Speech and Debate: Opening Mouthes, Ears and Eyes by Rachelle

Speech and Debate: Opening Mouthes, Ears and Eyes by Rachelle - December 2013 Scholarship Essay

I believe that high school debate is one of the most beneficial extracurricular activities a student can choose to participate in. As a former member of my school’s Speech and Debate team I was a part of an activity that allowed myself and my team mates to travel the country, increase our writing, research and public speaking skills, network with some of the most intelligent people across the nation and be engaged in one of the most socially rewarding activities that exists.

First, the activity requires that you research, write and present papers written on topics ranging from topics on the rights of former felons, the value of attorney client privilege, the value vs. the cost of a college education and the harms of Wikileaks to the United States’ national security. Beginning in my freshman year of high school I began to think critically, write, research and speak better than my peers because I was experientially learning and gaining valuable skills that my peers were not getting in the classroom.

In addition to the skills I learned that were very closely linked to academics I was learning how to socialize and network professionally as I was constantly interact with the elites in education across the country. Many coaches of teams (especially some of the best schools in the country like Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Harvard-Westlake) were principals, AP teachers, lawyers and many other professionals who gave me valuable knowledge and opportunities for success in my post high school career. To date I still use the information for small conversations we have had or my contacts to help find and take advantage of opportunities that come my way. Also the activity is for high school students but it also requires extreme professionalism. The activity requires that you dress in professional attire as well as address all individuals professionally.

The debate team at my high school was a program funded by the district’s budget and the program is very expensive to run and maintain considering the various entry fees, hotel costs and airfare. I am very thankful that our district expends such a generous budget to the team, as it is a very important activity for students. In addition to the skills I learned and networking opportunities I made I was able to travel across the country to states like Minnesota, California, and Georgia and as we are located on the east coast I visited many states in the New England region. I believe it is very important for students to be civically aware and that comes from traveling the country. I have seen extreme poverty and extreme wealth all on my debate tournaments and that has made me a well-rounded individual. Experiencing the different forms of life is very beneficial for all individuals because it allows us to maintain a degree of humility and allows us to also be humble. In addition civic education wards off ignorance on many levels because we realize that our lives do not just exist in a vacuum. In addition to my civic awareness I have acquired a concern for children who do not have as many opportunities as the wealthy. My school is unique in the fact that we are publicly funded because most programs are paid for by private funds from students’ families, if that was the case for my school I would have never been able to participate in the program. In addition many schools have funds to hire private coaches, which do extra work for their students. The debate community mirrors the real world in the fact that the more wealthy constituents are at the top “earners” (in this case, the highest ranked). This opportunity to participate in this activity has led me to found what I want to do with my life, which is to start a non-profit and help underprivileged youth travel and also have programs that help them gain access to a college education.

I want to personally thank you for considering me for this scholarship. I have had many great opportunities in my life and while financing my education is a struggle I am happy I am able to get an education. In the future I hope to help children from urban areas get out and experience the world to become more civically aware and I want to help provide funding and programs that will allow them to be successful scholars and get their degrees. Students should have programs that give them the knowledge to make the best decision or their college education and programs that allow them to get a college education that include free test preparation and scholarship programs. I completely know and understand my full potential as an individual and I want to help other’s reach theirs. I believe that I am an exemplary candidate for this scholarship and I can assure you that not only would the funds be used for their proper purposes but I promise that because of this gift of generosity I can in turn help another individual in need. I thank you fully for my consideration.