Two Pius X seniors have received a national honor for their work in speech and in the classroom. Stephanie Heimbrecht and Ava Hoffschneider each earned the National Speech & Debate Association’s Academic All American award. The honor recognizes students who have earned the necessary merit points and GPA, as well as demonstrating outstanding character and leadership. Fewer than one percent of 141,000 student members of the NSDA earn this award each year.
 What first drew you in to speech as an activity at Pius X?
 Stephanie Heimbrecht: What first drew me to the speech as an activity at Pius X was the closeness of the team, and how everyone was and is supportive of each other. When I went to the first practice during my freshman year, I noticed how I did not feel awkward when talking to the upperclassmen of the team, and this was the main reason why I stuck with it during that first year. I was not good at speech when I was a novice; in fact, I did not break into finals until the very last tournament of the season. Regardless, I still made a lot of fun memories and had a great time with my teammates throughout the year.
 Ava Hoffschneider: When my brother and I were freshmen, we were invited to a speech open house by a close friend of ours, Reicher Martinez. Reicher was such a role model for us, and he was constantly full of laughter and joy. After one evening of visiting and laughing with our potential speech coaches and teammates, we quickly learned that they shared the same happy traits that Reicher had – they had my brother and I smiling from ear to ear. We decided to attend practice the following week, and the rest is history!
What do you have planned for speech this coming season?
SH: I plan to write an Informative speech this year, along with a Humorous Interpretation and a possible Persuasive later in the season.
 AH: For this upcoming speech season, I plan to compete with three events: Dramatic Interpretation (DI), Informative (INF), and Program of Oral Interpretation (POI). So far, my POI program is the only event of mine that is fully ready for competition. It focuses on the sacrifice that U.S. veterans make in order for us to live safely and freely here at home.
What skills do you feel you’ve added because of speech that you use in school work?
SH: Skills I have gained from speech that I use in school include writing better-sounding essays, communicating my ideas clearly, and speaking at an understandable rate. While these skills have been helpful in many ways, I have mainly acquired confidence in not only what I believe in, but also in believing in myself.
AH: There isn’t a school day that goes by without the use of a skill that I have acquired from my time in speech. This includes memorization, broader knowledge in general, and the ability to have a conversation that flows with ease.
Do you envision using these speaking skills as a part of any career opportunities you are thinking about now?
SH: I do envision using these skills as a part of my future career opportunities. I am currently planning to major in Biomedical Engineering, where I hope to help others to the best of my ability. Having these skills will be useful when working in this field, whether that be proposing an idea to a team of fellow engineers or simply writing a lab report.
AH: Absolutely!! I hope to pursue a career in Secondary English Education, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the invaluable experience that speech gives me in preparation for my potential career. I get to speak in front of high schoolers very often, which would be a daily task of mine as a teacher.
