In ceremonies earlier this month at the Pinecrest High School Speech and Debate Championships in Southern Pines, Jace Lawrence, a sixteen year old senior at East Carteret High and President of their award winning National Forensic League speech and debate team, has won the North Carolina Speech and Debate Team Student of the Year award.  Remarkably, this win comes close on the heels of his Tarheel Forensic District Student of the Year award the previous week.

Left-to-Right, ECHS Teacher & Debate Coach Julia Brown, parent Mary Lawrence, senior Jace Lawrence

Jace, the son of Bud and Mary Lawrence, was the only student from Carteret County to travel to the state championships.  There, he competed in two categories, Impromptu Speaking and Original Oratory, breaking into semi-finals eliminations in both events.  His original oratory entitled, “Resetting the Sails,” addresses the challenge of realizing the American dream given the constraints of our present economy, and re-defines that dream to be attainable with renewed resolve, courage, and perspective.

For more on the National Forensic League, their website is HERE.  In addition, WikiPedia has a page on them, HERE.