Kurk P.

I competed in NCFCA with Legacy during my freshmen and sophomore years of high school.  I then attended a private school for my junior and senior years, and was therefore unable to compete. I just graduated high school in May 2014, and I’m 17. Although I only had a couple years to experience this speech and debate atmosphere, it was a blast.

What did you do directly after high school?  

• Directly after graduation, I worked over the summer; I worked for my high school as a janitor, and also worked for a kitchen cutlery sales company called CUTCO. I’m now planning to attend Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, to pursue a degree in English and minor in Pre-law.

What are you currently doing?  

• At the moment, I am preparing to leave for college this weekend. I’m so excited to see what God does in these next four years of my life!

Tell us about any awards, interesting adventures, etc. since you graduated high school.   

• The main highlight of these few short months since graduating has been a youth camp I attended with my church. We went to Chattanooga, TN, and went white-water rafting. It was an amazing experience that taught me a lot about myself, God’s plan for my life, and helped me grow closer to many of my amazing church friends. It has changed the way I view life and how I live for God’s glory, not my own. 

What is your favorite memory from your time in Legacy and the NCFCA? 

• My favorite part of legacy was the breakout rooms we had each meeting where we could listen to each other’s speeches, learn from them, and help them grow and get better. It was so amazing to hear how each person was doing and see the way that all the Legacy members worked together to help each other produce the best speeches they could.

How has doing speech and debate impacted who you are and what you are doing today?  

• Legacy and NCFCA was one of my favorite memories from high school. My perspective on life, as well as my goals for life, dramatically changed. My desire now is to continue to use those speaking and debating skills in a way that glorifies God, whether that is in a future attorney career, or reaching out to non-believers, or in any arena God calls me to. I’m so grateful for the many people who have strengthened me, the many memories that have shaped me, and for the multitude of moments that have changed me into the young man of God that I am today. 

What is your message for those currently involved in speech and debate? 

• My advice to all you legacy people: don’t be afraid to go big and go bold. You’ll never know how much you can accomplish until you put yourself out there. The more you are willing to do, the more God can use to change you and change your audience. In the end, the end goal should not be just how many trophies you can get, although that’s nice. The moments you will remember the most, and the ones that are worth the most, are the ones where you stretched yourself beyond what you thought possible, and God worked in an amazing way. Maybe you didn’t do all that you had planned or get as far as you wanted, but God changes our plans and moves us in ways that glorify Him beyond our imagination. He can only begin His great works in our lives if we take that first step of faith. 

What is your message for those considering adding speech and debate to their life?

• Speech and Debate is such an amazing opportunity to grow in your maturity and become a polished young person. People who compete in NCFCA are the ones who will go places. An environment where you can compete with others, develop skills, and learn from people older and wiser than you is an extreme blessing to have. On top of that, this is a Christian-based organization that stresses our relationship with Christ. There is so much in store for each person who competes. It takes time and effort to go far, but so does everything else in life. Competing in speech and debate strengthens your character in the face of adversity, and it prepares you for life in a way that not many other things can. 

Anything else that you want to add? 

• Advice in general: pick something that is unique, that will stand out in the judges’ minds, and is personal to you. For any speech category, if you can get passionate about something, and the judges can remember your speech in the midst of ten others, you’ll do well. The little details are important. Having clean and precise openings and conclusions help the judges get a good impression to start, and end with a good impression, too.  In debate, picking an argument that you can defend well is obviously the number one rule. If you can find an angle on the resolution that is not as common, but is still well defended, you will have an advantage over people who are not prepared to debate against that viewpoint. But on the other hand, you can also defend the simplest argument, and as long as you have the most evidence, you can win. Stay strong in your case, know what you’re going to say, and be confident. If you’re unsure about an argument, the judges will see that and they will become unsure about your argument as well.