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Morgan Hatfield

1. What did you do directly after high school? 
Directly after graduating, I jumped into a traveling internship with TeenPact Leadership

Schools, a ministry with the goal of training up leaders and followers of Christ. I taught

leadership and government classes in state capitols across the country this past spring.

Training up a generation of leaders and mentoring high school students has become a

passion of mine, and TeenPact has helped me recognize and develop that passion. 

2. What are you currently doing?
Currently, I am walking by faith as God shows me where he has me next. This coming spring

I will be attending Liberty University to finish up my bachelor’s degree in Counseling and Human Development.  

3. Tell us about any awards, interesting adventures, etc. since you graduated high school. 
TeenPact has been a huge part of my life since I have graduated; so traveling has been my biggest adventure this past year. I’ve gotten to see most of America, meet and connect with so many people and listen to them as they share their stories.

4. What is your favorite memory from your time in Legacy and the NCFCA? 
Due to a conflict with a TeenPact event, I was unable to attend Nationals my senior year competing. I knew that going into the Regional tournament, and because of the conflict, I was able to pass my Lincoln Douglas Nationals slot down to a friend, as well as pass down speech slots to several other competitors. The whole Regional tournament was probably my greatest memory because I learned that God knows what he’s doing when I can’t see the big picture. While it was tough to let go of such a great opportunity, it was so cool to see God unfold a beautiful story as a result. 

5. How has doing speech and debate impacted who you are and what you are doing today?  
Wow, I could write a lot here, but I’ll save that for the next question. Honestly, the NCFCA taught me more about loving people than communication skills. I value the communication abilities that I have now, and have been able to use those through several opportunities. The NCFCA gave me the ability to understand my faith and defend it, but with grace and truth. NCFCA ultimately gave me a platform to share the gospel, not only in competition rooms to judges, but also in my community and everyday life. 

6. What is your message for those currently involved in speech and debate?
For those currently competing, my message is (ironically) about legacy—but I hope that the legacy that I left in the NCFCA had nothing to do with me.  I don't know whether you have thought about the name of the club in depth. I like that we’re called Legacy for Christ. We often shorten it to Legacy, but actually, it’s Legacy for Christ, which means it’s not Legacy for Morgan. Therefore the answer to this question shouldn’t be about the legacy that I’m leaving behind at all, rather the question I need to ask myself was whether the name of Christ was preached while I participated in the club and in the NCFCA.  A motto that I’ve taken on in my life this year is a phrase that I’ve begun to use quite often: “Preach the gospel. Die. And be forgotten.” A friend of mine put it this way, “If people go to my funeral and forget my name, but remember the name of Jesus Christ, I’m okay with that.” And while this can be compared to life in general, I believe it can be compared to the NCFCA as well as a graduating senior. If all that people have to say about me once I’ve left the NCFCA was that I was a good speaker, that I won tournaments or multiple trophies, then I’ve failed.  As you continue to compete, remember this: The confidence that I speak with should not be in my skills, but in the truth of my message.


7. What is your message for those considering adding speech and debate to their life?  
For those joining the world of NCFCA or speech and debate, I have an encouragement and a caution. I would caution you to remember the “why”—Why do you compete? Why do you learn these skills? Remember that it’s not about the competition; it’s not even about being right. Learn these skills to communicate a message of truth. Seek the truth, not the glory. I would encourage you to use your platform well—whether in the community or competition to carry the message of Christ, in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. 

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