In April, Dunn School student Husna Balaven flew solo at the high school state speech championships, and she soared to a top five finish.

This year, the senior team captain and the rest of her Dunn School Speech & Debate teammates plan to make the trip to state together.

“After a standout first competition of the season Saturday, they’re right on track,” the school said.

Savannah Lukas, also a senior, earned first place in Persuasive Speaking; and freshman Vivian Kramer placed in the top three in Informative Speaking at this past weekend’s Tri-County Forensic League Fall Open Speech & Debate Tournament at Burbank High. 

Lukas earned her victory by delivering an original speech advocating for change. Cramer’s performance was particularly impressive considering this was her debut as a competitor, the school said.

“I had a great time, and everyone on the team did great,” Lukas said.

“This tournament was a truly unique learning experience for my first time in speech and debate,” Cramer said.

Six students in all, including Balaven, advanced their eligibility toward state qualification through participation in the open speech event. And it won’t be long before the rest of Dunn’s nearly three dozen Speech & Debate students join them on the path to qualification.

The school will host its own TCFL Open on campus in Los Olivos on Oct. 31.

For Balaven said the weekend represented a new chapter in her journey: moving from individual competitor to mentor and teammate.  

She secured a top-5 finish at the 2026 California High School Speech Association (CHSSA) State Championship in the Oratorical Interpretation category in April, advancing through a competitive field of more than 250 students in a statewide qualifier just to earn one of 56 exclusive invitations to the tournament at James Logan High School in Union City.

The first Dunn student to compete at state, she now embarks on helping others follow the trail she blazed.

“It’s so rewarding competing with the intention of helping others and growing alongside each other,” Balaven said. “It makes me so happy seeing them competing.”

Dunn School has become a hub for speech and debate on the Central Coast since launching its own Martin Luther King Jr. Speech & Debate Invitational and on-campus invitational series four years ago.

“The Dunn School curriculum has featured classes built to prepare students to find their voices, articulate ideas, and engage with audiences beyond the classroom,” school officials said.

Now preparing for the fifth annual MLK Speech & Debate Invitational, the popularity of the program has skyrocketed in the wake of Balaven’s performance last year.

The students and mentors, which include Dunn School’s Ralph Lowe Humanities Chair Gene Vachon, practice daily as a team after school to craft and sharpen their speeches and performance skills. 

Dunn School will build on this momentum by hosting the next Tri-County Forensics League tournament on Saturday, Oct. 31, on its Los Olivos campus.

The event will focus on novice speech competitors, offering students who are new to competitive public speaking an opportunity to develop their skills, gain experience, and discover the power of their own voices.

Dunn School welcomes interest from students who wish to compete and community members interested in volunteering as coaches or supporting the tournament.

Those interested in participating, volunteering, or learning more about the Oct. 31 event can contact Vachon at gvachon@dunnschool.org.

Located in Los Olivos, Dunn School is an independent boarding and day school serving students in grades 6-12.