SODA SPRINGS — A Soda Springs High School senior punched her ticket to nationals after excelling at a recent regional speech and debate competition.

Maleah Dilworth will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to compete at the national debate tournament which will be held this coming June.

She'll test her skills against the best young debaters from across the United States.

Speech and debate students undoubtedly see less recognition in high schools where athletes tend to get the most attention.

But the time and dedication involved to excel in debate requires a great deal of commitment.

It's a commitment that means sacrificing participation in winter athletic programs, often resulting in a low number of students participating in smaller schools where sports are more popular.

Now wrapping up her senior year, Dilworth reflects on how valuable her time on the Cardinals debate team has been.

Speech and debate competitions entail categories including interpretation, extemporaneous and Lincoln-Douglas.

Students prepare and research what they can prior to tournaments but realistically the work begins when placed before the judges where the students' power of persuasion is paramount to winning.

Unlike high school sports where schools of similar size compete against each other, speech and debate is an open competition where students from schools of every size battle it out.

Dilworth tells how unsure she was as a sophomore to join the Cardinals speech and debate team.

Soda Springs speech and debate coach Lorrie’L Jensen just began taking over the program and encouraged Dilworth to participate and stick with it.

Jensen shares how impressed she was with Dilworth’s natural gift of speaking. The coach had high hopes that her student would excel and Dilworth hasn't disappointed.

When Dilworth joined the team there were 11 students participating.

This year the team consists of only Dilworth and fellow student Sierra Muir.

Jensen said, “There is no doubt that there are a lot of smart kids that compete in speech and debate, but Maleah definitely has found her own way to stand out. This year I have seen both Maleah and Sierra work exceptionally hard. It takes a lot of hard work, study, passion and willingness to spend their time for this in addition to their homework and everything else that comes with being a teenager.”

Looking back Dilworth has no regrets about what she's sacrificed to succeed. She said the lessons she’s learned as a member of the speech and debate team are priceless for her future and life skills, in addition to benefitting her academically and personally.

Learning to adapt to challenges and confrontation on the debate stage while keeping their composure are undoubtedly preparing these young minds for demanding roles in adulthood.

Jensen tells of her love for speech and debate and she wishes more could see what greatness and growth her students achieve.

It’s a valuable program that teaches students to have a voice, write speeches and stand up for their beliefs. It offers various events catering to different interests, fostering public speaking and critical thinking skills. It’s a program where you are consistently engulfed in a supportive environment, with coaches and peers from different schools who encourage friendly competition and camaraderie.

Perhaps Dilworth's success and trip to nationals will persuade other Soda Springs students to follow in her footsteps as Cardinal debaters in the years to come.