I didn’t expect that I would meet one of my lifelong friends from joining the debate team; however, to my surprise, that was my reality. I met Jo in my sophomore year of high school when I joined the team, and from the moment I met her, she radiated such joy. I knew from the way I observed her talking to others, conducting her arguments, and holding herself, that she was someone I wanted to become friends with. While every member of the Speech & Debate team has their own loud voice, I found that Jo, while loving to talk to people, kept to herself more than others. Over time, however, I noticed that the same quiet feeling simultaneously emitted a rhythm in the space around her. People around her knew she was someone they could always talk to and rely on. That is when I knew I had met Jo for good.
The impact that Jo has created throughout the school doesn’t just stop in the solitude of a huddle in the ILC during debate practice; it carries into rounds, classrooms, and tournaments. Joining a team like the Speech & Debate team can feel like a daunting task, yet people on the team, like Jo, are the backbone. For many of the novices, she is one of the first people who made the space that felt unmanageable, intimidating, and scary shift into a space that felt welcoming, manageable, and safe. For the freshman joining the team for the first year, they felt that Jo had taken them under her wing to guide them through the team.
Isabella AlKouri is a freshman who just finished her first year on the Wheeling Park High School Speech & Debate team. She explained that with a team member like Jo, she felt more comfortable on the team.
“The first time Jo made me feel welcome on the team was when she “adopted” me as her child, to let me know that she was always there for me and was someone I could depend on. When I was officially on the team, I remember she gave me a hug and told me how proud she was of me,” said AlKouri.
From personal experience, Jo has a way of making people feel like they belong. You could be the worst speaker known to man, and yet in her eyes she sees potential. She then helps you maximize your potential in the best ways. Under her guidance, I went from a wobbly debater to one who can actually make sense when talking. She taught me that no matter what, to be confident. This feeling isn’t just one that I uniquely have experienced through Jo.
“She helped me as a debater by teaching me that the key is to always have confidence in my cases and myself. Jo would help guide me, as a freshman, through the ups and downs of competing. She always made me feel like I could do anything because of how uplifting and inspiring she is,”said AlKouri.
No matter what event you do, or really if you even do Speech and Debate, Jo is someone who is always willing to be a friend to the world.
Vic Chen attends Morgantown High school and has been a competitor to Jo throughout their years competing. Though they are competitors by definition, they have shifted that constant ideology of rivalry into friendship.
“Even though we’re competitors, Jo never makes competition feel like a negative. She’s truly one of the most kindhearted people I’ve gotten the pleasure to know in our circuit, and she’s always willing to lend a helping hand (even if we’re not on the same team!),” said Chen.
While, like in most extracurricular activities, winning defines the Speech & Debate experience, Jo has consistently shown that it doesn’t have to come at the expense of kindness. Even in the hardest rounds she walks into, she creates an environment where people feel comfortable and supported. That ability in itself is amazing.
“The best memory I’ve had with Jo is actually my last Public Forum round ever, with her and her partner, Ella. I truly don’t believe I could’ve asked for a better way to end my PF career. Despite being a competition, the round itself was incredibly lighthearted, and I won’t forget the laughs I had in those 50 minutes! Even more so, Jo and Ella’s willingness to help my freshman sister feel welcome in the round doesn’t go unnoticed, and she still talks about how that round encouraged her to keep getting better in the world of debate,” said Chen.
Though most of her time is spent behind a podium practicing for debate, she is also the Sports Editor for the Park Press, helping enter all of the hassling scores and schedules for the website, editing stories, and taking photos at sporting events. Her hard work throughout her articles is seen in the quality of the content, but that has not gone unnoticed. Jo had the honor of becoming one of the journalists to win a “Best of SNO”. Only 15% of journalists are accepted into this, and Jo’s article on “The Inspiration of Immigration” was accepted into that 15%.
Perhaps that’s what makes people remember Jo. It’s not just her accomplishments, but the lasting impact she has made on the people along her journey. Like in one of her favorite hyperfixations, Wicked, some people come into your life and change your perspective, not with bold and grand gestures, but instead reliability, kindness, and patience. Jo is one of those people who leaves a lasting mark on others around her that doesn’t fade; instead, it lingers with them for lifetimes.
As she moves on to the next chapter of her life, there is no doubt that she will continue to bring that same light she brought to Wheeling Park wherever she goes. I know I speak for everyone who has been touched by Jo, that we know you will go on and do amazing things. I personally hope her future is filled with the same welcoming kindness she has granted me.
Wherever she ends up, it’s undeniable how many lives she has connected with. Thank you for everything. Because of you, not only is the Park Press, but everyone changed- for good.
