Sharing Expertise to Drive Alaska High School Student Success
CBPP Professor Dr. Sandra Ehrlich Serves as a Speech Judge at the GCI Alaska Academic Decathlon State Championship Competition
On Thursday, February 21, 2019, the halls of the Hilton Anchorage Hotel were filled with more than 140 students from 16 high schools across Alaska rehearsing presentations in preparation for the 34th annual GCI Alaska Academic Decathlon Speech competition.
Each year, teams of Decathletes from competing statewide schools converge in Anchorage to vie for $24,000 in scholarships at the State Championship competition. The curricular Decathlon theme for 2018–2019 was The 1960s: A Transformational Decade.
Leveling the Academic Playing Field
“For the past 34 years, this statewide academic competition has challenged and rewarded
academic excellence for high school students. It brings together ninth through 12th-grade
public and private school students across Alaska,” said Curtiss Clifton, GCI State
Director.
“Each team, comprised of nine students from a school or district, includes three A-level students, three B-level students, and three C-level students,” he said.
“For 2019, the Lathrop High School team was named the overall state champion. These students will represent Alaska at the United States Academic Decathlon national competition in Bloomington, Minnesota in April,” Clifton said.
Sharing Expertise to Transform Young Speakers
“This was my sixth year as an Alaska Academic Decathlon Speech Competition Judge.
The Decathletes deliver two timed speeches. The first is a four-minute prepared speech.
The second, is a two-minute impromptu speech. Students select one of 12 prompts and
are given one minute to prepare their presentation,” Ehrlich said.
“For many of the young speakers, the speech competition is the most unnerving. Many of the Decathletes stated learning to speak in public was one of their most transformative experiences in the program,” she said.
Reaching Higher as a Team
“Over the course of the year, the Decathletes learn how to work as a team. As each
member contributes, relies on, and challenges every team member, they learn the value
of collaboration. By building trust and confidence, they learn they can reach higher
as a team, than they could as individuals,” said Ehrlich.
Making a Difference in Kids’ Lives: The Golden Ticket
“I was on a panel of four volunteer speech judges. After each speech, each judge records
their individual scores and then writes personal, constructive feedback for each Decathlete
on a ‘Golden Ticket’,” Ehrlich said.
“One of the Decathlon Coaches approached me as I was leaving the Hilton Fireweed Ballroom this year. She told me she had reviewed the Golden Tickets with her team members after each of their presentations,” said Ehrlich.
“We chatted for a few moments and she shared that her students hold on to their Golden Tickets each year they compete. She told me the words of encouragement and constructive feedback would be invaluable to her team’s future success,” Ehrlich said.
“As a team, the coaches and students review the comments on the Golden Tickets each year before the next Decathlon. The Coach looked and said, ‘Thank you…You’re making a difference in these kids’ lives,’” said Ehrlich.
Imparting Life Skills
“It was an affirming moment for me as a CBPP faculty member. I told her I hoped her
team would consider UAA, the Seawolf Debate Team, and the College of Business & Public
Policy,” Ehrlich said.
“The speech competition forces these students to think rapidly and speak articulately. It develops knowledge-based skills that train students to become part of the academic or business community,” she said.
“In the end, we’re imparting life skills for these Decathletes. We’re arming them with the confidence to interact and compete with students from larger communities. I’ve had the distinct honor of watching these teams navigate the challenges of teamwork, leadership, and time management,” said Ehrlich.
Investing in Youth across Our State
“It was my privilege to serve on the panel of distinguished speech judges at the Alaska
State Championship Academic Decathlon this year,” said Ehrlich.
“Sharing our individual and collective expertise builds core connections to challenge and motivate Alaskan high school students. By investing our time and energy in the youth in our community and across our state, we can raise awareness of one of UAA’s core values—student success,” Ehrlich said.
Dr. Sandra G. Ehrlich, CFRE, is an Associate Professor of Management & Marketing in the College of Business & Public Policy. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive, CFRE, the Alaska CFRE Ambassador, a certified Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Master Trainer, and a certified Team-Based Learning (TBL) Trainer-Consultant. Sandra serves on the UAA Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence, CAFÉ Advisory Council and is the UAA CAFÉ Team-Based Learning Faculty Associate. One of 36 CFRE’s, in Alaska, Dr. Ehrlich has been an AFP member since 2001 and a CFRE since 2007. She is the AFP Alaska Chapter VP of Education, and the Board President of The Friends of Talkeetna Library. Awarded the “Outstanding Professional in Philanthropy” in 2018, Dr. Sandra Ehrlich is the CIS 280—Managerial Communications—Course Coordinator.