Within the walls of the Wilde Lake Speech and Debate classroom, students are often found talking to walls.
Over the course of 29 years, Ms. Kelli Midgley has led the Speech and Debate team to victory in Declamation, Children’s Literature, Original Oratory, and more through her passion and coaching techniques, including the practice of talking to walls.
Ms. Midgley is the Lincoln Douglas Debate Director for the entire Speech and Debate league and creator of the Howard County Speech elective curriculum. This year, the Speech and Debate team worked to collect multiple accomplishments at the state competition under the leadership of Ms. Midgley, Assistant Coach Mr. Valente, co-captains Aly Abel, Liz Cho, and Yasmin Roach.
At the state competition, sophomore Tiffany Berry placed first in Declamation and second in Children’s Literature, junior Kaiden Jacobs, placed second in Extemporaneous speaking while sophomore Eirroe Gomez and senior Hannah Boyer qualified for the national competition.
Mr. Valente says that Ms. Midgley’s passion for coaching is evident everyday. “She has this passion and commitment for everything she involves herself in, and I saw that from the very beginning when she encouraged me to join the team,” said Mr. Valente.
Liz says Ms. Midgley is helpful and understanding with the team. She says this drives them to success. She says Ms. Midgley provides guidance, helpful tips, and constructive criticism as the team tackles Speech and Debate events.
“She meets with us after school to give us advice on how we should perform speeches and helps us come up with debate ideas together,” she said.
Eirroe is ranked second in Maryland in Declamation after starting Speech and Debate this school year. Erriroe says they are grateful for all of Ms. Midgley’s guidance and that her attitude makes the program special.
“I think more people should try [Speech and Debate]. You learn great skills that you’ll use out in the real world,” Eirroe said.
According to 2023 graduate Greta Guiliano, she was encouraged to join the Speech and Debate team after taking Ms. Midgley’s Speech class. Joining the team improved her confidence, says Greta.
“Being a part of the team pushed me out of my comfort zone,” she said. “Ms. Midgley gave me an even greater confidence in myself.”
Ms. Midgley says the greatest accomplishment of all is watching students go out and compete when they did not believe in themselves.
She wants every student to leave her class with confidence. She wants her students to know that what they say matters. Because of this, Ms. Midgley is here to stay, as she says the Wilde Lake Speech and Debate team has her “hooked.” “[Every student] has a right to be present and a right to speak [their] truth,” she said. “I’m proud of all my kids. I want them to recognize that their voices are important and that every kid has something important to say.”
