had accomplished in the field of speech and debate. This list was published alongside the official announcement. I am a little embarrassed to admit that I took the time to read that list. And it occurred to me that, yes, I have done many things, and the list is admirable; but it also occurred to me that I did not do those things for the accolades that I have received. So why did I do all those things?
I coach and teach speech and debate because I see the transformations it causes to occur in students. Transformations that carry on into their adult lives. When a person is able to see the world, and all its differing opinions and philosophies, and then analyze those aspects and create their own thoughts and opinions based on those observations, they become a well-informed, empathetic, reasonable, and understanding individual. I want to see a world full of people like that.
When a person learns their ideas and thoughts matter, and then they take those ideas and share them with others, they are able to create a community that listens to one another in order to understand and not to simply win an argument. They create a community that will take ideas and put them into action in order to make changes in this world that will help all humanity. I want to see a world full of people like that.
When a person realizes that they have the skill to create art with their words, and they choose to create, hone, and perfect that craft in order to present something that makes people feel joy, love, compassion, sadness, and any other emotion, they bring people together over the shared appreciation for the complexities seen in humanity. I want to see a world full of people like that.
So as I read over my list of accomplishments, I did not see a list of accolades, or awards, or hours of time and dedication; instead, I saw a running log of incredible people doing amazing things in order to make the world a better place, and I am so blessed to be able to say that I had a part to play in that process. That is why I choose to do what I do, and why I put so much into the activity of speech and debate.
