In the High School competition, Shivani Shrotri did an outstanding job. She was recognized as the winner of the 2nd Place Speaker Award in the High School Division and she appeared with her team in the final championship round of the High School Tournament which was broadcast online. Shivani's team went on to win the National Championship and were recognized with the 1st Place Team Award in the High School Division. Congratulations!
Shivani Shrotri: “When I first joined SDI, I kept to myself and never attempted to participate in the spontaneous parts of the debate (such as cross-examination and rebuttals) because in the past, every time I tried, I seemed to catch a case of stage fright. However, after only 6 months with the SDI, I somehow was not only able to give the best rebuttal speeches during their national tournament but also ranked as the second-best individual speaker. Additionally, my team and I- still seems rather surreal- managed to win the Speech Debate India National Championship for 2020! Despite spending the majority of summer break working on our case, it was an exhilarating experience that I would definitely do again. But, I owe any success that I’ve had in debating to Mr. Rajiv Kacholia (the head of the organization). The environment he fosters is so personalized and it encourages everyone to speak up. Every student feels like they matter, like they have a voice. Moreover, every single student receives individual feedback and he ensures that they improve with every practice debate. And so, I am incredibly grateful that I have had the opportunity to be part of such a wonderful institution and am thankful to Ms. Diane for offering it to us.”
