Schools
Niles North Debate Coach Earns National Recognition
Niles North's Gjerpen will be recognized at the world's largest academic competition, the National Speech & Debate Tournament, on June 22.
The National Speech & Debate Association announced the most recent winners of the Diamond Coach Award. Twenty speech and debate coaches have earned this prestigious award in the National Speech & Debate Association’s Honor Society. Because of these coaches, thousands of students have access to the life changing benefits of speech and debate.
The National Speech & Debate Association’s Honor Society has been recognizing student and coach achievements in speech and debate since 1925. The prestigious diamond award recognizes a professional career that combines excellence and longevity in speech and debate.
Congratulations to Niles North Head Debate Coach Katie Gjerpen on receiving a First Diamond.
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Coaches earn distinction in the national honorary through team participation, student achievement, public service, and leadership work. To earn a diamond award, a coach must be a member of the National Speech & Debate Association for at least five years. Coaches earn additional diamond levels the more points they receive in the Honor Society. A coach who attains 1,500 points is awarded a first diamond; they receive a second diamond for 3,000 points, a third for 6,000 points, and so on. Five years must pass between each diamond award.
Gjerpen will be recognized, along with the other Diamond coaches, at the world’s largest academic competition, the National Speech & Debate Tournament, in Birmingham, Alabama on June 22. More than 7,000 students, coaches, and parents from across the nation attend the National Tournament every year.
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About the National Speech & Debate Association
The National Speech & Debate Association is the largest interscholastic speech and debate organization serving middle school, high school, and collegiate students in the United States. The Association provides competitive speech and debate activities, high-quality resources, comprehensive training, scholarship opportunities, and advanced recognition to more than 150,000 students and coaches every year. For 90 years, the National Speech & Debate Association has empowered more than 1.5 million members to become engaged citizens, skilled professionals, and honorable leaders in our society. For more information, visit www.speechanddebate.org.
