Delanya Storey has quite the story.

The senior at the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate (JCIB) School is one of six nominees for the inaugural National Speech and Debate Association’s Exemplary Student Service Award. Other nominees are from Colorado, Virginia, North Carolina, Oregon and Kansas.

“My debate coach told me about this award. It is basically how you are using your speaking and debate skills, and applying it to service,” Storey said. “I think it’s really important because you take an activity that thousands of students do and apply it to real-world ideas.”

Storey applied her speech and debate skills to service when she worked with Birmingham AIDS Outreach. She was able to take those skills and learn how to speak to large groups of people, and how to present different points of view.

“We pride ourselves on embracing part of our society that a lot of people try to shun. There is a lot of shame when it comes to HIV and AIDS, and we try to get rid of the stigma by talking to people who suffer from this disease,” Storey said.

JCIB’s Delanya Storey has something important to say from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

JCIB Principal Sandy Jolivette is thrilled Storey is receiving this national recognition.

“Delanya is such a wonderful student,” Jolivette said. “We have helped her become a marvelous representative not just for us, but also in society. We are extremely excited for her and we know she will represent us very well.”

For Storey, the national award nomination hits on a personal level.

“This means a lot, because it shows me through debate and my other daily activities, I can still make a difference. Today we have the idea that in order to be successful you have to put yourself in a position that does that in a financial way. I think debate has really shown me that you can be successful in ways that help people,” Storey said.

Delanya Storey, a student at Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School, uses her speech and debate skills to make the community better, and the National Speech and Debate Association has taken notice. (Karim Shamsi-Basha/Alabama NewsCenter)

Delanya Storey, a student at Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School, uses her speech and debate skills to make the community better, and the National Speech and Debate Association has taken notice. (Karim Shamsi-Basha/Alabama NewsCenter)

Delanya Storey in her English class with Gaines Marsh. Storey, a student at Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School, uses her speech and debate skills to make the community better, and the National Speech and Debate Association has taken notice. (Karim Shamsi-Basha/Alabama NewsCenter)

JCIB Principal Sandy Jolivette, left, calls student Delanya Storey, center, “a marvelous representative not just for us, but also in society.” At right is JCIB Coordinator April Miller. (Karim Shamsi-Basha/Alabama NewsCenter)

Delanya Storey, second from right, walks in the hallway at JCIB with, from left, Middle Years coordinator Michael Cloninger, Principal Sandy Jolivette and International Baccalaureate Coordinator April Miller. (Karim Shamsi-Basha/Alabama NewsCenter)

The National Speech and Debate Association is the largest such organization in the United States. For 90 years, it has helped more than 1.5 million members become engaged citizens and leaders, the association’s director believes.

“Speech and debate changes lives,” NSDA Executive Director J. Scott Wunn said. “These students use their speech and debate skills to impact others and better their community. We are extremely proud of their hard work, dedication and passion to speech and debate.”

The winner will be recognized as part of the National Speech and Debate Education Day on Friday.

Storey will find out then if she is the honoree, but as far as she’s concerned, she already has her story.

For more information, visit www.speechanddebate.org/honor-society.