When I joined the UO Debate team I was not confident in my abilities as a speaker or researcher. I had tried debate formats in high school and found them wildly inaccessible to newcomers in a way that this department puts to shame. After only a few practices with Trond and all the coaching staff, as well as peer support, I found myself crafting arguments and excitedly planning for argumentative speeches I hoped to make at upcoming tournaments. The team meeting became the highlight of my week, and the tournaments the highlights of the year. Even though I had greater time commitments, I was able to be what I considered successful as a debater and a student, while having time for hobbies and part time work. When I think about the summit of my time at the U of O, I can picture how it felt when at the end of my senior year, I had been awarded the 5th place overall speaker at the year-end Tournament and Conference of Scholars.