East High senior Kerschner, from 'introvert' freshman to nationally ranked speech competitor

May 18—CHEYENNE — Not everyone who joins their high school's speech and debate team is a social butterfly — East High School senior Clara Kerschner is just the opposite.

School counselor Aimee Steil described Kerschner as "extremely introverted" by nature.

The high school senior recalled the first time she ever spoke in front of an audience, shaking as she delivered her speech. Socializing doesn't come naturally to Kerschner, who described herself as a "homebody." She preferred to stay in with her black Lab, Otis, on her nights off.

Little did Kerschner know that, within a year, she would place fourth in the state for informative speaking. Two years later, she would place third nationally at the Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational in Oakland, California.

East High speech and debate coach Marcus Viney said Kerschner is a multiple-time state finalist and national qualifier. She will be competing at both the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions and National Speech & Debate Association Nationals in Des Moines, Iowa, by the end of her senior year.

"Clara Kerschner is an unstoppable force in the competitive world of speech and debate," Viney said. "Whether it's in a public speaking, interpretation or debate category, Clara plays with the best of the best."

Facing her fears and learning how to overcome her anxiety paved the way to many opportunities for the 17-year-old. When she was selected to apply for the Trustees Scholarship at the University of Wyoming, an award given to the top 10% of high school applicants, Kerschner used her speech and debate skills to land the interview.

"(Speech and debate) really helped me come out of my shell," Kerschner told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

Her love of math and curiosity to understand the inner workings of the U.S. economy led her to choose a major in economics at UW. One of her speech and debate topics this year was about teeth, and Kerschner said she was surprised to learn that dental insurance is less accessible than health insurance.

"While I was researching, I got a lot into the economic side of it and how a lot of people can't afford dental care," Kerschner said. "Dental insurance is way less accessible than health insurance in the United States."

Pushing through the mental limits

Like many high school students, Kerschner loaded her schedule with advanced courses, speech and debate practice, volleyball, varsity track and served as vice president of the National Honor Society. She often missed class to travel to sports and debate competitions. To make up for it, Kerschner made a habit of doing her homework on the bus.

Outside of school and extracurricular activities, she also volunteered as a youth swim instructor, pitched in with her high school cleanup crew and completed her community service hours for NHS. All the while, she held onto her weighted 4.2 GPA.

By the start of her junior year, though, Kerschner had a major panic attack.

"I was over it all," she said. "I was just like 'OK, I can't do this. It's too much work.'"

The first step to getting through the mental breakdown, Kerschner said, was acknowledging that she wasn't OK.

"Once you acknowledge that, it's a lot easier to go and ask someone for help," Kerschner said. "Even if asking for help just means a hug from your parents, and them telling you that you'll get through this."

With the help of her friends and family, Kerschner learned how to prioritize her schedule and set boundaries. If she had to miss a day of school for a speech and debate tournament, she chose to skip the weekend volleyball game so she could catch up on her assignments.

Kerschner added that it really helps to have a support system to lean on.

"They don't make students like Clara anymore," Viney said. "But the cherry on top is that Clara has one of the biggest and kindest hearts you will ever encounter."

Kerschner was invited to join Sources of Strength her junior year, a student organization that focuses on preventing violence, bullying and substance misuse. The program is fairly new to Laramie County School District 1, since it was just implemented in August 2022.

It arrived in LCSD1 after former Superintendent Margaret Crespo wrote a "call to action" letter in March of that year to address racism and bullying in schools.

"Our goal with Sources of Strength is to help students understand what their sources of strength are," Kerschner said. "Being invited to that was a huge honor."

Looking back

When Kerschner first stepped onto campus as a freshman, she was shy, introverted and felt lost. Four years later, the high school grad can't help but feel proud of how far she's come.

"I went from someone who maybe needed a lot of support and who needed some upperclassmen and mentors to guide her to now someone who can be that mentor," Kerschner said.

She will attend UW as a Trustees Scholarship recipient, where she was also accepted into the university's Honors College. Kerschner said she chose to attend college in Wyoming so she can stay close to her family.

Her sister, Ellie, is only two years younger, and Kerschner said she is close to her and her 13-year-old brother, Miles. Kerschner and her sister do everything together, being so close in age, and were even once dual partners for speech and debate.

"We love just spending time with each other in any way we can," Kerschner said.

When she was chosen as one of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's Outstanding Graduates of Laramie County, it was more than just her impressive GPA, 31 ACT score and seemingly endless list of accolades over the course of her high school career that made her a top pick.

Kerschner also demonstrated a strong connection to her community through her volunteer work, and is described by those who nominated her as an "insightful" individual who "sees the big picture."

"Clara is a model student that I cannot praise enough," said her high school art teacher, Megan John. "She possesses the ability to think outside the box, finding creative solutions to artistic problems and approaching projects with a fresh perspective."

What doesn't get reflected in her resume is Kerschner's willingness to listen and value input from others, as well as her acceptance of everyone she meets, Steil wrote on Kerschner's nomination form.

Viney said Kerschner was the kind of person he wanted to be when he grew up.

"Kerschner's impact on me and the team has been so profound that it's flipped (in) many ways," he said. "She deserves every opportunity we can possibly offer because she will make the most out of every one and exceed all expectations."

Hannah Shields is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's state government reporter. She can be reached at 307-633-3167 or hshields@wyomingnews.com. You can follow her on X @happyfeet004.