Senior Michael Scellato received an academic All-American Award from the National Speech and Debate Association for his work in Speech and Debate. The All-American Award is given when a debater reaches the top 1% in point distinction, which is gained from going to and winning tournaments, and has held themselves to a high academic standard inside the classroom.

Scellato has been in the Benjamin Speech and Debate club since starting Benjamin his sophomore year, but his dedication to Speech and Debate started before his time here. Scellato said, “I’ve been debating since freshman year and have dedicated countless hours of preparation and debating into doing the best I can.” His dedication certainly paid off for him to receive such a prestigious award for his efforts. “For me, this award is a representation of all the hard work I’ve put into debate throughout my high school career; it is an honor for me, our debate team, and the Benjamin School as it displays our success and progress in Speech and Debate.”