Central senior Layla Embretson was recognized this speech season as one of the top performers in Iowa by being selected to All-State Speech for her storytelling performance.

Across the state, there are over 40,000 high school speech participants from the 480 member schools in the Iowa High School Speech Association. Within both individual and group speech, there are more than two dozen different events to choose from. Each season, 27 district contests are held to determine who advances to the nine state contests, with top participants ultimately qualifying for one of two All-State events.

At districts, participants are evaluated by a single judge, who provides oral feedback and scores performances using a I, II, III or IV rating. A I rating advances students to state, while lower ratings indicate areas for growth.

Prior to districts, Central students attended an Upper Iowa Conference contest at MFL MarMac, which serves as a practice opportunity and provides critiques ahead of competition.

As Embretson prepared for the season, advisors Crystal Stevenson and Bethany Duff helped her select material. For her interpretive reading – prose piece, Stevenson recommended “Dear Future Generations: Sorry” by Prince Ea, which apologizes for the harmful environment impact humans have caused and urges people to take responsibility and change.

Prose is an individual event where a student performs a published piece, such as a short story or essay, using vocal expression and limited movement while reading from a script. Judges focus on interpretation, vocal delivery, clarity and connection to the audience.

Duff said Embretson showed growth in her ability to connect with more serious material through the piece.

“She really connected and owned the piece,” Duff said, noting Embretson demonstrated range by balancing both humorous and reflective performances.

For her storytelling piece, Embretson performed “Kevin is a Unicorn,” by Jessika von Innerebner, a humorous story about a horse who believes he’s a unicorn, where things go wrong along the way and lessons learned highlight embracing who you are.

For Embretson, the selection felt full circle and affirmed her decision to pursue a career in education, as the story had been read with students by her instructor.

Storytelling requires participants to recite a story from memory using expressive voice, facial expressions and natural gestures to engage the audience.

Duff said Embretson approached her final season with determination, working to make it a memorable close to her speech career. She noted significant improvement leading up to districts, where Embretson refined her characters, added gestures and “truly brought Kevin to life.”

Once performances are complete at contests, results are posted outside each center. Following the state contest, Embretson was notified she had been selected for All-State. To qualify, a performance must receive an overall I rating and multiple judge nominations.

“It meant a lot,” Embretson said. “I knew I had tried my hardest and given my best performance at state.”

Leading up to All-State, she said she was constantly thinking about the performance and looked forward to showcasing her work again.

Embretson first became involved in speech as a freshman after watching her older sister compete. She said she was drawn to the opportunity to spend time with friends and improve her public speaking skills.

One of the biggest challenges, she said, was managing nerves before performing. Through experience, she learned to work through them by focusing on her breathing, building confidence through repetition and practicing with distractions.

Duff emphasized that speech helps students build confidence, manage nerves and develop public speaking skills that carry into interviews and presentations. She noted that even students who feel anxious often learn to perform with composure in high-pressure situations.

Recognizing how she has grown, Embretson said speech has significantly impacted her communication skills.

“I’m more willing to talk to strangers, whether that’s giving compliments or asking a question. I don’t get embarrassed,” she said.

She also said speech helped her form connections with people she may not have otherwise met.

“There are all different types of people that participate, and it’s a really nice community to be a part of,” Embretson said.

Duff said the team showed strong growth throughout the season, noting that improvement and perseverance are not always reflected in scores.

“Seeing students continue to show up, work hard and not give up is remarkable,” Duff said.

At state, Central had students perform in seven categories, with four becoming eligible for All-State.

Duff said Embretson’s recognition highlights that success is possible regardless of school size or program scale.

Embretson encouraged other students to try speech.

“Just give it a try—don’t be afraid to be embarrassed,” she said.

She also highlighted performing for elementary students as a memorable part of the season and hopes it helped introduce younger students to the program.

Embretson plans to pursue a career in education and said her experience in speech has been so positive that she hopes to coach speech someday.