We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicholas Ostheimer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicholas, what matters most to you?
The value of service resonates most with me because it is the cornerstone of public service. In fact, it’s in the name. I’ve always been passionate about civic involvement and community organizing to solve problems with realistic solutions.

Unfortunately, many high schoolers have commodified, commercialized, and trivialized public service work. For example, it seems like every other ambitious high schooler has started a nonprofit organization. It concerns me that so much of it seems to be performative: resume filler, LinkedIn fluff, or something to pack into a college application. After all, what better way to demonstrate your commitment and generosity to a prestigious university, than by starting a nonprofit organization? Students have every incentive to start an NPO with a catchy name, an important mission, and a flashy website. This is no substitute for direct action and impactful work. That’s why service itself is the distinguishing value of public value. At the end of the day, commitment to service is how we, as students and citizens, can make a real impact on our communities.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m the Executive Director of Equality in Forensics, a student-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to making speech & debate more accessible.

Current high school students across the nation are responsible for all of our projects, programs, resources and events. As the Executive Director, this means delegating tasks to ambitious high schoolers who inevitably have a lot on their plate already. I need to know my volunteer staff well and constantly communicate plans to accommodate their demanding schedules.

That being said, our organization is a testament to our generations’ commitment to civic action and community service. Some of the busiest and most accomplished students I know take hours and hours out of their time to make Equality in Forensics possible. As the Executive Director, I’ve learned to recognize and reward not just talent, but commitment.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
From my work with Equality in Forensics to my own career in competitive high school speech & debate, I couldn’t have done it without my coach, Kristin Potter.

Our school had a tiny, struggling speech and debate team while I was still in middle school. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mrs. Potter took over the middle school speech & debate elective and club. We worked together to sustain the team’s growth throughout the pandemic. My high school, however, had no established speech & debate team when I started as a student there in 2021. I founded the speech & debate team at FAU HS, and Mrs. Potter agreed to be the coach and club sponsor. Mrs. Potter has been critical to the team’s success – her diligence and devotion have enabled us to grow from nothing to one of the most competitive teams in one of the most competitive regions in the nation. She has spent hundreds of hours dealing with bureaucracy and cutting through red tape in ways I can’t even imagine.

Speech & debate is an important activity that teaches students critical thinking, teamwork, and research skills. It also allows them to develop their confidence, critical thinking, and awareness of current events. Unfortunately, many ambitious teams never find coaches as devoted and capable as Mrs. Potter, especially those in underprivileged communities and underfunded school districts. That’s exactly the kind of problem Equality in Forensics seeks to solve – we connect these teams with resources, opportunities, and a supportive community.

Website: https://www.equalityinforensics.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equalityinforensics/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-ostheimer/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@equalityinforensics4840

Image Credits
Jordyn Rubman Ashwin Kishor Waleed Haider Nicholas Ostheimer

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