NHI Announces Texas Star Great Debate at Our Lady of the Lake University

The National Hispanic Institute’s Great Debate program enables hundreds of high school students to find more confidence and ability within themselves.

For up to 150 students from the south Texas/San Antonio area — the 2023 Texas Star Great Debate, which will be held at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) in San Antonio from July 12-17, will offer a chance for both academic and personal growth.

In 2023, OLLU will provide a private, historic campus in one of America’s oldest and booming cities, San Antonio which is just a stone’s throw from many growing communities in the Texas Hill Country, the South Texas Borderlands, and the Greater Austin Area.

OLLU offers its students flexible study plans with additional campuses in Houston and the Rio Grande Valley for working adults. Check out OLLU’s website (ollusa.edu) for more info on areas of study and to learn more about campus life, the school’s main campus is only 3 miles from downtown San Antonio!

“Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) is proud to partner with the National Hispanic Institute (NHI) to present the 2023 Texas Star Great Debate,” said OLLU President Abel A. Chávez, MBA, PhD. “Like OLLU, NHI is helping to form the next generation of leaders. We are excited to host these bright young adults on our beautiful, historic campus. They will experience the welcoming OLLU community and learn about all the history that has been made on this campus in support of the Hispanic community.”

At the Texas Star Great Debate, students will go through a journey to develop their language skills and word management while working together and creating lifelong connections with both their teammates and coaches. Coaches and trainers for this event are NHI high school participants, who are enrolled in top colleges throughout the United States. The program will be led by some of NHI’s most experienced communications experts.

Julian Hall from CAST Tech High School in San Antonio, part of the Cross-X champion team, noted, “What I got out of this program was a lot more confidence in myself. I felt like I was able to really speak for myself and speak out, instead of having to be set back like I was whenever I was back in San Antonio. I feel like I’m a lot more free now that I know I have this kind of confidence within me, and I’ll make sure to come back [to NHI] in the next year and the years after that.”

His partner in the Cross-X competition, Charise de Leon of Falfurrias HS in Falfurrias, added, “Being in this program has really helped me be more outspoken.” “I really unlocked potential,” added Cross-X finalist Alfredo Ramirez from John B. Alexander High School in Laredo. “I knew I could do all these things, but I didn’t have the confidence to do any of them, but after speaking on stage in front of a bunch of people, I know what I can do and how I can put it to use.”

For more information and to sign up for this once in a lifetime experience visit www.nationalhispanicinstitute.org/great-debate and contact a NHI representative today at 512-357-6137.