Founders

Isaac Sommers

Isaac is a veteran NCFCA and Stoa competitor, debate coach, camp instructor, co-founder of Integrity Communication founder of Ziggy Online Debate. Isaac graduated from Howard Payne University in Public Policy and Civic Leadership and is currently a JD Candidate at Harvard Law School for 2021. He is a 7-time nationally-placing competitor, and his National awards in high school include, 2nd in Lincoln-Douglas in 2011 at NCFCA, 4th in Team Policy in 2014, and 3rd in Parliamentary debate at the 2014 NITOC. Isaac won top awards at the WCL National High School Moot Court competition in 2012 and 2013. At the collegiate level, Isaac won the TUMCA Moot Court Regional Championship three times, advanced to outrounds every year at the AMCA National Championship, ranking as high as 3rd place, and winning 1st Place in the Petitioner Brief Writing Competition in 2018.

Brenda Sommers

Mrs. Sommers has been coaching LD and TP debate for over 10 years. She co-founded Integrity Communication Speech and Debate Camps with her son, Isaac Sommers, because they strongly believe that integrity is a vital and foundational component in Christian speech and debate (and indeed, for all of life). She is co-founder of Hill Country Communicators and founding TP Coach for EnGarde Speech & Debate club. Brenda has a particular passion for seeing students grow strong and secure in the understanding of their faith, enjoy an authentic relationship with YHWH, use their speech and debate skills and godly character to glorify our Heavenly Father, and lead others to Christ.

Moot Court Instructors

Jordan Hahn

Jordan Hahn graduated from Howard Payne University, where she received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Civic Leadership/Public Policy, Global Studies, and English. This fall, she will be attending law school at either the University of Virginia or Columbia Law and plans to pursue an international legal career. Jordan also participated in undergraduate moot court for four years and won numerous awards, including AMCA 2018 National Champion Petitioner Brief and the TUMCA 2017 Championship.

Hope Turner

Hope competed in the NCFCA National Championship for all six years of her high school competition time. Her awards include winning first place in Moot Court at the 2019 National Championship, first place Moot Court Oral Advocate three times in 2018, and winning first place Lincoln Douglas speaker at the Regional Invitational in 2019. She is a rising sophomore at Patrick Henry College and competes in Moot Court and Mock Trial. In Moot Court, she advanced to semi-finals at the regional level in her first year. Hope believes that the purpose of competition is to glorify and love God and is excited to work with campers on the activity that she loves!

Sierra Ross

Sierra Ross is a student at Howard Payne University where she is double majoring in Social Science (with an emphasis in Jurisprudence) and Civic Leadership/Public Policy. At HPU, she is involved with the Student Government Association, the Criminal Justice Club, and the Gamma Beta Phi National Honors Society. Outside of her involvement with those groups, Sierra has been involved with Mock Trial and Moot Court. Sierra and her partner received various awards during their first year of Moot Court including the award of 5th place (nationally) for their petitioner brief and the position as the #2 team in the region. Sierra is eager to help others grow their capabilities at Integrity Communication’s moot court camp and will be teaching this camp for the second year.

Team Policy Instructors

Lauren Jarvis

Lauren is a speech and debate coach and an Economics, Political Science, and International Studies University Scholar at Baylor University. As a five-year competitor, she took debate finals at half of the tournaments she attended her final year and ended the year as the highest full-season ranking Team Policy team in the nation and as a Top 5 speaker and Top 10 debater at the National Championship. Now, Lauren loves equipping her students to overcome their personal barriers to excel in communicating their message with confidence, persuasion, and power.

James Russell

James Russell is an NCFCA alumni with over ten years of coaching experience. As the director of DFW Speech and Debate, James has been involved with coaching over 1000 students and adults from across the United States. James’ coaching experiences have ranged from helping novice debaters attain regional and national qualification to coaching advanced debaters into the final round at national championships. In addition to his expertise with policy coaching, James has lead several teams of policy researchers to create the DFWSD’s Tools for Team Policy Sourcebook which has sold over 2000 licenses in the last five years. Whether working with novices to experience the joy of debate or working with experienced debaters to unlock their full potential, James loves coaching and pouring into his students.

Aubrey Parke

Aubrey is a recent graduate of Trinity University, with a B.A. in Anthropology and minors in Spanish and Religion. She will attend Duquesne University in Pittsburgh in the fall to pursue an M.A. in Public History. Long term, she plans to work in oral history projects and community-based archives. She competed in the NCFCA for five years and Stoa for one, qualifying for nationals every year. Her national-level titles include Apologetics champion, second place Extemporaneous, and fourth place in Team Policy Debate. She has competed in and enjoys both Lincoln-Douglas and Team Policy Debate. Outside of competition, she has over four years of experience teaching and coaching speech and debate in local clubs and summer camps. In her free time, Aubrey enjoys hiking, swimming, reading, and writing. She has traveled in Peru, Ecuador, and Mexico over the past few years and plans to never stop learning about other places, histories, and cultures.