Adviser achieves distinguished debate award

BERLIN TWP. — A local adviser didn't need to argue one bit to convince judges about his commitment and dedication to students. Mike Amstutz, Edison Schools' speech and debate team adviser, recently received his fifth Diamond Award, coinciding with his 40-year anniversary of educating and mentoring students in this role and across others. Additionally, he's one of 10 active coaches in Ohio to achieve this feat. Presented by the National Speech & Debate Association, this tribute recognizes coaches for excellence, longevity and team success. Advisers and coaches can earn additional diamonds based on a point system, of which Amstutz has reached on five separate occasions. Alongside a dozen other award recipients, Amstutz will receive his distinction during the national tournament, occurring this June in Richmond, Virginia. "To have earned the award is a huge honor, but I would have coached my students without any award at all," Amstutz said. "Seeing teenagers develop into persuasive, confident public speakers and creative, thoughtful communicators is the best reward possible for any speech and debate coach," Amstutz said. Excellence at Edison Amstutz — who also serves as president of the Berlin Heights Kiwanis Club, which sponsors Edison's speech and debate middle school team — passed the credit on to students he mentors, who include those in high school. He commended them for their passion for speech and debate, which has allowed him to become a Diamond Award winner five times over. Among the most recent accolades coming to Edison's team, four students became national qualifiers: • High schoolers Ilah Reynolds and Jaylah Weaver • Middle schoolers Kasen Proctor and Skye Wieber; Proctor, meanwhile, became Edison Middle School's first state champion, topping all others in the oral interpretation category during the state middle school finals in February in Columbus. Wieber, meanwhile, appeared in the final round of competition. All four will compete at the same tournament where Amstutz will receive his award. Many students labeled Amstutz as an inspiration, providing them with not only guidance during competitions but also offering them life lessons that they can carry with them upon entering adulthood. This would include instilling confidence in students as they learn how to speak and become informed on important topics outside of a traditional classroom. "For me, Señor Amstutz is not only a coach but also someone who taught me what it means to believe in my voice and that it can make a difference," said Reynolds, a senior who's been accepted into Emerson College's global film and art program in Boston with the Paris College of Art. "As someone who, at one point in my life, felt like what I had to say didn't matter, he taught me the importance of putting myself out there — and that all it takes to succeed is one person who believes in you," Reynolds added. "I owe all of my accolades and abilities to him, and words cannot express how grateful I am for him." Many, like Reynolds, refer to Amstutz as "Señor" rather than "Mr." as a sign of respect due to his background as a Spanish teacher. A worthwhile career For more than four decades now, he's dedicated his entire adult life to educating children and preparing them for success. Amstutz started his teaching career at Sandusky High School in 1976. A year later, he went to Vermilion High School, teaching Spanish and English theater arts from 1977 to 2011 when he retired from active teaching. He began Vermilion's speech and debate team in 1986, coaching there for 25 years. While at Vermilion, he simultaneously started and coached Edison's speech and debate team in 1991. He continues to provide mentorship and guidance to students through speech and debate. For instance, just this past month, Amstutz introduced the newest debate members for Edison Middle School's team. Beyond his students, Amstutz also thanked his wife, Beverly, and their three sons — Andy, Joshua and Philip — for their unwavering support. In fact, their sons all took part in speech and debate teams overseen by their father — with Andy a part of Edison's 1998 state runner-up team — and followed in his footsteps by becoming teachers, receiving top honors in their profession as well. Whether as a teacher in a school or an adviser on a team, Amstutz extended his heartfelt appreciation to everyone he's ever interacted with. He's grateful for the opportunity, which he's still continuing on today with no plans of slowing down anytime soon. "I have thoroughly enjoyed every student, every competition, every practice block, every in-depth research session, every experience where I could see students developing into civic-minded, well-rounded individuals," Amstutz said. "That is the true reward."