2025 Winner: Louis Schlosser

CONGRATULATIONS TO Louis Schlosser, WINNER OF THE 2025 JORDAN G. MCFAULL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP!

Essay by Louis Schlosser

In my classic black suit, crisp button-down that’s a little tight around the neck, and pink floral tie for a pop of color, you can find me shuffling down a school hallway most Saturday mornings during Speech & Debate season. With sweaty hands and a touch of nausea, I take a deep breath before I enter each competition classroom. Even though I’m well-rehearsed, I still feel nervous before each performance, even after seven years. 

I have always been a quiet person, one who prefers to listen more than speak. I like to synthesize information, consider different perspectives, and put my ideas on paper first. I know that words are powerful, so I’m careful with them because I always want to be respectful. When people learn that I’m a Speech & Debate competitor, they are sometimes surprised. They are particularly surprised because after the sudden loss of my father at age four, I stopped speaking to adults outside my family for almost a year. My trauma response to my father’s suicide was silence. My now-single mom worked to create an environment where I felt loved and safe enough to speak again, all while juggling three jobs: English teacher, musical director, and Speech & Debate coach. Due to her busy schedule and desire to keep me close, I spent the majority of my childhood at school well into the evening most days, surrounded by compassionate, creative Speech, Debate, and Drama students who treated me with respect and kindness, as one of “the big kids.” This is where I first learned the meaning of community and the value of service to others. This community helped me to heal and find my voice again. 

Speech & Debate helps to create some of the most articulate, thoughtful, and confident leaders and thinkers who go on to top colleges and successful careers. Jordan is one example of this, and I hope to follow similar footsteps. I believe strongly in the mission of Speech & Debate, and that’s why I’m committed to serving this organization - both at Beechwood and on the state level. I coach novice members 50 hours per year, organize a state-wide professional clothing drive for underprivileged competitors, judge at middle school tournaments, and serve as the elected student representative to our state Speech & Debate board of directors. I do all of this because I want to help empower the next generation to speak up with clarity and confidence. 

Apparently, I missed meeting Jordan by just one Speech & Debate State Tournament. You see, my mom started the team during Jordan’s senior year when he competed in Oratory and Impromptu Speaking. Instead of attending the state tournament in 2007 where Jordan was named a semifinalist, she was busy giving birth to me. Although we barely missed crossing paths, she and Jordan’s other teachers still speak fondly of his character and his academic and athletic success. I am certain he is someone I would have loved to be around, and I would be honored to be considered for this scholarship.