Randolph-Macon College student Caroline Kouneski ’19 has been selected as one of two U.S. students to represent the intercollegiate debate community on tour in Japan for three weeks in June 2019.

The Tour
U.S. and Japanese debaters have since the 1960s traveled to Japan in a tour sponsored by the Japan Debate Association and the Committee on International Discussion and Debate, operating under the auspices of the National Communication Association.

Kouneski and a student from University of Nebraska-Lincoln will travel the country from Sapporo to Kagoshima, with the bulk of their performances in the greater Tokyo area. The duo will be in a different location every day, exhibiting American debating skills in interaction with a wide range of Japanese students and teachers.

An Outstanding Debating Career
Kousneski (political science and communication studies major), a four-year member of RMC’s Franklin Debating Society, recently concluded an outstanding debating career, winning the Collegiate Forensic Association’s year-long first-place award in parliamentary debating, as well as in communication analysis and declamation, and was runner-up in pentathlon. These honors are in addition to numerous awards she has won throughout her career at RMC.

“I am beyond excited about this trip,” says Kouneski. “I am still waiting for someone to tell me it is just a dream.”

A Prestigious Tour
Communication Studies and English Professor Ted Sheckels, who co-coaches the Franklin Debating Society, says, “We couldn’t be prouder of Caroline. She has earned this distinction through her finesse as a debater, and as a dedicated scholar.”

Communication Studies Professor Ruth Beerman, who co-coaches the Society, says, “This is a terrific opportunity for Caroline to showcase her passion and dedication for debate to a global audience. The tour has a great deal of prestige, especially in the eyes of middle schools to colleges, who will host Caroline and her partner.”

Leadership + Mentorship
Kouneski, who has served as president of the Franklin Debating Society for two years, has learned vital skills as a member of the team.

“I learned to adapt to my surroundings, think on my feet, stay informed, and, most important, to be an effective and inclusive leader,” says Kouneski, a recipient of the Presidential Scholarship and the Porter Hardy Scholarship. She credits Sheckels and Beerman for their mentorship.

“They are like family to me,” she says. “Professor Sheckels believed in me before I truly believed in myself. I want to be a political speechwriter because I am so inspired by what he has done with his career.” Beerman, she says, is also a role model. “She is an excellent professor and a fantastic confidant. She always encourages me to believe in my abilities.”

Future Plans
After graduating from RMC, Kouneski will be working in the Maryland State Government in the Comptroller’s Office, in the Compliance Division in Baltimore City.

“I have worked in the Maryland State government for six years and have built many connections in that time,” she says. “I hope to eventually transfer to Annapolis and become a speechwriter/communication director for an elected official.”