Palisade Senior, Mila Stepan, is the Athlete of the Week brought to you by Palisade Dino Mart. Stepan is a captain of the Speech and Debate team where her main event is in United States Extemporaneous Speaking. Stepan has been on the Palisade High School Speech and Debate team since her freshman year, where she first joined in hopes of finding confidence. Stepan states, “I wanted to find a community, and I also joined speech and debate because I wanted to conquer my public speaking anxiety.”
With four years of experience on the Speech and Debate team, Stepan has most definitely improved, reaching high standards and succeeding in various capacities. At the 4A Speech and Debate State Championships which was held in Pueblo, Colorado on February 21st-22nd, Stepan earned an impressive first-place finish. This is an accomplishment that Stepan would say is one of her greatest. Stepan said, “I’ve been to state every year, and each year I’ve done better. It feels great to be able to see myself improving each year, and to get first in state was extremely rewarding. To me, it represents all the work that I’ve put into this activity throughout high school.”
With the help of her teammates and peers, Stepan has been greatly supported to take her success to another level, such as taking first place in state.
“My biggest inspiration is my mom. She has a sort of self-confidence and conviction in her beliefs that I hope to have one day, but she is also one of the most thoughtful people I know. I admire that she is always looking out for people while also making sure she stays true to herself.”
The support and encouragement received from her peers is what continues to bring Stepan to Speech and Debate. “My favorite thing about speech and debate is definitely the community of the team. They are all some of my favorite people, and I love spending time with them, whether at our tournaments, practices, or fun activities. We always have great conversations and I feel like I’ve learned a lot from them.”
Stepan’s growth on the Palisade Speech and Debate team is a story of hard work and dedication. From overcoming public speaking anxiety to winning first place at the 4A State Championships, Stepan has excelled throughout her four years. Congratulations, Mila Stepan, for receiving Athlete of the Week!
