Luis Latozefsky

First-generation Venezuelan American civic leader and national award-winning public speaker. Founder of the Hispanic Debate Society and advocate for Hispanic and immigrant representation in education. Recognized by the Florida Debate Initiative and Florida Department of Education for oratory excellence and civic impact.

• Harvard Nationals Speech and Debate finalist tie first place, Champion, Original Oratory National champion (12th grade)-

 first in school history, competed against 400+ students nationwide, 45 states, and 15 countries, a total of 6 thousand participants, first Hispanic in history to tie for first.

• Florida Blue Key Nationals, Champion, Original Oratory National champion (12th grade),-

first in school history, competed against 100+ students nationwide.

• NSDA Degree of Special Distinction, National recognition (12th grade)-

 earned by achieving 500+ competitive points over four years; only 6% of students reach this distinction.

• TOC Invitational Bid Recipient, University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions National recognition (12th grade)-

 qualified and scheduled to compete against top-ranked students nationwide; first in school history.

• American Dream Debate Competition, State Champion (12th grade)-

 led and coached two teams to victory in the first-ever bilingual statewide competition (100+ competitors).

• NSDA Panther District 1st place national qualifier, Original Oratory State/Regional recognition (12th grade)-

 placed among top finalists in a highly competitive district; only 5% qualify, 1st place.

• FCDI State Championship, 2nd Place, Original Oratory State recognition (10th grade)-

runner-up among 50+ top statewide competitors, highest award in school history.

• FCDI State Championship, 8th Place, Original Oratory State recognition (11th grade)-

 competed with top state orators and placed in the top 10.

• FDI Student Ambassador Award-

Statewide leadership recognition (11th grade); selected for competitive success, leadership, and commitment to expanding access to speech and debate; founded the Hispanic Debate Society.

• Ncfl National Qualifier, State/Regional recognition (12th grade)-

 placed among top finalists in a highly competitive district; only 5% qualify, 1st place.

• Hispanic Debate Society, Founder & President-

Created the school's first debate team for Hispanic students, growing to 40+ members. Led team to national competitions in Spanish debate, adapted Speech and Debate as part of the curriculum in Seminole County for ESOL student and leaders in action. Still growing and expanding across schools, working with teachers across the state to continue building Hispanic talent

• FCDI American Dream Debate Tour, Ambassador-

My speech inspired the Speech and Debate Board, leading to a tour around schools to promote debate in Spanish, and I gave a speech to 125 attendees. Collaborated with FCDI leadership to grow debate outreach.

• Florida Civics and Debate Initiative Day at the Capitol, Special Speaker & Delegate-

 Selected to speak before state elected officials and legislators. Advocated for civic education and speech programs at the state level.

• Florida Chapter, Equality in Forensics, President, (12th grade) -

Led FL chapter of national nonprofit; organized workshops, expanded access, and delivered resources to 300+ underrepresented speech students.

• Speech & Debate Club, Captain (11th,12th), Member (9th-10th)-

Increased membership and led training programs 40+ people joined the team. Knowledge of mock trials. Led practices and mentored team members.

• Grand Opening of FDI Office, Special Speaker-

Sole student speaker at event with elected officials and board members.

• Immigration TV en Español, Writer/Speaker-

 Created content on immigrant history and policy; 5K+ views. Highlighted underrepresented voices in digital media.

• Lake Brantley Yearbook Team, Editor (11th), Staff (10th)-

 Designed award-winning yearbook featuring inclusive coverage.

• Student Government Association, Representative-

 Elected student representative; led school-wide initiatives: emcee of pep rally, chair of Hispanic Heritage festival, and attendee of District 3 meetings; became a finalist for graduation speech.

• Civics Immersion Experience, Delegate, Washington, D.C.-

 04/25, Selected to participate in a statewide leadership program focused on civic engagement and public policy. Met with legislators and advocacy leaders to discuss pressing issues affecting Florida communities. Gained firsthand experience with the federal legislative process and strengthened public speaking and networking skills.

• Seminole County Strategic Planning Steering Committee, Student Representative-

 Selected as 1 of ~30 district leaders to design a 5-year plan for 67,000+ students. Only representative from LBHS; elevated Hispanic student representation in decision-making.

• Statewide Educational Model, Original Oratory Recording-

 Recorded a statewide speech for ESOL programs across Florida, inspiring Phases 2-5 of the American Dream Debate expansion; viewed by hundreds of Hispanic students.

• Florida Association of Bilingual and ESOL Supervisors-

Presented my championship Original Oratory speech to district ESOL directors at the statewide FABES Conference. Earned a standing ovation and an award for representing bilingual excellence. Shared my story as an immigrant student to inspire educators to empower English learners through debate, advocacy, and storytelling.