Kahuku High debater on U.S. international team

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Winnie Graham never thought a speech she gave to students three years ago would have such an impact on a teenager's life.

The debate teacher at Kahuku High School told interested freshmen the benefits of joining the speech and debate team.

One student, who was struggling with the transition to high school, immediately signed up.

That student, Adriana Alghussein, is now a junior, and she has become the first student from Hawai'i to earn a spot on the U.S. International Debate Team, which will compete in the World Schools Debate Championships in August in Peru, Graham said.

She is only one of five students from the United States — and the only one from a public high school — who will compete against hundreds of students from around the world, debating social, moral and political issues in a team format.

Adriana leaves today to meet her teammates from California, New York and South Carolina for training before heading to Lima, Peru. She was unavailable for comment because she was running errands in preparation for her trip.

"She's intense, I'm telling you, and she'll work," said Graham, who has taught debate at Kahuku for 15 years. "It's a real rush to compete, and she just loves it. She eats and sleeps debate. She gives speeches in the shower. She even dreams about it."

The 15th annual debating championships is a global competition for school debaters. Each year the event is held in a different country. Regardless of location, all debates are done in English.

Graham said participation on the debate team has changed Adriana, who struggled with the transition from the Mainland to Hawai'i in the eighth grade.

"Once she got caught onto debate, it inspired and motivated her," Graham said. "It affected everything else. Her grades shot up. She wants to go to Yale next year. It has given her this confidence, and that comes with leadership. A good leader has a voice."

More than 50 students participate in debate at Kahuku. Adriana is the first to be recruited to participate on the five-member national team.

"She's a groundbreaker," said her mom, Marilyn Alghussein, a special-education teacher at Kahuku Elementary School.

She credits Adriana's strong communication skills and leadership ability to her success in debate.

Graham says those are qualities enhanced by participating in speech and debate teams.

"The kids that get attracted to debate and stay in it are natural leaders," she said. "They find their voice. They're being challenged by someone else. All of a sudden they realize ... there's a big world out there. ... All of a sudden they find their voice, and they're not afraid to speak."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at 535-8103 or ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.