Building Better Schools: NDA student receives national recognition

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A Notre Dame Academy student is receiving national recognition for her leadership on the debate team and she’s raising awareness about issues important to her, while blazing a trail for students who come behind her.

NDA junior Numa Mujeeb has been appointed to the National Speech and Debate Association’s Student Leadership Council, an honor only received by 24 students in the nation.

She will be a part of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Task Force.

“The topics that I’ve spoken about are like the Kashmir Genocide, which is where I’m from in India,” said Mujeeb. “I’ve spoken about what it means to be a woman in America, an Islamic woman, a Muslim woman and a person of color.”

Mujeeb can now raise awareness about causes important to her on a much larger scale.

“I’m going to be able to create new programs,” said Mujeeb. “This fall, I’m working on a magazine that’s going to be published, I’m going to be editing papers of other students, coaching others, creating more programs and I’m like the only student from Ohio to get this.”

Marisa Spinazze, Mujeeb’s speech and debate coach, says she’s not surprised by the accolade.

“I am very proud of Numa because she is an amazing young woman in many different ways, as a leader, as a student, because she was also in my English class, as a writer, her creativity, her passion, she is just phenomenal,” said Spinazze.

NDA’s speech and debate team launched nearly 30 years ago and is the only team of its kind in the Toledo school district.

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