The Migrant Education Program recently held its State Speech and Debate Tournament at Monterey High School, where eight students from Santa Maria, Pioneer Valley, and Righetti high schools engaged in rigorous speech and debate against other schools.

Students from Santa Maria, Pioneer Valley, and Righetti high schools sit at a row of desks in a classroom as they participate in the speech and debate competition. (Courtesy photo)
Students from Santa Maria, Pioneer Valley, and Righetti high schools participated in the speech and debate competition. (Courtesy photo)

In its first year back in the competition, the Migrant Speech and Debate Team from Santa Maria and Pioneer Valley High Schools secured fifth place out of nine schools at the tournament.

Speech students Sofia Correa-Cabral, 10th grade; and Andrea Lopez Martinez, 12th grade, from Righetti; and Elizabeth Vasquez, 10th grade, from Santa Maria High competed independently.

After four rounds of continuous speeches, Correa-Cabral came in third place for the Prepared Speech in the Spanish category; and Elizabeth Vasquez took second for the Extemporaneous Speech in the English category.

Speech and debate coaches Jose Cardona Flores, Cristina Carrillo Rojas, Genesis Lopez, and the Migrant School Advisors Edgar Ruvalcaba and Karla Plascencia, all said they are very proud of the students’ accomplishments at the state tournament.

“The students exhibited remarkable growth, delivering compelling arguments and demonstrating exceptional debate skills,” said Saint’s social science teacher Cardona Flores.

“The experience has not only fueled enthusiasm for future competitions but also underscored the team’s commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in academic discourse,” he said. “We eagerly anticipate building upon this success in the upcoming seasons.”