Albertina Thai wins top honor in a national speech contest
By Rebecca Ray
A couple of hours before the awards banquet, Albertina Thai lay in her bed in her hotel room, feeling horrible. The senior from Los Gatos High School had felt nervous while giving her speech at the National American Enterprise Speech Contest, and she didn't think she'd done well. She thought she'd spoken too quickly and that her pacing was off. She also felt intimidated by some of the other competitors, who were college freshmen.
But the judges of the national speech competition saw things differently. At the banquet, they announced that Thai had placed first among the six competitors and presented her with a $10,000 savings bond.
"It was really cool," Thai, 18, said. "I wasn't expecting it, because I didn't think it was one of the better speeches that I had given."
Although Thai had been a finalist in debate tournaments, she had never won a speech competition.
The National Management Association--a national, nonprofit, professional leadership development association centered in Dayton, Ohio, hosted the contest, which took place Nov. 3, 2001, in Denver. Thai spoke in front of about 300 association members.
Competitors had to speak about the American enterprise system. Thai discussed different inventors, including Thomas Edison and Art Fry, the inventor of Post-It notes, and how they succeeded because they weren't afraid of failure.
"I think it's very exciting, and she really deserves it," said Sharon Smith, LGHS speech and debate coach, of Thai's win. "She worked very hard for it."
Smith described Thai as dedicated, organized, bright, charismatic and personable. Smith added that people enjoy listening to her and that generally, she has something to say that is worth listening to.
To participate in the national contest, competitors had to win two local competitions and a regional contest. Thai's victory at the Pacific Northwest Regional Contest in Seattle on May 20 earned her the right to compete at nationals.
Thai says that as a freshman, she "kind of stumbled into speech." Thai, who had acted in a play, joined speech and debate because she was interested in dramatic interpretation. Dramatic interpretation is a type of speech which each competitor acts out parts of a play. Also, although Thai was shy, she said she figured she could handle one event.
But Thai grew tired of dramatic interpretations because they didn't challenge her enough. So as a sophomore, she began to compete in Lincoln-Douglas debates. In this type of debate, two competitors debate over a resolution, and each competitor takes turns arguing each side.
Thai also began to compete in congress, an event where 25 competitors debate over mock bills and resolutions and can ask each other questions.
Thai says she enjoys listening to others speak. "There are so many interesting things [that speakers] say, and I don't hear nearly that many points of view at school," she said.
When Thai isn't preparing for a competition, she's working part-time at a toy store, studying or enjoying ballroom and Latin dancing. Thai, who takes four advanced placement classes and one honors class, is ranked among the top 4 percent in her class. Her classmates even voted her "Most Likely to Succeed" this fall.
In February 2001, Thai also won a trip to Washington, D.C., with other students around the country by writing an essay.
Thai says her prize money will go toward college. She hopes to attend UCLA. She says she is considering law, political science and communications.
Thai's sister, Elizabeth, 19, who graduated from Los Gatos in 2001, is studying communications at UC-San Diego. Thai lives with her mother, Kathy Chroust, and stepfather, Matt Chroust, in Los Gatos.
|
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
