Kate Liu: Finding Your Voice Beyond the Round

In this conversation, we sat down with Kate Liu: competitor, coach, TEDx speaker, and podcast host. She shares what each role has taught her about confidence, intent, and building a more equitable speech and debate community.

You've worn so many hats: competitor, coach, TEDx speaker, and podcast host. How do these roles inform each other, and what have they taught you about communication off the stage?

For someone who really enjoys public speaking, I often get absurdly nervous with day-to-day communications! I'd always been a competitive kid growing up, so the competition of speech and debate helped bring out the boldness in my speaking and made me more confident. Being coached and coaching now has given me perspective, looking at communication from different walks of life. Delivering a TED talk was always a dream of mine, but what I took away from the conference was the importance of intent; every word is a valuable learning opportunity for you and others. Hosting a podcast showed me the fun and casual side of communicating with others, and it's a privilege to be surrounded by such incredible people to talk to!

Communication isn't isolated to any of these hats, so to speak. At the end of the day, it's me, Kate, speaking. All of these roles have built my confidence, skill, and love for speaking for myself and to others.

Being a finalist for the NSDA Achieving Equity Award speaks to your commitment to inclusion in speech and debate. What does equity look like to you in this space, and where do you think we still have work to do?

Extemp is a particularly tricky activity to achieve equity. On paper, it looks like one of the most accessible events in speech and debate! It's just you, the question, and thirty minutes. In a perfect bubble, it's truly about skill and practice.

Unfortunately, that isn't the reality. There are national ranking systems that cater to those who have the means and conditions to travel. Prestigious round robins that highlight these inequities. Schools with legions of alumni and support. I've certainly benefited from this, even if I did start much later. Equity in this activity, specifically Extemp, would look like more online tournaments counted in these ranking systems, and fewer fees. More pooled resources when it comes to judging, camps, and coaching. Competitors and alumni giving back.

Over the last two and a half years I've been in this space, there have been so many organizations formed to offer these opportunities, so every tournament we get a little bit closer to a truly equitable community!

You've worked with nonprofit organizations like Be The Light and Academy 37 to help thousands of students and families. What fuels your commitment to service, and how do you see speech and debate creating real-world change?

The 'why' behind everything I do, and the central thesis of my TED talk, is to leave something bigger than myself behind. If I can start, or continue, a chain reaction that inspires others to do something good in the world, I've done something right. As corny as it might sound, Speech and Debate is an activity that changed my life, and helped me find my voice; I want to do that for others.

In the real world, the voices people have are the drivers to change. Politicians, advocates, celebrities, etc., all impact the world with the words they say. Oftentimes, it feels like cultivating that skill is inaccessible, and speech and debate help make it accessible. The change this activity makes is providing a learning space for new generations to fail, succeed, try, and grow. Supreme Court justices, actors, even Popes, have used their voices that started in debate to change the world in their image.

As Executive Director of The Extemper's Bible, you've helped build an incredible resource for students around the world. What have been some of the most rewarding (or surprising) moments leading a nonprofit at such a young age?

The team I work with at the Extemper's Bible is genuinely the most motivated, talented, and wonderful group of people I've had the pleasure of working with! My partner Matthew and I really worked to make the Bible something highly accessible, and collaborated with other organizations, schools, and tournaments. Knowing everyone has the same passion and drive to create a lasting impact has led to some incredible projects, from speech review services to free resource guides.

Some of my favorite moments are onboarding new team members. I love getting a glimpse into people's 'whys', and getting to put voice and name to face is super exciting! A few of my closest friends have been because of The Extemper's Bible, so I'm forever thankful for that. In addition, the podcast allows me to meet new people and to have a creative outlet that is accessible for others.

You've competed, and won, at some of the most prestigious tournaments in the country. How has your approach to extemporaneous and impromptu speaking evolved over the years? What advice would you give to someone just starting out?

I started competing in speech and debate considerably later than most people I know, around mid-way through my sophomore year of high school. In fact, my first year competing seriously on the national circuit was my junior year! What's so unique and challenging about Extemp and Impromptu is the structure of the event. It's just your prompt, and 2 to 30 minutes, and you get to make something amazing happen.

My approach to Extemp as a junior was very do-or-die, always harsh on myself. Impromptu was the event I always did for fun, and never took too seriously. Now that I'm coming to the end of my short speech career, I can confidently say that my personal philosophy is a blend of the two. Take each tournament as an opportunity to work, learn, and have fun! It's a privilege to be in a space to say and argue for things you believe in, and the rank isn't what you'll take away from the round or the tournament.

For any new impromptu or extempers just starting out, the first thing I'd say is reach out! There are so many alumni of the activity who are happy to help you grow and want you to succeed. The best part of limited prep is that you're always drawing from who you are as a person. Incorporate your flair into the speech, and you'll engage your judges and yourself! The first dozen speeches you'll give might not be amazing. I promise you, nobody's were. Give yourself the grace and room to try things, and eventually you'll find what works for you.