Florida’s National Civics and Debate Championship

Participation in The Great Debate, Florida’s National Civics and Debate Championship, Tripled in Size with More Than 400 Students Competing

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Last weekend, 420 students from around the country gathered in Orlando to compete in The Great Debate: Florida’s National Civics and Debate Competition. Participation in the competition has tripled since Governor DeSantis launched the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative (FCDI) in 2019. FCDI, the host of The Great Debate, can now boast that all 67 school districts in Florida have established a middle or high school debate team as part of this initiative.

“Florida is leading the way in civics education, and we are proud that our national hallmark event is growing exponentially along with the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative,” said Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. “The Great Debate provides an opportunity for Florida to reinvigorate public debate and civil discourse while simultaneously enriching students’ understanding of the democratic values of our country.”

“The Great Debate is beginning to shape into the event that we’ve imagined from the beginning,” said Rebecca Matthews, Board Chairman of the Florida Education Foundation. “We are thrilled that students from all over the country came to provide our Florida students with out-of-state competitors.”

“As a veteran, I appreciated seeing our youth engage in civic debate over Veterans Day weekend,” said John Duebel, Director of the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative. “The Great Debate provided students the chance to enhance their civic knowledge while challenging their debate skills.”

The Great Debate crowned 67 winners for both the middle school and high school divisions. Judges scored the students on Congressional Debate, Impromptu Speaking and Extemporaneous Debate. Winners were selected for each event, as well as overall winners for middle and high school. The top five winners for each division and event are:

• Champion – Ann Moywaywa, Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Gainesville
• 2^nd Place – Natalie Sierra, iPrep Academy North, Miami
• 3^rd Place – Truitt Williams, South Sumter Middle School, Webster
• 4^th Place – Gerardo Cardoso, Wildwood Middle/High School, Wildwood
• 5^th Place – Jorge Herrera, iPrep Academy North, Miami

• Champion – Saaya Lijo, Apopka High School, Apopka
• 2^nd Place – Christian Bailey, Fort Walton Beach High School, Fort Walton Beach
• 3^rd Place – Jonathan Adler, Coral Academy of Science, Las Vegas, Nevada
• 4^th Place – Katelyn Ryan, Aberdeen Central High School, Aberdeen South Dakota
• 5^th Place – Will Waller, Samuel W Wolfson High School, Jacksonville

• Champion – Ann Moywaywa, Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Gainesville
• 2^nd Place – Truitt Williams, South Sumter Middle School, Webster
• 3^rd Place – Ty Mack, iPrep Academy North, Miami
• 4^th Place – Gerardo Cardoso, Wildwood Middle/High School, Wildwood
• 5^th Place – Pierre Lascaze, iPrep Academy North, Miami

• Champion – Ewa Tryniszewski, Wellington Community High School, Wellington
• 2^nd Place – Hunter Hayes, Lake Nona High School, Orlando
• 3^rd Place – Vedha Ubale, Lake Nona High School, Orlando
• 4^th Place – Samuel Nuebel, Apopka High School, Apopka
• 5^th Place – Savannah Sisk, Lake Buena Vista High School, Orlando

• Champion – Ann Moywaywa, Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Gainesville
• 2^nd Place – Nathan Moronta, iPrep Academy North, Miami
• 3^rd Place – Michael Huan, Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Gainesville
• 4^th Place – Truitt Williams, South Sumter Middle School, Webster
• 5^th Place – Krupa Augustin, Valley Ridge Academy, Ponte Vedra Beach

• Champion – Esly Villeda Castillo, Wildwood Middle/High School, Wildwood
• 2^nd Place – Saaya Lijo, Apopka High School, Apopka
• 3^rd Place – Colton Collins, Okeechobee High School, Okeechobee
• 4^th Place – Jonathan Adler, Coral Academy of Science, Las Vegas, Nevada
• 5^th Place – Abdul-Aziz Khanfar, Suncoast High School, Riviera Beach

• Champion – Ann Moywaywa, Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Gainesville
• 2^nd Place – Jorge Herrera, iPrep Academy North, Miami
• 3^rd Place – Mia Yu, Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Gainesville
• 4^th Place – Caressa Birks, Pembroke Pines Charter School Middle West, Pembroke Pines
• 5^th Place – Selena Dexter, Alachua Learning Academy, Gainesville

• Champion – Will Waller, Samuel W Wolfson High School, Jacksonville
• 2^nd Place – Vaughn Van Dyck, Lake Brantley High School, Altamonte Springs
• 3^rd Place – Bryson Frick, Broken Arrow Senior High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
• 4^th Place – Ayla Geoghegan, Samuel W Wolfson High School, Jacksonville
• 5^th Place – Peter Moywaywa, Eastside High School, Gainesville

• Melissa Gordon, Lake Buena Vista High School, Orlando
• Derek Antoniazzi, Lake Nona High School, Orlando
• Cathy Brown, Apopka High School, Apopka

• Wesley Liu, Pacific Bay Christan School, Pacifica, California

For a complete list of winners, visit The Great Debate.

To learn more about the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative, visit www.civicsanddebate.com.