2026 Midwest Great Debate students come together to fulfills its theme of ‘crafting a vision’

The 2026 Midwest Great Debate brought close to 80 students together — from México, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic, as well as a Chicago-area contingent principally representing the U.S. — for a six-day competition at Augustana College, one of NHI’s most established host institution partners.

“This year’s theme, ‘Crafting a Vision,’ truly came to life throughout the program,” said co-educational director Maggie Olmos, of the learning that the Midwest Great Debate made possible.

“Participants took the NHI values and fundamentals and began using them in their actions and implementing them into their debate categories, exploring how the NHI values and fundamentals shape the communities they envision,” she continued. “As the tournament progressed, we saw participants continue to develop their visions for what they want their communities to look like, while also crafting a plan for how to bring those visions to life. It was inspiring to watch them move from ideas to action and think critically about the role they can play in shaping their communities.” 

Olmos adds that seeing how the NHI experience will transfer over to their daily lives was particularly rewarding. 

“Seeing them recognize their own capacity to lead and create change reminds us why these spaces are so important for our youth,” she elaborated. “More importantly, it was powerful to see participants leave with a commitment to continue elevating and celebrating our communities long after the program ends.” 

Students made clear that they learned, grew, and developed throughout the six days — also touting the family atmosphere that NHI cultivates. 

“I already had two siblings that went to NHI, and they were speaking very highly of it. They made me expect a lot from it, and I got more than I expected that I was going to get from it,” said Hector Huicochea of Highland Park High School in Highland Park, Ill., who won the Cross Examination competition with partner Sebastian Pineda of James “Nikki” Rowe High School, McAllen, Texas. 

“At the very beginning of the program, they would say you guys are going to turn into family, and I thought they were overexaggerating it,” he continued. “But now that I left, you know, I felt like I had a really big connection with everyone, and I still stay in touch with everyone there. And it’s just like it’s a really good experience, and they do feel like family to me.” 

“I learned so many new aspects just about speech itself,” Piñeda said. “That just helps with getting to people, trying to like discover how people are and their emotions, how to get to them, how to appeal to them, and it really does help if you want to be a leader, because you really need to understand your people and how you talk to them.” 

“It’s fun because you get to see what everybody else thinks and everybody else’s perspectives, and you just get to learn other opinions from everybody else,” said Arie Keys from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor, Ill., one of the program’s Transformation Award winners. “It really wasn’t as intense as I thought it would be.” 

She noted that she would recommend the program to those considering attending next year. 

“I would tell them about my personal experiences and like how I made new friends,” she said. “It was good to just see what it’s like to be on a college campus, and how it can also help you build long-term friendships and be better at public speaking.” 

Award winners included:

Cross Examination

• 1st Place: Sebastian Pineda, James “Nikki” Rowe High School, McAllen, Texas, and Hector Huicochea, Highland Park High School, Highland Park, Illinois
• 2nd Place: Yulissa Dominguez, Palatine High School, Palatine, Illinois, and Nahla Papakos, Highland Park High School, Highland Park, Illinois
• All-State Leader: D’maur’a Mardis, School District U-46, Elgin, Illinois
• All-State Member: Maxelle Pacheco, Colegio Circulo Infantil de Pesgalozzi, San Pedro de Macoris, República Dominicana 

Oratory

• 1st Place: Halbert Tahual, Colegio Cientifico Tecnologico Einstein, San Antonio Suchitepéquez, Guatemala
• 2nd Place: Harolyn Custodia, Academia de Liderazgo UCE, San Pedro de Macorís, República Dominicana 
• All-State: Mia Alvarez, Hoffman Estates High School, Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Extemporaneous Speaking

• 1st Place: Romina Torado, Instituto Jassá, León, México
• 2nd Place: Marco Ochoa Jurado, Palatine High School, Palatine, Illinois
• All-State: Brooklyn Young, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, Chicago, Illinois

Athenaeum 

• 1st Place: Ross Lopez, Marshalltown High School, Marshalltown, Iowa; Fatima Morales, Mansueto High School, Chicago, Illinois; Mariana Navarro, Instituto Jassa, León, México, and Regina Cabrera, Instituto Jassá, León, México
• 2nd Place: Zara Noman, Palatine High School, Palatine, Illinois; Esther Olutade, Hoffman Estates High School, Hoffman Estates, Illinois; Noemi Hernandez, Highland Park High School, Highland Park, Illinois; and Isabela Febles, Academia de Liderazgo UCE, San Pedro de Macorís, República Dominicana 

Transformation Awards

• Gina Banakeng, Marshalltown High School, Marshalltown, Iowa
• Axel Gamboa, School District U-46, Elgin, Illinois
• Arie Keys, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor, Illinois
• Daniela Mendieta, Palatine High School, Palatine, Illinois
• Clarissa Naveda, School District U-46, Elgin, Illinois
• Kaylee Rodriguez, Mansueto High School, Chicago, Illinois
• Oscar Suhul, Colegio Cientifico Tecnologico Einstein, San Antonio Suchitepéquez, Guatemala

Hall of Fame Award

• Jonathan Beanland, School District U-46, Elgin, Illinois

Chris Pluta Award

• Jonathan Cardoso, Palatine High School, Palatine, Illinois

The Texas Ambassador Great Debate is made possible in part by support from the Bezos Family Foundation and State Farm.