The students of Devine High School gathered in front of the school as they sent junior, Scarlett Smith, off to her state meet for Congressional Debate Mon., Jan. 8, 2017.

“I was so overwhelmed and happy during the send off, but I saw the signs my friends made, and I was just so happy to be apart of it all,” Smith said.

Smith has been working hard to go to state. She believed that with hard work, she had a shot at advancing to the state meet. She knew going to state was always a possibility, but she made it a reality.

“I was honestly shocked at first, but overall, I was very happy and excited,” Smith said.

Smith knew that to build her case to be strong, she would have to spend a lot of time studying topics. She spent most of her Christmas break preparing the best case she could.

“I did a lot of research, like 400 pages worth,” Smith said. “It was worth it though, it really paid off.”

In the end, her hard work was evident. She did not advance to finals, however, she did come one away from being in the finals, and competing at the Texas state capitol.

“I was a little disappointed, but I was proud of myself for doing so well against returning competitors,” Smith said. “I was torn between wanting to advance further and just wanting all the stress to be over, but ultimately, I know I did the best I could.”