Carrollton Debate is having a season for the ages. In only its 3rd year as a Tournament of Champions qualified program, the team has reached the pinnacle of high school policy debate.

Seniors Dorothy Anne Hector and Catalina Santos have been invited to the three premiere Round Robin tournaments in the country. No team in Carrollton Debate history has completed the trio of Greenhill, Harvard and Pace Round Robins. Only two other schools in the country this year received all three invitations. The girls, the first from Carrollton to ever qualify for the National Tournament of Champions, have travelled a lighter schedule this Fall as they complete their course work for the International Baccalaureate diploma and college applications. Both have been actively recruited by schools like Harvard, the University of Michigan, Northwestern and Emory and have been admitted to Georgetown. Additionally, this past year Carrollton received an honorary chair at the Barkley Forum at Emory University. These chairs are awarded for excellence in high school debate. Only two were awarded last year.

In addition to a very competitive academic and debate schedule, Catalina Santos has created a public service debate training program at The Barnyard. Each week debaters volunteer their time teaching public speaking and debate skills to the young people in the The Barnyards afterschool program. The hope is that by the end of the year, the students will be able to have a competition to reward their efforts.

While the Seniors lead, the younger students eagerly follow in their footsteps. Few expected them to do so as well as they have. This year's Novice team is far and away its most successful. Ninth graders Natassja Schmitt and Anna Dimetrijevic have won an astonishing eighteen straight debates, capturing two major Novice National tournament championships. The two have begun their debate careers with a remarkable record of twenty six wins and one loss. Alyssa Padilla, Lauren Cue, Natasha Johnson and Elena Peasant have also been in elimination rounds at major tournaments this year. The Novice students are now in the process of selecting their summer workshops. All will be spending a minimum of two weeks at a debate workshop.

Sophomores Alina Gomez and Amberly Nardo have pioneered Carrollton’s newest development in debate by competing nationally in Lincoln Douglas debate. This is the first year that Carrollton has competed in the value based, one on one debate. Their success will make Carrollton and even more diverse debate threat.

Debate continues to grow at Carrollton. You can follow its progress at www.carrolltondebate.com