Standing up to make my last speech, I take a deep breath. Two wins. One loss. If I lose this round, I lose my chance to go to State. I have three minutes to redeem myself, to fix all the mistakes I might have made in the past half hour. I begin my speech, carefully covering every argument, making sure that I do not miss anything important. Thirty seconds left, thirty seconds to crystallize the entire round, to make sure the judges have no doubt in their mind that I have won this round. The timer goes off, and my time is up; it is now in the judge’s hands. I've done everything I could possibly do to win the round. Half an hour passes as I sit in the hall outside the judge's room, awaiting the results of the round with a fellow teammate. My coach walks out, and informs the girl by my side that she has won the crucial round, and is going to state. Then he turns to me, and the number of butterflies in my stomach triples: his face looks grim.
“Two of the three ballots have come back. You have one up and one down so far.” He gives me a reassuring pat and says. “Don’t worry [name]. You will be fine.” He walks back into the judges’ room. I wish that I already knew my fate, that I had won the previous round so that I could have gone directly to state without this stress. Finally, my coach slowly walks out with an expressionless face and gradually lifts up his hand. In a split second it turns into a thumbs up, and I leap up in joy, experiencing a happiness and sense of accomplishment unlike that which I had felt before. I had made it to state.
If anyone had asked me when I was seven years old what I was passionate about, I would have probably said “talking.” Now, ten years later, if someone asked me that same question I would say with the same amount of confidence I had a decade ago, “debating.” Debate has given me new knowledge, not only academic but also personal. It has changed the way I look at the world, and the way I view myself.
When I first started high school, I was a completely different person. I had just experienced a year of strife, depression, and isolation. Being shy and a little introverted, joining the debate team in the middle of my freshman year was a big step for me. My first experience was not what I had hoped for. I had a string of disappointing tournaments throughout the rest my freshman year, winning only three out of the seventeen rounds I debated. Although I gave my all in each round, I was just not at the same level as my opponents. I did, however, learn the art of losing. When I lost a round, I did not dwell on the fact that I lost, but rather, why I had lost. I had the opportunity to debate people with much more experience and skill, and I was judged by people who gave me valuable advice for how to improve my debating skills. These losses were instrumental in shaping me as a debater, and helping me develop my style.
In addition, these losses gave me fortitude. In the coming year, I had the endurance and stamina to keep going, even when times were a little rough. The fear of losing never kept me from trying, not only in debate, but also in other parts of my life. Even though I was the clear underdog in the election for Student Body Vice President, I took a chance, ran against a more popular girl, and ended up winning because I was the more skilled candidate.
After my dreadful freshman year, I decided to attack debate a little differently. I started watching the presidential debates on TV and scrutinized The Great Debaters, which gave me a whole new view of debate. When I got an internship at the public defender’s office, I used this opportunity to study the style of a very successful lawyer. Although I had several other activities, as well as school; I made sure that I made time to work on debate every single day without distraction. I always tried to put my all in every round, and finally, my all started to win a majority of the rounds. I was extremely pleased that I was beginning to achieve my goals. My loftiest aspiration was that I wanted to make it to state, and though I was disappointed when I failed to do so in sophomore year, I refused to give up my dream. When the state qualification tournament came around at the end of my junior year, I spent the two weeks prior to the tournament researching the topic extensively, and practicing my opening speech continuously until it was perfect. My determined core was shining bright as I fought to the death in four of the most important rounds in my life.
However, the dream did not end there for me. As my teammates relinquished the fact that they had made it to state, I decided that I wanted to place at state. Although my teammates urged me to not worry about winning because it was impossible, I was determined to prove them wrong. And with this motivation, I went into my rounds, and ended up placing in the top 12 in the state of California. It was my hard work, endurance, and determination that gave me the confidence that I had been yearning for since the beginning of high school.
Debate has given me the determination and confidence that I have used in the different realms of my high school experience. My determination to get ahead in life led me to seek an internship with the State Congresswoman in my junior year and public defender in my senior year. My determination to become a better athlete led to my countless hours practicing tennis. It earned me a place on the team and the position of captain. My interest in my vibrant culture compelled me to take Indian Classical Music and Dance classes. My endurance allowed me to pursue the rigorous honors and advanced placement classes. But most importantly, it is the combination of determination, curiosity, endurance, and my new found confidence that will propel me to succeed in whatever I aim to do. I know that I am about to enter a fast paced, highly competitive world, and I know that I am ready to do anything to succeed.