Advantage Communications

Our Advantage students competed in their toughest tournament yet and represented well! The Santa Ana Unified School District hosted the largest elementary tournament and middle school tournament, outside of the NSDA middle school National tournament. Elementary students from Fullerton and Buena Park competed and took 8 of 10 total team awards! Middle School students from Fullerton, Buena Park, Evergreen, and Hacienda La Puente placed in 6 of 10 total team awards. Our students are resting up and preparing now for their district championship tournaments in March. Congratulations to all Advantage teams that competed at the SAUSD Mardi Gras Tournaments!

Casey Goodson, 23, was fatally shot by Franklin County Deputy, Jason Meade, on Friday 12-4-2020 while entering his home in Ohio. Goodson, who is black, was legally armed at the time of the shooting and had no criminal background. What’s worse: he was not the target of any investigation. It is important that at this moment we pay attention to how data on this matter is presented, but it is equally important that we determine what information is being withheld from the public. ...There are no witnesses, there is no bodycam footage; instead, what we have is another painful reminder that around the world, we must rise up to protect black lives. Find out more about the case here: https://www.npr.org//police-in-ohio-say-slain-black-man-br Protecting black futurity at all costs means that in every space that we occupy, we must create opportunities for representation and eminence; it means creating conversations about matrixes of power that produce oppression and exclusion; it means reflecting on opportunities to dismantle micro and macro aggressions that we ourselves create; and it means that we need to use our voices, ears, and heart to implement methods that will prevent structural violence. We here at Advantage Communications want to make it clear: we stand with black communities and their efforts to stop these injustices from continuing. At this moment, our team is working on planning support for our staff and students. But we are not going to stop there. We will also make sure to create conversations to educate all members of our community on how to work together to ensure social justice for all. We are going to reach out to experts to help us transcend beyond our own stand-points so we use that knowledge to add more tools to our current program. At Advantage Communications we acknowledge the need to do this work and more to ensure that staff, participants, and future members feel secure at all levels. If any of our students, staff, or members need support at this moment, please let us know. We are here for you. It takes all of us to stand with each other to change this world for the betterment of all life on earth. We must and can do more. Additionally, we have mental health resources, readings, and much more available in this bibliography for you to explore social justice methods (we will continue to update it as we gather more resources): bit.ly/advantagesocialjusticeresources. Casey Goodson's funeral costs GoFundMe Account: https://gf.me/u/zbh8ny #justiceforcaseygoodson #blacklivesmatter #socialjustice #antiracismeducation

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Coach Mike has been on our staff since the start, and is an incredible support across Advantage! Mike has great experience in all event types, which makes him a well rounded coach to our students. We are glad to have you on the team, Coach Mike! Learn more about our staff member:... Mike competed for 3 years in speech and debate with many awards. He placed Bronze impromptu speaker at CCCFA State 2017. Silver impromptu speaker, Bronze parliamentary debater, and Bronze extemporaneous speaker at CCCFA 2018. Additionally, he placed Silver impromptu speaker and Silver extemporaneous speaker at Phi Rho Pi National Tournament in 2018. Recently, Mike graduated with his Bachelors Degree in Psychology and a minor in Communication Studies. He has now been coaching speech and debate events for 4 years, with many of his students competing at the National tournament. Mike's missing is to give students the ability to develop a critical approach to information and argumentative development is crucial to understanding how the world is shaping itself to be. He also believes that it is important for students to understand and listen to others stories, in order to builds empathy and compassion for others.

It’s no surprise that public speaking is one of the biggest fears among adults in the U.S. (according to the Washington Post). Speech and Debate not only helps students gain confidence in their speaking skills early on, but did you know there are many underlying benefits to competing in forensics? Swipe right to read more about opportunities and strengths students gain from being a part of a speech and debate team!

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Mariela leads with such passion and knowledge; she truly is an integral part of our leadership team! As the center director, Co-director of our Evergreen District, and Debate & Limited Prep lead, she wears many hats, and provides our students the best possible experience with speech and debate. Thank you for all that you do Ms. Mariela! Learn more about our staff member:... Mariela attended California State University-Fullerton and pursued three bachelors of arts degrees in American Studies, Chicana/o Studies, and Philosophy. She represented at the 2016 Ethnic Studies Conference at Chapman University and was awarded the Susan Flinkingshelt Student Association Service Award . Mariela debated for the varsity policy debate division, received multiple individual speaker and finalist awards. She was awarded the Giles Forensics Scholarship and was recognized as a CEDA All American Scholar. Mariela has coached numerous schools and academies in California for over 6 years, helping many students place in finalist rounds, raise their grades, and get accepted to prestigious schools. Her focus as the Program Director for the Advantage Center is to help students and parents find quality and personalized coaching for personal success.

We are excited to announce that we will still be holding speech, debate, and public speaking camps this summer! Register here: https://bit.ly/2YNjApl Visit our website advantagespeechanddebate.com or reach us at 714-709-8518 for more information on the best class for your student!

Our first group of public speaking classes in the Evergreen School District really flew by! Mrs. Adri, one of our lead teachers, had these words of encouragement to our students before their final class and... PRESENTATION DAY! We are so proud of the 4th and 5th graders in the Evergreen school district for trying something new and gaining public speaking skills!

California Election deadlines are coming up! Have you voted yet?

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Finny (Tiffiny) has been with Advantage since our start in 2018, and began as the Director for the Fullerton School District! As we continue to grow, she now serves as our Vice President and District Director, and strives to provide the best experience for our students, teachers, staff, and communities. Learn more about our staff member: Finny began competing in speech in middle school. She was the captain of the Gabrielino High... School. After high school she competed for Pasadena City College, and later received a scholarship to compete at Bradley University. Finny holds multiple State and National out rounds and holds 4 National titles and was ranked top 25 in Overall Individual Sweepstakes. After graduating with her Bachelors Degree in Organizational Communications from Bradley University, Finny worked for Verizon Wireless and quickly became the youngest member of the Corporate team. In her spare time, she coached students in the Santa Ana School District, then began to help with tournaments, and fell back in love with the activity! She later received her Master’s degree in Strategic Communication, and in 2018 began work with Advantage Communications as the Fullerton District Director. In 2020, her school became a School of Excellence Winner at the NSDA National Tournament. Finny's mission is to help students develop what they believe, why they believe what they do, and understand perspectives other than their own.

CONGRATULATIONS to our Advantage Center student: Edward Bleker, for making it to the quarter-finals in Lincoln-Douglas Debate at the Jack Howe Tournament! Edward Bleker started with our program in 2018 as a Parks Jr. High public forum debater at the Fullerton Joint School District. After continuous appearances in semi-final and final rounds for public forum, Edward qualified to represent his team at the National Speech and Debate Middle School Tourna...ment in 2019. Edward is now a Lincoln Douglas debater at Troy High School. With the support of private center program director, Coach Mariela Garcia-Alvarado, Edward prepared over the summer and before the tournament to compete at the rigorous Jack Howe Memorial Tournament hosted by the California Univesity of Long Beach. His hard work paid off as he made it to quarterfinals at his first Lincoln Douglas tournament. We are so proud of you Edward and cannot wait to see you continue to succeed at future tournaments. We would also like to thank you for returning to our middle school program to offer coaching at Parks Junior High and for the countless hours you have spent judging students who were once in your seat. Edward Bleker is a great example of how to use your voice to open up for others and, as our motto highlights, how to transform yourself from a learner to a leader when the opportunity is offered. Congratulations Edward, we cannot wait to see you continue to flourish! See more

It’s such a special moment to see the impact you have on a student. Coach Sarah, you are making a difference in students lives!

STAFF SPOTLIGHT! Going virtual means that we can hire incredible coaches from across the country! We have the honor of adding Joel Anguiano, from El Paso, TX, to our staff this year!!! We couldn’t be happier to have Joel on our team. Learn more about our staff member: ... Joel Anguiano is an elected representative of the Pi Kappa Delta National Speech and Debate Council. He was the Assistant Director of Forensics at El Paso Community College where his team was the gold sweepstakes winner for 7 consecutive years. He was the Poetry Coach for Wiley College, a Historic Black College/University where he was able to coach multiple National Finalists and various National out-round competitors. Joel has coached several Gold Community College National Champions as well as multiple Silver and Bronze recipients at the highly competitive Phi Rho National Tournament. He is also the production manager for Viva! El Paso, the historic stage production and presentation of the history of El Paso. See more

It is so exciting to watch our speech students use their skills outside of competition! Orangethorpe principal, and two of our very own speech students, are special guests on the Little Steven’s Roadshow today! Tune in Thursday, Sept. 24th at 9pm EST, 6pm PST to hear more and support their TeachRock Back to School Distance Learning Fundraiser.RSVP at teachrock.org/roadshow The TeachRock organization offers free curriculum for all ages to teachers, focused on music, to engage student learning!

It's official, our speech family is expanding! Let's give a warm welcome to Evergreen School District, located in San Jose, CA; and Hacienda La Puente, located in City of Industry, CA! We work hard to ensure all our districts are set up with a director, curriculum, and walk-on coaches to ensure students have the best experience participating in speech and debate. If your school or district is interested in joining our family, contact: [email protected]

STAFF SPOTLIGHT! Coach Sarah is a new addition to our Advantage team, and brings years of forensics experience and national titles with her. We cannot wait for our students to work with Coach Sarah! Learn more about our staff member: Sarah is a proud HBCU graduate from Tennessee State University with a Bachelors Degree in Communication Studies wit ha conc...entration in Mass Communications/Journalism. She is a self-proclaimed activist, speech and debate coach, actress, and tv/radio personality. Sarah was a former competitive speaker and Captain for the 2019-2020 highly decorated Tennessee State Speech and Debate Team. She has won numerous titles during her competitive career including Best Speaker at the California State Championship in 2018, semi-finaled and quarter-finaled 2 events at the AFA National Tournament in 2019, and won Best Speaker at the Tennessee State Championship in 2020, just to name a few. In addition, Sarah is the Host of the radio show Activists of Today, where she provides a platform to shine light on the activists who are committed to being the change they wish to see in the world. See more

Voting is an essential way to get involved with your local and national community. Let your voice be heard this upcoming election season! One of the first steps to getting ready to participate in the upcoming elections is to register to vote. To register to vote, visit: vote.gov. What if you are interested in voting by mail? You can visit this website to find out more about the process: vote.org/absentee-ballot-deadlines/. Once you are registered to vote, you may want to find out more about the candidates on the ballot. To do so, visit: ballotpedia.org

STAFF SPOTLIGHT! Coach Stephanie has been on our staff for 3 years, and we are so glad to have her on our staff again this year! Learn more about our staff member: Stephanie has worked with many students who have placed in State and National Final rounds. She competed on Speech and Debate for 6 years and was the top 12 in the nation for Poetry Interpretation. She is pursuing the film industry and has been the lead in many music videos and film projects. She is also pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, to then work towards a teaching credential. She believes that Speech and Debate gives students a platform to share the people’s stories and opens up opportunities that change lives.

Going back to school looks different for everyone this year, and teachers are taking on more than ever. THANK YOU to all of our educators and school staff for always adapting, and for your service to your students. We appreciate you!

With Session A already off to a superb start and Session B around the corner, our coaches and staff are thrilled to announce that due to high demand we have added another summer camp session with options in the morning or the afternoon! Session C will occur July 20-31st, with all pathways available: mastering public speaking, oratorical interpretation, debate, limited preparation speech, and public address/platform speech. We accept all ranges of experience. Students are auditioned before camp begins to ensure we find the best camp pathway that fits the student's interests (and script if needed). To find out more, reach out to our program director at [email protected] or (714) 709-8518 to set up a consultation. Visit our website to find out more about our program and staff: advantagespeechanddebate.org.

Congratulations to Parks Jr. High for their 2020 School of Excellence Award. All year Director and Vice President of Advantage Communications, Finny Vuong, worked hard to prep and motivate students at Parks Junior High. Congratulations to Parks Junior High School for your National Championship. This is a true testament to Sal Tinajero and his team, congrats for your continued success. From the beginning of the year, the team set out to qualify enough individuals to represent... the district to try to win this milestone. Students kept each other motivated and accountable to reach their goal and today's announcement that Parks Junior High is now a School of Excellence in Speech and Debate reflects how focused the team was all year. Thank you to all the coaches, administrators, and parents who helped make this moment happen. If you missed the awards show, look for the link on live.speechanddebate.org