Cy-Fair senior #1 in speech competition

Cy-Fair High School student Deahna Ortiz focused her first-place speech at the Texas Association of

From a Cy-Fair ISD press release:
Cy-Fair High School senior Deahna Ortiz won first place in the speech competition at the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) 2009-2010 regional competition, held Nov. 19 at the M.O. Campbell Center in Aldine.
Ortiz took first for her speech on the topic, "TAFE: Making A Splash Into Teaching," and will advance to the 26th annual TAFE State Conference at the Embassy Suites in San Marcos, Feb. 7-9, 2010.
The regional competition featured more than 300 students from 10 schools with 40 or more students competing for placement in speech competition,
count on character story books and educational skits. With the permanent merging of Future Teachers of America (FTA) into TAFE in 2009, students attended the conference from both Regions 4 and 5.
Ortiz's speech focused on the impact that CFISD's Ready, Set, Teach! (RST!) program has made on her life and her decision to become a teacher. Now in its second year, the RST! program pairs upperclassmen students who are aspiring teachers with elementary and middle school classes within the district, giving them hands-on classroom experience prior to enrolling in college.
Ortiz, an alum of Adam Elementary School, has served as an intern at Adam and works directly with Lindsay Neuendorff's fourth-grade class.
Within a few days of her internship, she was teaching mini-lessons and assisting her cooperating teacher as needed three days a week.
"Deahna has a true appreciation of the talent it takes to be a teacher. She wants to be a successful teacher and credits many of her CFISD
teachers-especially a high school English teacher, Ashley Schaefer-for their professional influences and leadership skills," said Sue Silhanek,
Cy-Fair High School RST! coordinator.