Danielle Davenport, a woman with the greatest leadership skills I have seen in our generation, has earned the honor of February Student of the Month for her position as Debate Captain here at FTHS’s Forensics Team and success as a varsity debater. Her dedication to the craft of public speaking and admirable willingness to help others is not only inspiring to her fellow teammates but the Freehold Township community as a whole. Her team has even created a word, “Danification,” in her honor to express the vast skill set they have learned after gaining knowledge from their valiant leader. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dani to discuss her leadership position, personal tips and tricks, and her future as a powerful woman in government.

Why the forensics team?

– I originally picked the forensics team only because I tried every single other sport or club throughout my childhood, not at FTHS, and none of them stuck out. So what I think what pushed me to try forensics was because I love social studies and I’ve always loved talking and presenting, so my history teacher told me in sophomore year that I should just do it [forensics] just to try it because A lot of other people with the same interests were doing it. 

What made you take on the position as a leadership role? 

– It’s kind of been a difficult journey especially because in my sophomore year, and really most of my early high school career, I just felt really lost and didn’t know where I fit. I’m the type of person who moved around all throughout their childhood so I never really had a core friend group and was always looking for “my place” at school. When I first came into forensics, there was the same feeling involved as it felt like everyone already knew each other and I just didn’t, but what kept me going was that I knew that I wanted to be very, very good at the activity, was serious about it,  and wanted to go to nationals (I did end up going). But when I first entered, I was very lonely because I didn’t get any feedback and oftentimes found myself in a rut since I was constantly trapped in a spot of not knowing how to improve. I was doing poorly or I was stagnating and didn’t know how to get out of it. So stepping into a leadership role as a senior was a calling for me. I want more people to experience the love I have for this activity and I want people to grow their voice and be better public speakers. I want to be a teacher, a mentor, a role model, and really an older sister for the underclassmen on my team. 

How do you balance your position, academics, and social life?

– It’s really difficult because with forensics, it is my social life. The club is a speaking club where I go up and debate, so when I’m preparing for it, my teammates are my friends because we are all preparing to do the same thing.  Besides that, keeping a schedule is key. In my calendar, I always map out what time I’m doing things. If I set a time to something then I’m committing to it. Usually my routine looks like this: 

• Monday and Wednesday- going hard on school, studying for 3-4 hours 
• Tuesday and Thursday (debate heavy days)- debate practice, making phone calls to people to discuss how practice went and how we can do better, and light school review
• Friday (if it is before a tournament)- have the Junior Varsity (JV) kids come over to my house to do 1-on-1 intense practice for 8 hours

Overall, I just love pushing people to their potential because I see it in them, so I want them to capitalize on that as best as they can.  Having an outlet or a couch is sometimes all you need to get better and I’ve seen my kids astronomically improve just as time has gone on. For example, some have qualified for states at the novice division, otherwise known as the freshmen or first-year division, then months later qualified again for the JV division, and now are working towards varsity all in a matter of a few months. 

In correlation, what are some of your hobbies and interests?

– I think it is really important to have some hobbies to decompress because forensics can be a very stressful activity. I like to read, when I get the time to, and cook. I like to make dinner for myself and bake all types of stuff. I also do archery, which helps clear my head, and meditate to get myself in the game. In whatever you do, you have to put in your 100%. If your mind is preoccupied with other things, you have to clear it to focus or else won’t put that effort in. 

Since you’re a senior and committed to George Washington University (GWU), what profession are you looking to pursue?

– Ultimately, I want to be a Senator. I love public speaking and am all about policy and advocacy. I think pitching my policy on the national stage and seeing the impact it could have on millions of people is the ultimate goal. However, I want to study political science, economics, and a little of international affairs at GWU because I want to focus on policy ideas to take issues that people complain about and do something about it. My number one response is always to just “do something” to solve the complaint. 

As a young woman going into a male dominated career, what are your tips and tricks with dealing with misogyny?

– I think that as a woman trying to challenge anything, you’ll always be faced with misogyny. No matter what it is, people don’t take women seriously in any regard so I don’t think it intimidates me that much. However, my number one tip with dealing with misogyny is being willing to call people out when it happens. It usually takes the form of men telling you that you don’t know what you’re talking about so if you know exactly what you’re saying and have sources to back it up, that’s what will combat it. That is why I also love forensics because when I debate, I usually have facts backing me up from peer review journals, meta analysis, esteemed newspapers. What I’m saying is true and I know exactly how to defend myself against people who tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s really just staying two steps ahead of the game. 

Is that how you plan on tackling the field as a whole?

– Absolutely! If I am constantly on top of my craft, working towards becoming better and looking at a society to acknowledge what the zeitgeist is of the time, then I know how to craft a policy position. No one can tell you what your own life experience is because you’re the only one who has lived it. That’s how I plan to govern. 

Who is your biggest role model in your personal life and in your prospective career?

– The biggest role model in my personal life is my aunt. She is an entrepreneur and works as a public speaker which I love. She also knows how to balance having fun with being productive. I adore that and it’s something I want to mimic in my own life. In my career, I am really inspired by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) because she is the number one example of someone who knows that she knows her community and her experience the best and even though I don’t always agree with her on policy, I know for a fact that she goes into Congress to stand up for what she believes in and to me, that’s what life is all about. 

 Back to why you are here, how has debate influenced your life in and outside of the school building?

– Debate has given me a community of people who actually challenge how I’m thinking. For example, everyone who is super good at debate is usually good at school too. I know people who are/were top-of-their-class for Global Studies or are in IB that are in the team. So for me, being around other people who are good at school has made me good at it too. Looking at how they study and approach academics has made me understand what it means to be good at school in the first place. Outside of the building, it has really helped me develop my own interest. Debate is all about researching, creativity, and coming up with strategy so now, I am always looking into different concepts of our world and society and other extracurriculars. I really try and learn as much as I can 

Would you say that is how you have utilized debate skills within your daily life?

– Absolutely! For example, I wake up and I listen to NPR which is something I do because of debate. I want to research and learn more things and I never would have thought this way if debate hadn’t influenced me to. 

You are one of the most confident individuals I’ve ever met. What messages or life lessons have helped you establish such power?

– The first, biggest lesson I have to say about confidence is no one really knows what they are doing but if you believe that you are doing the best you can, that is where the confidence comes from. So when I take tests, I don’t know if I answered a question correctly and in fact, I always go back and forth to check whether it is right or not. However, when I talk about things or present ideas, I do it with the conviction that I’m doing my absolute best. If you are confident that you are trying your best, then you can remain confident. 

What advice do you have for underclassmen scared to put themselves out there?

– The biggest advice for underclassmen wanting to put themselves out there is no one is paying attention or cares. Most people show up to school just to show up. I see so many people who just come to go on their phones all day and do absolutely nothing. If you’re presenting in class, no one is paying attention to what is being said because they just want to go home. If you put yourself out there, people will forget in a matter of 30 minutes.

Last question, and the most important: are you team doors or wheels?

– I am team wheels. People might think there are more doors in the world because there are a lot of them, but wheels can take form in any matter. Also, you don’t usually see a singular wheel but rather multiple wheels at a time. For example, cars do have doors but there are also wheels on cars to make it go. If you have a dolly, then there are multiple wheels on each corner making sure the dolly remains balanced.

Here’s what Mr. Sylvester, the Speech and Debate advisor, had to say about Danielle:

“Danielle is a highly experienced debater who has enjoyed much success over the years in Varsity Public Forum Debate at the local and national levels, Danielle’s role as captain of the Debate team is unparalleled. Danielle demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to educating our novices on all of the idiosyncrasies of Public Forum Debate. Even though I (Mr. Sylvester) am the advisor, Danielle is the one who actually runs our debate practice and any success our PF debate team has had this season can be directly attributed to her efforts. Whether it is hosting voluntary practices outside of school practice, routinely challenging novices to engage in practice debate, giving critical feedback, or just providing general advice on how to succeed academically and in life, Danielle’s devotion to her team is incontrovertible. So much so, the new members of our team have coined the term “Danification” to describe the experience/process of being instilled with the knowledge taught by Danielle. Being an ideal role model senior, her absence will not go unnoticed next year. However, I believe it is safe to say that much of our debate team has been adequately Danified who will be sure to pass on the traditions of Township Debate.”