Chesterton High School senior Isabel Durkin has been recognized for the All-American Award in Speech and Debate, an honor bestowed on a scant two percent of participants in the nation. Durkin’s expertise extends far beyond the Speech and Debate realm, checking every box on the hefty list of qualifications for this celebratory title. 

The All-American Award is earned by only the best and brightest in the nation, based on a myriad of accomplishments that honorees like Isabel must work on for the entire duration of their high school career. In Speech and Debate, the merit of a participant is measured by points, which are won through competing successfully, and the award wants a point total of 750 or more. Achieving this distinction also implies flawlessly juggling extracurriculars with academics, as a GPA of 3.7 or higher and a spectacular SAT score are also contingencies. When one has all of these triumphs under their belt, then comes applying for the award, a step that does not insinuate All-American recognition whatsoever, hence the minute nationwide acceptance rate. Durkin, however, did not necessarily strive for such prestigious acknowledgment; she spent years applying herself in these areas, simply to exhibit her best self, only to realize she qualified, ultimately applying on a whim. 

“It’s more of a marathon and less of a sprint,” states Durkin on the work that she put in throughout her high school career to land a spot at the top, where she now resides.

Durkin notes that the All-American Award was never a major goal of hers. The Speech and Debate program at CHS mainly hones in on the next competitive victory, whereas the All-American Award is not a competition between peers, but rather a selective honor. Working diligently at academics, speeches, and debates is motivated by Durkin’s own desire to be incredible in each of these categories, and the knowledge that for someone like her, any goal and opportunity is within reach.

“It definitely feels like a validation of all the work I’ve put in over the years,” says Durkin on being named an All-American in Speech and Debate, though humbly suggests that it is nothing major. 

Durkin participates in both aspects of Speech and Debate, well-versed and eloquent in anything thrown at her. Her partiality in Speech is split between Original Oratory, a self-written discussion of real-world issues, and U.S. Extemporaneous Speaking, a formal presentation of an assigned topic that is organized by the speaker a mere 30 minutes before going on stage. As for Debate, Durkin loves arguing Lincoln-Douglas style, a 1v1 philosophical debate that discusses the reason for persuasion on a certain subject, usually ethical or philosophical. However, it is understood that Durkin adores Speech and Debate in general, noting the difficulty in picking an overall favorite.

Taking into account her fascination with the heaviest events offered by Speech and Debate, it is no surprise that Durkin strives for a similarly nuanced future. 

“Speech and Debate has really brought out a passion in me for speaking and learning about what’s happening truly around me in the world,” she says on the program’s influence over her plans after high school.

Durkin intends to attend college for neuropsychology, a major that explores the vast relationship between science and psychology. After accumulating an intimidating amount of education, she hopes to find a career that involves the phenomenal speaking and presentational skills that Speech and Debate brought out of her, like teaching at the college level or giving speeches on the subjects she is attending university for, mixed in with lots of research in the neuropsychology field. 

With all her brains and talent, it is no shock that Durkin is held to such high esteem in the Speech and Debate universe. Her dedication, versatility, and overall good nature make her a prime example of what it means to be a scholar, and the CHS community is beyond proud of her broad array of achievements. If ever there is to be a more qualified All-American Awardee, they are sure to follow in the footsteps of Isabel Durkin.