Comeaux High grad honored with national speech and debate award
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- A Louisiana student has been recognized for her inspirational public speaking skills.
Jade Ismail was named the 2023 Student of the Year by the National Speech and Debate Association for her performances at Comeaux High School in Lafayette.
Ismail, currently studying at Western Kentucky University, was recognized for her oral interprative speeches documenting her struggles as a transgender girl in the foster care system.
The association's magazine, "Rostrum," reported Ismail's experience both in the foster care system and in a disapproving household while a student at Comeaux.
"Speech and debate saved my life," Ismail is quoted in the magazine. "It showed me a version of myself I hadn't known before. I became part of a community. It gave me a purpose, a passion, a future, a reason to live."