Finley achieves All-State individual speech honors in two categories

By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register

At the start of the individual speech season, senior Brayden Finley reflected, knowing it would be his last. There was sadness intermixed with the fondness of friendships, overcoming fears and a belief in one’s self. There was also some indecision. 

Finley, a veteran at this point in the speech program, was unsure if his performance pieces were All-State worthy, but individual speech coach Carolyn Yanda thought otherwise, talking him out of it and getting him to stay the course. It was a decision Finley is grateful for and started him on the road to earning All-State honors. 

Finley started the season with strong performances in both acting and prose at districts at Monticello, which carried over to what he labeled his “best performance” at state in Clear Lake. During the season, Finley never received a score lower than a 1, which is the best a performer can achieve. 

As a result, Finley was nominated in both categories. Not bad for someone who once thought speech competitions “sounded weird and boring.” That was before friends lured him into the world of performing, changing his perception of what speech was like. 

Finley quickly took a deep dive into the arts program and found success in multiple events, including Central’s large group speech program, where he also made All-State in ensemble acting with Brandy Beatty. However, this year was a first as an individual, and he was the only member of the team to secure the honor.

“Making it to All-State in one event is a huge honor, and it is quite challenging to do so, but being able to go in both of my events was a huge achievement I will remember forever,” Finley said. 

In the acting category, Finley’s piece was titled “How I got a Rhinoceros into the Elevator at Saks” by Kelly Meadows. The prose piece was “In Which I Fix My Girlfriend’s Grandparents Wifi and am Hailed as a Conquering Hero,” by Mike Lacher. 

These specific pieces, according to Finley, were chosen because of their comedic nature. He openly admitted performing comedy comes more naturally than dramas. 

“There are also a lot of deep and dark pieces during individual speech, and it is nice to provide a breath of fresh air for the audience and judges,” Finley added. 

But the honor did not come without challenges. As is often the case for high school students, their time and attention is pulled in a myriad of directions and activities. 

For Finley, an ultra-involved student, time was the biggest struggle. Along with participating in the speech programs, he also juggled track, the school musical, a heavy course load that includes several college classes and two jobs. And, of course, who could forget about maintaining a social life or simply having downtime to recharge. 

Then there are the actual speeches, which after districts required some reworking. As fate would have it, that also revolved around time. 

At districts, Finley used too much of it, running out of time before finishing his prose piece, so it had to be fixed to come in under the limit for future performances, especially at the all important state competition. 

Obviously, this issue was resolved, but Finley was met with another instance of “time” coming into play, this time at All-State, when his performances were scheduled at the very beginning and near the end. 

“That long gap in between two, high-energy performances makes it a lot harder rather than if they were closer together,” Finley explained. 

However, since it was All-State, nothing could dampen the spirits and excitement of the occasion, especially at this year’s festival. 

“This year was different from previous years because we were actually able to have the All-State festival. The actual All-State event has not happened since COVID destroyed everything, so it was really nice that it came back just in time for such an important time in my speech career,” Finley said. 

Through al the commitments, the determined Finley never made excuses and persevered. It not only earned him All-State honors, but as a result of his efforts, he was also recognized as Central’s March Student of the Month. The following statement further highlights Finley’s dedication. 

“At the beginning of the season, they quietly set a goal for themself then determinedly set out to reach it. Being at practices on time and ready to work, not quitting when that work became a struggle, accepting suggestions from the coach and requesting additional practices led to achieving those goals. This student can be described as hard-working, determined, respectful and responsible.”

Some of that dedication is geared toward trying to preserve the speech program and steer underclassmen in its direction, something Finley admits has been difficult. Whether it’s a lack of awareness of the opportunities the speech program can provide or the time commitment between life and other activities, Finley wants underclassmen to understand the value in not just the speech program but being involved in fine arts in general. 

“My biggest role has really just been advocating to the younger classes that the fine arts are so much more fun than you could ever imagine, and when new kids join speech, it is then my peers’ and my own job to show them how to succeed,” he said. 

As the final curtain falls on Finley’s time at Central and in the speech program, there was a list of people he thanked, including Mrs. Yanda, Mr. Douglas, Mrs. Colbie-Nuss and his peers. He credited their hard work for the program’s success, even stating, “We truly would be nothing without them and they have taught me everything I know.”

And then came the reflection, which encapsulated the entire experience and what being a member of the speech program has meant. 

“It has been sad to know that I might never be able to stand in front of an audience, make them laugh and walk away with something they may remember forever. However, I have learned so much about myself and how to just exist and perform in front of a large group of people without letting fear take over,” Finley said. “I know this is something that many people do not feel they are capable of doing, but I am really proud that I have learned how to do this kind of stuff in front of people and actually enjoy it!”