DISTRICT DETAILS
STUDENT OF THE YEAR: Knockout Nominations by Annie Reisener
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or the past ten years, we have had the pleasure of introducing the speech and debate community to six incredible finalists for the National Student of the Year award in June, but first these students are brought to our attention by their districts. Each NSDA district can select a District Student of the Year, who is then entered into the running for the national award. The students are evaluated anonymously by a group of coaches, and a panel meets with the six finalists for the national award in person at the National Tournament. The winner is announced during the National Awards Assembly. This process allows us to meet remarkable students who are well spoken, friendly, and incredibly bright. But it is not those characteristics that led us to meeting them in person. The most crucial factor in selecting the finalists is the initial nomination letter written for the district award, the best of which focus not on awards and accolades, but on who the student is, what they bring to their team, and how their speech and debate experience is helping them make a difference. The district nomination form asks for each student’s GPA, merit points, and the three speech and debate achievements of which the student it the most proud. The form concludes with a short essay from the nominating coach that answers the prompt, “Describe the extent to which the student has influenced their team, school, district, and the activity as a whole through their integrity, character, and service. Imagine that this student, if selected, would be asked to serve as a spokesperson for speech and debate—not because of achievement, but because of their attitude toward speech and debate, and what this activity does for young people.”
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How a coach answers this question is without a doubt the most important piece of the nomination. It’s important to remember when writing this nomination that it is not only reviewed by members of the district, but if a student is selected as the winner, it is used to determine whether they become a finalist for the national award. For that reason, context is incredibly important. While the initial reviewers of a nomination may know all the students personally, the national panel will not.
The most crucial factor in selecting National Student of the Year finalists is the initial nomination letter written for the district award. Many coaches choose to focus their essay on a student’s success in their event, but we’ve learned over the last ten years that the best nominations are those that skate over the student’s competitive records, remembering that those details have already been addressed by their merit points and the list of their top three achievements in the activity. Instead, the nominations of most of the finalists focus on personal anecdotes, are rich in detail, and give a clear picture of how the student personifies the NSDA Code of Honor.
Breaking It Down The 2017 National Student of the Year Panel was chaired by Dario Camara of Western High School in Florida. We asked Dario what made the finalists
stand out among dozens of students with perfect GPAs, state championships, and every award imaginable. One nomination letter remained clear in his mind, even months after reading it. “Derek Collins (Hattiesburg High School, MS) had a very detailed coach recommendation,” Dario remembers. “His coach was able to focus on the meaningful service projects Derek was involved in and related them to the mission of speech and debate. Derek was unique in that his application truly painted the picture of a great competitor tied to an accomplished leader. His coach also used language that had emotion and truly cemented Derek’s love for his projects—which made the application easy to read and relatable.” Derek’s nomination was written by Raphael Scott Waldrop, head coach at Hattiesburg High School. If you’re looking for a Student of the Year nomination essay expert, Scott Waldrop should be your go-to. Hattiesburg has produced two National Student of the Year award recipients in the ten years of the award’s history. Why? Scott is a great writer who coaches incredible kids. It’s clear in reading his nomination essay that he puts a great deal of thought and effort into his message about Derek. When you’re limited to 500 words, your language must be both concise and impactful. Scott has that formula down to a science. Despite Derek’s numerous accolades, Scott chose to focus on who Derek is as a person and what his speech and debate skills have allowed him to do in Hattiesburg. The letter begins: “Derek Collins will graduate as one of the most highly decorated students from Hattiesburg High School, but if you ask students from across the nation about him, few will mention his competition prowess. What is often mentioned in conversations are his mannerisms, demeanor, character, and, of course, his smile.” The reader immediately gets a sense of who Derek is, and as the essay goes on, we learn that Derek was inspired by personal conditions to create a health initiative for his school and his