Monterey County migrant students debate and speech winners

UPDATE: An earlier version of this blog contained erroneous information about the winners of the high school extemporaneous speech.

The talent of Monterey County students was in full force this weekend, not only in the science competition, where Carmel freshman Ailis Dooner took top honors, but also at the migrant education speech and debate contest, where about 200 students demonstrated their oratory skills.

As one of the judges in the speech competition, I was impressed: these young men and women are poised, articulate, and dedicated. They came prepared with one speech and had to write a second speech on the spot. They overcame the nerves that were obviously eating them up and delivered their speeches with confidence. Not everyone won, of course, but in my book, they all shinning stars in Monterey County's firmament.

Here's a list of the winners

DEBATE COMPETITION:

High school, English

1^st place: North Monterey County High

2^nd place: North Salinas High

3^rd place: Salinas High School

High school, Spanish

1^st: Soledad High

2^nd: King City High

3^rd: Alisal High

Middle School, English

1^st: Chualar School

2^nd: North Monterey County Middle School

3^rd: Chalone Peaks Middle School

SPEECH COMPETITION

ENGLISH

High School, prepared speech,

1^st: Yvonne Dorantes, Notre Dame High

2^nd: Yareli Vargas, Soledad High

3^rd: Carolina Mundo, Alisal High

High School, extemporaneous speech

1^st: Yareli Vargas, Soledad High and Yvonne Dorantes, Notre Dame High

2^nd: Alondra Catalan, Soledad High

MIDDLE SCHOOL, Prepared speech

1^st: Marlyn Sanchez, El Sausal

2^nd: Everly Arce, Fairview

3^rd: Alexa Pena, Fairview

Middle School, extemporaneous

1^st: Marlyn Sanchez, El Sausal

2^nd Adriana Vargas, Main Street

3^rd: Maximino Jardines, El Sausal

6^th Grade, prepared

1^st: Getsemini Puga, Gabilan Elementary

2^nd: Veronica Gutierrez, Chualar

3^rd: Esmeralda Rivera, Oscar Loya

6^th Grade, extemporaneous speech

1^st: Paulina Quintero, Frank Paul

2^nd: Abel Pacheco, Cesar Chavez

3^rd: Esmeralda Rivera, Oscar Loya

SPANISH

Middle School, prepared speech

1^st: Yesenia Aguilar, Vista Verde

2^nd: Aldair Merlin, Vista Verde

3^rd: Mayra Calderon, Chalone Peaks

Middle School, extemporaneous

1^st: Maritza Villanueva, Chalone Peaks

2^nd: Rosalba Vasquez, Vista Verde

3^rd: Mayra Oliveros, Chalone Peaks

6^th Grade, prepared speech

1^st: Omar Vega, Fremont Elementary

2^nd: Luis Alvarez, Alisal Community

3^rd: Tania Diaz Rangel, Martin Luther King

6^th Grade, extemporaneous

1^st: Gilberto Vargas, Martin Luther King

2^nd: Ana Huerta, Steinbeck

3^rd: Luis Alvarez, Alisal Community