SpeakFirst Students Win Big at Debate Tournaments in November

Peach State Classic in Carrollton, GA
November 10-11

SpeakFirst debaters competed in the Peach State Classic in Carrollton, GA .   Debating whether wealthy nations have a moral obligation to provide development assistance to developing nations,  SpeakFirst senior debater Christion Finch made it to the quarter-finals , and after defeating students from Houston County HS; The Lovett School from North Atlanta, GA; Cherokee HS from Canton, GA; Sequoyah HS from Hickory Flat, GA; Vestavia Hills HS; and Columbus HS from Columbus, GA,  SpeakFirst senior Caitlyn Jones was crowned tournament champion!

Hoover High School Tournament
November 17-18

Out of a field of 75 two-person teams in Public Forum debate, SpeakFirst pair Darpha Carson and Dasia Primus reached the quarter-finals, defeating teams from Montgomery Academy; Spain Park HS; McGill Toolen Catholic HS from Mobile, AL; and James Clemens HS from Madison, AL. 

Competing against 25 other students in Lincoln Douglas debate, SpeakFirst debater Caitlyn Jones reached the semi-finals , and Christion Finch was crowned tournament champion , defeating students from Vestavia Hills HS, Decatur Heritage Christian Academy, Auburn HS, Montgomery Academy, and Prattville HS.  

SpeakFirst debater Brooklin Ballard won the second place speaker award in a pool of 150 competitors!

Please Support SpeakFirst by Helping Impact Receive a $75,000 End-of-Year Matching Contribution from EBSCO

EBSCO Industries, Inc., has generously awarded Impact Alabama a Challenge Grant in the amount of $75,000 as we expand in 2017-18! In order to receive this contribution, we must secure an additional $75,000 in contributions from individuals by the end of December.

We have currently raised $41,000 toward our Challenge Grant goal.

Please help us achieve this goal by
making a contribution today!
What Does it Take to Earn $330,000 in Scholarships To Attend Harvard and UA?
Watch This Short Film and Find Out!  

 
SpeakFirst's 39 Graduates to Date Have Earned More Than $4.9 Million in College Scholarships
 
SpeakFirst students spent more than 300 hours each in practice during the 2016-17 academic year.  Our two graduating seniors' hard work paid off, with both students earning full scholarships to attend college. Kimora Bell (Ramsay High School) earned over $61,500 in scholarships and currently attends UA; Delanya Storey (JCIB) graduated with over $269,000 in scholarships and is attending Harvard. Our ten graduating classes (39 students) have earned more than $4.9 million in college scholarships. 
 
SpeakFirst enriches the academic experience of talented and motivated students from Birmingham-area schools through participation in an "all-star" debate initiative. This highly collaborative initiative includes one-on-one tutoring and mentoring, college admissions and financial aid guidance, standardized test preparation, and summer internships.  
 






Impact America, an AmeriCorps Program, is housed and supported by the Center for Ethics & Social Responsibility at The University of Alabama. Additional office space is provided by UAB and Maynard, Cooper & Gale, PC.