COMMUNITY
Meet the Interns The National Speech & Debate Association is pleased to announce six new Rostrum publications interns for the 2018-2019 school year.
Emily Grantham Emily is a senior at Kingwood High School in Texas. She competes in Public Forum and Extemporaneous Speaking, and currently is a member of the USA Debate Team. She was a finalist in World Schools Debate at the 2017 NSDA Nationals, competing with her district team. Outside of speech and debate, Emily is a passionate advocate for women’s rights and is the co-president of the Kingwood Chapter of Girls Learning International, an organization that aims to promote awareness and advocacy for gender equality. In her free time, Emily enjoys volunteering in her community and with her church to promote Hurricane Harvey relief.
Eleanor Hildebrandt Eleanor is currently a senior at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Iowa. She qualified to the 2017 and 2018 NSDA National Tournament in Congressional Debate and serves as a captain on the Roosevelt speech and debate team. Eleanor is heavily involved in the Des Moines community; she served as a campaign fellow for Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign and is the community outreach intern for the Downtown Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. Her coach Quentin Hardt describes her as a dedicated and talented individual. “She takes everything thrown at her in stride, and consistently exceeds any expectations set in front of her.”
Greyson Koinzan Greyson is a senior at Mountain Vista High School in Colorado. She competes in Poetry, Congressional Debate, and Policy Debate. Mountain Vista’s coach Shannon Vance credits Greyson for the tremendous growth the team has seen under Greyson’s leadership as captain. “Greyson’s enthusiasm, maturity, and tenacity are welcoming qualities; she is responsible for our growth to the top three team in our district and the top eight team in our state.” In her free time, Greyson also serves
as a co-editor of Mountain Vista Media in all three facets: the student print-publication Eagle Eye, the student website MV Media, and with the Aerie yearbook.
Aiden Kwen Aiden is currently a junior at Tenafly High School in New Jersey. He competes in Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum Debate. This year, Aiden was named Kungus ACTS first ever debate captain because of his leadership skills and passion for mentoring younger team members. His coach David Brown describes Aiden as someone who “inspires those on his team to hold themselves to a higher standard and encourages them to push past their own limits.” Outside of debate, Aiden serves as the senior editor for Tenafly’s online newspaper, The Echo, and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Leila Saklou Leila is a senior at Kingwood High School in Texas. She competes in Public Forum, Extemporaneous Speaking, World Schools Debate, and is a member of the USA Debate Team. Outside of debate, Leila competes in Texas State French Symposium competition in Dramatic Interpretation. She also is co-president of her school’s Girl’s Learning International Chapter and Equality Club, which aims to promote advocacy for women’s rights and gender equality. She is also an officer for her school’s French Club. In her free time, she fundraises for the Global Soap Project to donate soaps to families in developing countries and raise awareness for preventable diseases.
Yash Wadwekar Yash is a freshman at Phoenix Country Day in Arizona. At the 2018 NSDA Middle School Nationals, Yash was a double champion in Prose and Dramatic Interpretation. His coach C. Ryan Joyce is constantly impressed by his maturity. “In my nearly 25 years involved in speech and debate, I have yet to come across a more inquisitive, curious, and self-taught student than Yash Wadwekar.” Outside of speech and debate, Yash is extremely active in his community. This past year after the Stoneman Douglas tragedy, Yash founded an organization called Writers Over Rifles that writes letters, legislation, and articles to advocate for gun control policies.
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