CHAMPIONS CORNER
With so many events to choose from, how did you discover which ones best aligned with your strengths and interests?
MFAZ MOHAMED ALI The 2022 Humorous Interp national champion and recent graduate of Apple Valley High School in Minnesota is featured in the SPEAK. documentary that premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Here, she shares more about her speech and debate journey—and her path to becoming a TikTok sensation! — compiled by Amber Gracia
What initially drew you to speech and debate? One of my closest friends, Lucinda Standafer, who also competed in speech, told me to give it a shot! She felt I would enjoy it and that I would find some success. I was super hesitant to join at first and told her there
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was no way I would be able to memorize a 10-minute speech. I was super close to not joining, but I am so glad I did. Her pushing me to audition was the best decision ever. Little did I know, it was going to change my life. I definitely never imagined becoming a national champion, especially not as a novice!
Humorous Interpretation was a given for me. My TikTok videos are basically one-minute versions of HI, just without the popping. I play different characters, come up with stories, and act them out, so it felt very natural to compete in HI. I loved being able to do what I did on TikTok in longer form, with even more creativity and powerful messaging behind it. Oratory came to me my second year. During my 2022 Humorous Interp performance, I delivered an introduction that definitely had some Oratory magic in it! I related Muslim representation to my piece about American beauty pageants, and it felt so rewarding that a heartfelt message received such a positive response from the audience. After that, I knew my advocacy couldn’t stop there. My coaches recommended I give Oratory a chance. Although I certainly was hesitant and didn’t know if I could do it at first, I quickly fell in love with the category. The rest is history!
You’ve found success in content creation, amassing a following of over three million on TikTok. How would you compare the feeling of making the final round stage in speech and debate to the excitement of your content going viral? Both are unique but equally rewarding in their own ways! I made the final round three times, and waiting to find out each time was even more nerve-wracking than the year prior. There was an intense rush while waiting, and my tears usually flowed even before I opened my eyes to see. It was an instant reaction, and the energy was electric! On stage, it always felt surreal. Stepping back down after I performed felt like walking off a cloud and back into reality. I always had a mix of emotions and that feeling of, “Did that really just happen?” On social media, it isn’t always instant. Sometimes, a video goes viral immediately, and other times, it takes a few days before it blows up. It is different from speech because there is never a live audience. Even if the video gets millions of views, it’s always just me behind the camera when I’m filming. Tiktok comments are kind of