NOVA & Western HS Students Take Top Honors in State Debate Championships

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) congratulates students who competed in the Florida Forensic League’s Varsity State Championship in Orlando, with four BCPS students taking top honors. The event took place March 4–5, 2023, in Orlando. Students qualified for the competition by placing at the top of their Regional Tournament in a variety of events that showcase their skills in rhetoric, persuasion, and argumentation.

The District qualified more students for the state championship than any other region in the state, with 96 BCPS students earning the right to compete. Of those, 25 BCPS students distinguished themselves by making it to the final round of competition, and four students won the state championship titles for their event. The four champions representing BCPS are:

Lisa Kolley, 12th Grade, Western High School – Dramatic Interpretat- ion Champion

Emily Stevens, 10th Grade, Western High School – Congress Champion

Siddarth Sudhakar, 11th Grade, Nova High School – Domestic Ex- temporaneous Speaking Champion 

Caitlin Williams, 12th Grade, Ever- glades High School – Program Oral Interpretation Champion

BCPS has the largest debate initiative in the country, with programs in 120 elementary schools and in every middle and high school, with more than 15,000 students actively competing.

To learn more about The Debate Broward initiative, visit browardschools.com/debate.