Molly Block ’26 won first place overall in the Program Oral Interpretation event out of 174 entries at the Harvard National High School Invitational Forensics Tournament, which took place from Feb. 15 – 17. The Harvard tournament is the most prestigious invitational in the nation for high schoolers competing in speech and debate, according to the Institute of Competition Sciences.
Block said her success in the competition was due to the dedication and practice she put in beforehand.
“I put in an incredible amount of time and effort to prepare for this tournament,” Block said. “It has been a goal of mine for a long time and I used feedback from previous tournaments to improve my speech. Every detail mattered to me, and I spent hours practicing, revising and getting feedback from my coach and teammates. I went in with a clear sense of my goals and full confidence in the work I had put in.”
Speech Coach Sarina Wang said she enjoyed seeing her students grow as speakers and was especially proud of Block’s success.
“My favorite moment as a coach was seeing students walk away with so much more confidence and knowledge about being a good public speaker,” Wang said. “Additionally, I was so excited for [Block] because she poured her heart and soul into that final round performance. As soon as she finished, I was beyond impressed. This was one of the most challenging tournaments of the year, so it was truly such an accomplishment. I just felt happy to see the judges recognize her hard work and passion.”
Block said meeting and competing with other passionate high schoolers at such a high level made the event more memorable.
“My favorite part of attending the Harvard Invitational was being surrounded by some of the most talented and passionate speakers in the country,” Block said. “As the largest invitational in the U.S., the level of competition was incredibly high, but that only made the experience more rewarding. I was so thankful for the opportunity to share a story that meant so much to me and to connect with so many incredible people throughout the experience. Being part of such a dedicated and inspiring community was an honor, and it reminded me why I love this activity so much.”
Block and Sally Ramberg ’26 also qualified for octafinals in Informative Speaking and Humorous Interpretation, respectively. Ramberg said she enjoyed competing at the tournament because she could spend time with team members.
“The most memorable part was bonding with teammates through activities like playing poker using Sweetheart candies at the hotel,” Ramberg said. “Overall, I felt happy, proud and relieved when I advanced because having such a supportive team behind me felt awesome.”
