AUSTIN, Texas — Ishan Sharma marked the end of his high school career as a national champion.
Sharma and his Westwood High School debate teammate, Ayush Tripathi, won the Tournament of Champions in the policy debate division at the University of Kentucky, which is a first for the school.
The prestigious debate is one of the highest levels of competition high schools have to offer and, according to Sharma, it was no easy feat to achieve.
"The intensity, the nature of the competition is a lot harder and more difficult to win," he said.
Sharma and Tripathi spent many months and countless hours practicing together while focusing on strategy, research and, most importantly, debate.
"The team kept me motivated. The prospect of winning kept me motivated, and so we persevered," Sharma said.
He said he has been on the debate team since his freshman year at Westwood and admitted there were times he did not think he would meet his now-earned accomplishment.
"There were, there were quite a few times that were like, I sort of wanted to quit, especially in my junior year since, you know, it's difficult to balance debate with academics since it's a huge time commitment," Sharma said.
The senior has collected numerous awards throughout his schooling. Although he remains unsure whether he will continue this skill in the next chapter of his life, he is grateful for the hard work and the time spent practicing.
Now, Sharma and Tripathi can celebrate their historic win, turning their dream into a reality.
"It felt pretty euphoric," Sharma said. "It also felt kind of unbelievable."