Trey Smith believes that the most vital skill in the 21st-century workplace is too often undervalued in school curricula: communication.
Trey is the New Mexico District Chair of the National Speech and Debate Association, and the Executive Director of the East Mountain High School Foundation. Since discovering his passion for speech and debate in 9th grade, he has coached thousands of students and professionals in debate and public speaking, and his teams have ranked among the top in the world in competitions such as the International Public Policy Forum. In 2020, Smith will be the host of the National Speech and Debate Tournament, the world’s largest academic competition, to be held in Albuquerque.
Gina Sanchez, like her speech and debate coach Trey Smith, found her life transformed when she joined her high school’s speech and debate team. A finalist for the 2018 National Speech and Debate Student of the Year, a 3-time state champion, and an avid reader and poet, she is helping to share the message of the abilities of effective communication to reduce conflict and empower speakers. Sanchez recently graduated high school; in the fall she will begin her studies at Stanford University and plans to study international relations and philosophy.