Whiz Kid: Austin Price

For this week’s Whiz Kid, we’re highlighting Austin Price, who will be competing in the National Forensic League National Tournament in Dallas in June. Price is a member of the Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School’s speech and debate team, a team that is only three years old. 

• Austin Price
• Age/grade level: 18 years old; 12th grade
• School:
• Accomplishment: Qualifying for the national-level speech and debate competition, the National Forensic League National Tournament. Price placed third in the North Coast District of the league and was named the district’s first alternate for the national competition, one of his coaches, John Kerezy, said in an e-mail. But one of the students who qualified cannot attend, and Price will travel to Dallas to compete this summer.
• Key to Awesomeness: Price got involved with the program as a sophomore, the first year the team began. He started out competing in Student Congress, where students debate issues in short, two- to three-minute speeches. His father, Jim Price, said Kerezy encouraged Price to try International Extemporaneous instead, a category where students spend hours of their own time researching current events. The students bring boxes of articles and research that they can draw on to support the issues that they are asked to speak about. 

The catch: students don’t learn their topics until the day of the competition. Price said his collection of articles and research fills up about five boxes and bags.

“When you find the event you’re really good at, it kind of clicks,” Price said. 

Do you know someone who should be our next Whiz Kid? E-mail the following information to Editor Rachel Abbey:

• Your name and e-mail address,
• The Whiz Kid's name,
• The Whiz Kid's age/grade level,
• The Whiz Kid's school,
• The Whiz Kid's accomplishment, and 
• Just a few words about what made him or her successful.

 If your nominee is selected, we'll contact you and reach out to the Whiz Kid’s family.