Florida Continues to Lead the Way in Civics Education – Welcoming More Than 400 Students from Out-of-State and Across Florida to Compete in The Great Debate: The National Civics and Debate Championship

January 24, 2025

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Florida Continues to Lead the Way in Civics Education – Welcoming More Than 400 Students from Out-of-State and Across Florida to Compete in The Great Debate: The National Civics and Debate Championship

Top Five High School Overall (Hunter Hayes - 5th, Sahiti Reddy - 2nd, Oscar Rubio Flores - 1st, Grace Jackson - 3rd, Anabel Kirkland - 4th) 

Top Five Middle School Overall (Aryana Sahai - 1st - Coach standing in, Nathan Moronta - 5th, Armaan Seth - 2nd, Lara Castineyra - 3rd, Sara Khial - 4th) 

Inspiring Coach Awards, ToryAnn Stutts, K. Morgan Mousley, Kristin Potter-Oliveri

Freedom Cup Winner, Erabelle Conant, Keystone Heights Jr. Sr. High School

Orlando, Fla., January 24, 2025 – This weekend, the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative (FCDI) brought together 420 middle and high school students from 72 schools across Florida and out-of-state to compete in The Great Debate: Florida’s National Civics and Debate Championship (NCDC) in Orlando. FCDI was proud to name tournament champions in Impromptu Speaking, Extemporaneous Debate and Legislative Debate.

The Great Debate was held at the Rosen Centre Hotel and Lake Buena Vista High School in Orlando. Since the inaugural event in 2021, the event has grown exponentially and garnered the attention of students nationwide who want to compete. Students from schools from Texas, Oklahoma, Nevada and Florida participated in this year’s event.

“Florida is at the forefront of civics education, and we are committed to continuing to provide opportunities for students to learn about the founding principles of our great Republic,” said Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. “Congratulations to the students who placed in The Great Debate competition. We’re excited to see how this initiative and this annual competition will continue to set the standard for civics education in the years to come, inspiring communities across Florida and the nation.”

“The Great Debate continues to evolve into a transformative event for students to access the highest quality educational opportunities – a cornerstone of the Florida Education Foundation’s mission,” said Rebecca Matthews, Board Chair of the Florida Education Foundation and University of West Florida Board Member. “Through this speech and debate competition, we have an opportunity for Florida students to compete at the highest level with students from across the country.”

As a hallmark event of FCDI, The Great Debate aims to inspire middle and high school students to engage in civics activities and elevate their civic knowledge. Established in January 2019, FCDI is dedicated to advancing civics education across the state.

The Great Debate named 8 winners between middle school and high school divisions. Judges scored students in Impromptu Speaking, Extemporaneous Debate and Legislative Debate, naming a winner for each event as well as an overall champion for both age groups.

Two additional awards, the Freedom Cup Award and Inspiring Coach Awards were also given during the ceremony. The Freedom Cup honors a student who embodies what it means to be a great citizen. Nominated by their students, three inspiring coaches are also honored for inspiring their students and excelling at the craft of speech and debate.

Overall – Middle School Division

• Champion – Aryana Sahai, A.D. Henderson University School
• 2^nd Place – Armaan Seth, The Frazier School, Gainesville
• 3^rd Place – Lara Castineyra, Kanapaha Middle School, Gainesville
• 4^th Place – Sara Khial, Kanapaha Middle School, Gainesville
• 5^th Place – Nathan Moronta, iPrep Academy North Middle School, Miami

Overall – High School Division

• Champion – Oscar Rubio Flores, Wildwood High School, Wildwood
• 2^nd Place – Andria Antony, Hagerty High School, Oviedo
• 3^rd Place – Grace Jackson, Hagerty High School, Oviedo
• 4^th Place – Anabel Kirkland, Lake Nona High School, Orlando
• 5^th Place – Hunter Hayes, Lake Nona High School, Orlando

Impromptu Speaking – Middle School Division

• Champion – Josh Kim, The Frazer School, Gainesville
• 2^nd Place – Madison Lavidas, Randall Middle School, Lithia
• 3^rd Place – Breanna Kopinski, Roulhac Middle School, Chipley
• 4^th Place – Thomas Moywaywa, The Frazer School, Gainesville
• 5^th Place – Ellington Smith, Oak View Middle School, Newberry

Impromptu Speaking – High School Division

• Champion – David Arutyunyan, FAU High School, Boca Raton
• 2^nd Place – Grace Jackson, Hagerty High School, Oviedo
• 3^rd Place – Jackson Buzzard, Broken Arrow Senior High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
• 4^th Place – Jordan Miranda Juarez, Wildwood High School, Wildwood
• 5^th Place – Peter Moywaya, The Frazer School, Gainesville

Extemporaneous Debate – Middle School Division

• Champion – Aryana Sahai, A.D. Henderson University School, Boca Raton
• 2^nd Place – Nathan Moronta, iPrep Academy North Middle School, Miami
• 3^rd Place – Gage Papp, A.D. Henderson University School, Boca Raton
• 4^th Place – Lara Castineyra, Kanapaha Middle School, Gainesville
• 5^th Place – Sara Khial, Kanapaha Middle School, Gainesville

Extemporaneous Debate – High School Division

• Champion – Noah De Haan, Tocoi Creek High School, St. Augustine
• 2^nd Place – Nicholas Ostheimer, FAU High School, Boca Raton
• 3^rd Place – Evden Tilley, Broken Arrow Senior High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
• 4^th Place – Elizabeth Grounds, Broken Arrow Senior High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
• 5^th Place – Graham Bowser, Broken Arrow Senior High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Legislative Debate – Middle School Division

• Champion – Angela Ostheimer, A.D. Henderson University School, Boca Raton
• 2^nd Place – Armaan, Seth, The Frazer School, Gainesville
• 3^rd Place – Vincent Wen, The Frazer School, Gainesville
• 4^th Place – Sara Khial, Kanapaha Middle School, Gainesville
• 5^th Place – Emery Brooks, Seaside Neighborhood School, Santa Rosa Beach

Legislative Debate – High School Division

• Champion – Hunter Hayes, Lake Nona High School, Orlando
• 2^nd Place – Sahiti Reddy, Tocoi Creek High School, St. Augustine
• 3^rd Place – Andria Antony, Hagerty High School, Oviedo
• 4^th Place – Grace M. Rivera Gonzalez, Lake Nona High School, Orlando
• 5^th Place – Samantha Faucette, Apopka High School, Apopka

Inspiring Coach Award

• K. Morgan Mousley, Tocoi Creek High School, St. Augustine
• Kristin Potter-Oliveri, FAU High School/A.D. Henderson University School, Boca Raton
• ToryAnn Stutts, Orlando Science High School, Orlando

Freedom Cup Award

• Erabelle Conant, Keystone Heights Junior/Senior High School, Keystone Heights

View a full list of winners and learn more about the NCDC at www.TheGreatDebateFL.com.

ABOUT THE FLORIDA CIVICS AND DEBATE INITIATIVE:

Florida is leading the way in strengthening civics instruction and education in Florida’s kindergarten through post-secondary schools. In 2019, the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Education Foundation established a statewide debate program that focused on civics education. The Florida Civics and Debate Initiative (FCDI) is the first of its kind to use debate specifically as a tool to enrich civics education and to have incredibly strong support from state leaders. FCDI continues to grow exponentially and will soon have debate teams in every school district in Florida.

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