Senior Mandy Lawrence has proven herself to be an exceptional speaker and leader through her achievements in Academic Decathlon, a national competition where students compete in seven objective areas: art, math, literature, social studies, science, music and economics. Each year, these topics have a different theme. This year’s was “Our changing climate,” so students worked together to learn the materials and compete in a regional competition in early February. Nine students who are “starters” must also compete in three subjective areas: speech, interview, and essay. Each region has about 15-20 schools each of which includes nine starters. The top teams advance to the state competition, and then the top team in the state moves on to Nationals.
This year, Mandy made Ramapo history by earning the highest scoring speech of all competitors at both the regional competition on February 1, and the state competition on March 1. Ms. Noah, head of Academic Decathlon, comments, “Over my 27 years of coaching, I have never seen any student from any team win the speech at both competitions in the same year. At each meet, students have to perform their speech in front of a different set of three to four judges who use a rubric to evaluate students on seven different components from 0-10–thus achieving top honors in multiple meets against SO many competitors is such an accomplishment.”
Beyond her individual accomplishment, Mandy has been an active member of Academic Decathlon for three years and served as a captain for two. She reflects, “I have really enjoyed competing for the team and have learned a lot of valuable skills like public speaking. I will cherish the memories and the lifelong friends that ACADEC gave me.”
Her growth in confidence, maturity, and skill has made an impression on both her peers and her teachers–something “nothing short of inspiring,” as Ms. Noah puts it. She further states, “It has been an absolute privilege to teach Mandy twice and to coach her since her sophomore year. Mandy has always been a gifted speaker, so it was no surprise when she earned a top speech honor. However, winning two in a single year was simply extraordinary—a testament to her remarkable talent and relentless drive. Her dedication and leadership qualities shone so brightly that she was selected as a junior to serve as a captain of Academic Decathlon—a role in which she has excelled. Mandy’s unwavering support for her teammates, her organization, and her enthusiasm make her a truly outstanding leader. I am beyond proud of her achievements and cannot wait to see all that she will accomplish in the future.”
It is clear that Mandy’s achievements are a testament to her dedication and qualities, something that marks just the beginning of an inspiring future ahead. We wish her luck in all future endeavors, and we know she will shine wherever she lands!
