Adrianna Allen, a student at Rowan County High School senior, has won a national championship in the poetry category at the National Speech and Debate Championship, adding to a long tradition of excellence in competitive speech at Rowan County Schools.Allen's path to the national title began her freshman year, when she joined the speech team."From freshman year I would watch videos on YouTube in speech and debate. It's a big thing and it was weird to be on the stage," Allen said.Her talent began drawing attention in her sophomore year, when she became a state champion and finished seventh at nationals. A pivotal moment came when she chose a piece that would define her competitive career."I did a piece called '3 Step Guide to Believing in Yourself' by Sherley Ralph. It was basically about how to believe in yourself as a black women in the arts even when people tell you no and how to never give up," Allen said.Allen drew on her love of performance and her pride in her heritage as a Black woman to deliver a piece that resonated with audiences on a personal and universal level. June 19, that performance earned her first place at the national championship.Her coach, Misty Litton, said she always believed in Allen's potential but that moment overwhelmed her."She is extraordinary and her final performance was absolute perfect, but at the same time it's first in the nation. It was overwhelming, we both cried, and it was like an out of body experience," Litton said.The response from audiences has continued well beyond the competition."I had multiple people reach out to me at the tournament that they watch my piece tell me that it made them cry and they were excited to see a black girl like me advocate the black children of America," Allen said.Allen plans to spend the summer performing in theater before heading to college in the fall.Alex Barber is committed to covering stories in your community that matter to you. If you have an idea, reach out to him at [email protected] ...read more read less