Student Recognition
All Americans
Each year, the top student point earners in the country are named All Americans. The All American award is based on a combination of competitive and service points, of which no more than 25% of the point total can include service. In order to qualify, a student must have competed once at Nationals. Following the National Speech & Debate Tournament, the 25 students with the highest total points in our Honor Society receive this recognition. No application is required to receive this award.
Congratulations to Daniel Timor from Valley International Prep in California for being named the top point earner in 2019-2020! View the complete list of recipients here.
Daniel Timor – 2019-2020 Top Point Earner
Academic All Americans
The Academic All American award recognizes high school students who have earned the degree of Superior Distinction (750 points); completed at least 5 semesters of high school; demonstrated outstanding character and leadership; and earned a GPA of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent). NOTE: If the GPA is between 3.5 and 3.7 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent), students also must have received an ACT score of 27 or higher, or a New SAT score of 1300 or higher. Students may apply through August 1 in the year they graduate. For example, if a student graduates in May 2020, they have until August 1, 2020 to apply for the AAA Award.
If a student is eligible, coaches will see a yellow box with “AAA?” under the Awards column on their Student Roster.
District Student of the Year
Each NSDA District has the opportunity to name a District Student of the Year award, presented to a graduating senior who best represents the tenets of the Association’s Code of Honor: integrity, respect, humility, leadership, and service. Nominees must also demonstrate strong academic credentials and a commitment to the speech and debate community. District winners must be selected and reported to the national office by district chairs by April 16, 2021.
Each year, six students who win the district award are selected as finalists for the William Woods Tate, Jr., National Student of the Year award. Finalists interview with an esteemed panel of educators during the National Speech & Debate Tournament, and the National Student of the Year is announced during the National Awards Assembly. Watch the video »
2020 Recipients
Deep South (AL) • Sofie Behr • Montgomery Academy
Arizona • Leila Khan • Scottsdale Preparatory Academy
Arkansas • Tanner James • Cabot HS
California Coast (CA) • Sherwin Lai • Bellarmine College Prep
Colorado Grande • Katrina Stevenson • Widefield HS
Rocky Mountain – North (CO) • Katherine DeMaret • Rocky Mountain HS
Western Slope (CO) • Flannery Sloan • Gunnison HS
Florida Manatee • Courtney Medwin • American Heritage – Plantation
Florida Oceanfront • Eleni Mercer • Jupiter HS
Florida Sunshine • Ashton DeMarse • Paul R. Wharton HS
Georgia Northern Mountain • Alexander Torjak • Dunwoody HS
Georgia Southern Peach • Will Sjostrom • Marist School
Idaho Gem of the Mountain • Seung Grizmala • Borah HS
Greater Illinois • Jaylon Muchison • Belleville West HS
Hoosier Crossroads (IN) • Nicholas Grill • Cathedral HS
Hoosier Heartland (IN) • Tim Carnahan • West Lafayette Jr./Sr. HS
Northwest Indiana • Noel Fary • Munster HS
East Iowa • Ethan D’Alessandro • Iowa City West HS
East Kansas • Kate Fabac • Olathe Northwest HS
Sunflower (KS) • Maitri Ajmera • Wichita East HS
West Kansas • Santiago Vasquez • Salina South HS
Kentucky • Santiago O’Neil • Henry Clay HS
South Kansas • Scout Peery • Pittsburg HS
Maine • Adrianna Belskis • Dirigo HS
Chesapeake (MD) • Celeste Cubbage • Stone Ridge School Of The Sacred Heart
New England (MA) • Jacob Moldover • Natick HS
Central Minnesota • Sophie Wu • Woodbury HS
Northern Lights (MN) • Joseph Eberle • Elk River HS
Southern Minnesota • Jeremiah Cox • Chaska HS
Magnolia (MS) • Jackson Garner • Petal HS
Carver-Truman (MO) • Samuel Peterson • Joplin HS
Eastern Missouri • Benjamin Haug • Brentwood HS
Heart of America (MO) • Sara Ragsdale • North Kansas City HS
Ozark (MO) • Adora Snead • Willard HS
Show Me (MO) • Grant Auman • Rockhurst HS
Montana West • Scott O’Donnell • Flathead HS
Nebraska • Lucy Tu • Millard North HS
Nebraska South • Tristian Swift • Lincoln HS
Golden Desert (NV) • Alexandra Kallaher • Northwest Career and Technical Academy
Sagebrush (NV) • Marlu Martens • Elko HS
New Jersey • Roopa Irakam • Watchung Hills Regional HS
New Mexico • Abigail Francis • Santa Fe Prep
Carolina West (NC) • Samantha Pean • Charlotte Catholic HS
Tarheel East (NC) • Esme Longley • Durham Academy
North Dakota Roughrider • Erica Flores • Fargo North HS
North Coast (OH) • Liberty Oliver • Vermilion HS
Western Ohio • Kathleen Inman • Whitmer HS
North Oregon • Selena Zhang • Lake Oswego Senior HS
South Oregon • Jo Spurgeon • St. Mary’s School
Pittsburgh (PA) • Maxwell Minard • Shady Side Academy
Valley Forge (PA) • Charles Mshomba • Holy Ghost Prep
South Carolina • Janine D’Souza • Riverside HS
Northern South Dakota • Mariah William • Aberdeen Central HS
Rushmore (SD) • Blake Anderson • Washington HS
Central Texas • Shilpa Gunuganti • Saint Mary’s Hall
East Texas • Elyse Dewbre • Northland Christian School
Gulf Coast (TX) • Vada Janak • Tuloso-Midway HS
Heart of Texas • Julia Craciun • Chaparral Star Academy
LBJ (TX) • Neerul Gupta • Centennial HS
Lone Star (TX) • Kory (KJ) Marino • Grapevine Colleyville ISD
Tall Cotton (TX) • Pablo Rogel • Tascosa HS
West Texas • Caitlyn Acevedo • Americas HS
Yellow Rose (TX) • Claire Predtechenskis • THEO Christian Solution, Inc.
Inland Empire (ID) • Lesli Saige Johnson • Chiawana HS
Northern Wisconsin • Josef Rademacher • Madison West HS
Southern Wisconsin • Rihana Zaiani • Ronald Reagan HS
Hole in the Wall (WY) • Saga McAllister • Cheyenne East HS
Wind River (WY) • Hope Soske • Douglas HS
Millard West HS, NE
Larue County HS, KY
Americas HS, TX
Saint Mary’s Hall HS, TX
Hattiesburg HS, MS
Creighton Preparatory, NE
Glenbrook South HS, IL
East Mountain HS, NM
Henry W. Grady HS, GA
Hattiesburg HS, MS
St. Mary’s HS, CO
Downers Grove South HS, IL
William Woods Tate, Jr., National Student of the Year
The 2020 William Woods Tate, Jr., National Student of the Year is Jaylon Muchison from Belleville West High School in Illinois. Jaylon was selected by a panel of coaches for his character, leadership, and commitment to bettering his community.
In Their Words: “Speech and debate taught me courage, generosity, and an understanding that diversity makes us strong. Our voices are what connect us, and this activity allows me to spread that message.” – Jaylon Muchison
About the Award
This annual award recognizes one individual out of more than 150,000 student members who best embodies the organization’s Code of Honor: integrity, humility, respect, leadership, and service. Nominees must also demonstrate strong academic credentials and a commitment to the speech and debate community. Six finalists interview with an esteemed panel of educators during the National Speech & Debate Tournament, and the National Student of the Year is announced during the National Awards Assembly. Watch the video »
Previous Recipients
Find out Where Are They Now? in this article from the 2017 November/December issue of Rostrum magazine.
Speaking and Service Award
The Speaking and Service Award annually recognizes students who go above and beyond in their service to their teams, schools, and communities. Students receive this award when they earn 200 service points in a given year, the maximum number possible in a school year in our Honor Society.
Learn More
This award replaces the NSDA Exemplary Student Service Award. To earn the 2020-2021 Speaking and Service Award, students must earn 200 service points between August 1, 2020 and July 31, 2021. No application process is required. Current member students of all ages are eligible.
About the Award
Introduced in 2017, the National Exemplary Student Service Award is given annually to a student who serves their school, community, city, region, or state using skills they honed through speech and debate. Coaches or administrators may nominate a student who upholds the highest standard of service, one of the core tenets of the Association’s Code of Honor, for recognition. As opposed to the William Woods Tate, Jr., National Student of the Year Award, current member students of any age are eligible for nomination.
Nominations for the current school year are accepted from coaches or administrators through January 21, 2020.
Learn more about service and service points in this guide.
Honoring Member Students and Graduates
