Coronado Senior advancing to national American Legion Oratorical contest

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - A Coronado High School senior, Max Kinser, is currently refining his speech before heading to the national American Legion Oratorical contest. He’s the first Lubbock student with Post 575 to advance past the state competition.

This is Kinser’s first year in the contest and he says he wishes he had more time with it. He won the Post 575 competition, regionals, district, and state. Heading into the state competition, he says he was confident. Still, it was an unreal moment for him when he heard that he won.

“They announced it from fourth place to first,” Kinser said. “So, they announced all three of those first and I was the last one that hadn’t been called. So, I looked at them and I smiled. I was shocked.”

Kinser was tasked with a 10-minute speech about the first amendment. After that, he had a five-minute impromptu speech.

“They’re all about different amendments, It’s the 6th, 10th, 14th, and 16th, and I’m not sure which one I’ll be given until I’m in the room and they tell me,” Kinser said. “So, that one’s more, like I said, on the fly.”

He’s banked money for college with each win.

“I won, I think, $2,000 from winning state and then I’ve gotten other smaller stuff just from winning those previous competitions,” Kinser said.

Not only is he winning money, he is learning new things. The commander of Post 575, Missy Helbert, says crucial knowledge is learned from this competition.

“I think it’s important for all students to know government and it’s not taught,” Helbert said. “So, when you don’t know the constitution...when you go to vote and things like that, how do you do that?”

Kinser agrees that he’s learned more by doing the research for this competition. He says he’s also gained skills which will help him pursue journalism.

“It’s helped me be a lot more confident in my speaking abilities, and it’s helped me to talk a lot more on the fly, especially with the part where we have to give an impromptu speech,” Kinser said.

The national competition is April 21 in Indianapolis. Kinser has the chance to win a $25,000 scholarship in addition to everything he’s already earned. Kinser tells KCBD that would really help him follow his dreams.

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