From Novice to Champion in a Day
Junior Carolina Amador placed second in the 32-4A Lincoln Douglas Debate meet held on March 28, competing against other schools, including McAllen Achieve ECHS. The tension was palpable as the meet director announced the results of the semi-final matches, and Amador’s name was shockingly announced, securing her a spot in the Regional conference.
Amador had been interested in debate since her freshman year, but she only got the opportunity to join in her sophomore year. Despite not having had the chance to compete until this year, she had meticulously prepared for the district meet, memorizing her cases and repeatedly reviewing the topic.
“I was just so grateful to have even made it to the finals round,” Amador recalls. “I’ve always wanted to join because it seems so fun. I was excited to try LD Debate as I could see that the debaters were getting amped up when it was their turn to do a rebuttal.”
Amador did not know she would compete until the day before the district meet. However, she decided to take on the challenge to debate as she saw no harm in trying. She plans to prepare for the Regional conference by refining her cases and incorporating the feedback she received from the judges during the competition.
“I’m hoping to make it past two rounds at least, as it will help me better prepare for next year as I’ll know what to expect,” Amador said, looking ahead to future debates.
