Mid-Prairie students earn All State honors

Mid-Prairie juniors Ciana Carr, Kadidia Témé (represented via photo), and Melissa Murray received All State honors at the Individual Events Speech All State Festival on Monday, March 30 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

This was Ciana?s second year in a row being nominated to All State. She performed in the category of Poetry with a piece titled ?Look Up!?

Kadidia is the first Mid-Prairie exchange student to not only go to the state contest in both categories she entered (Poetry and Expository Address), but both entries received the top 1-1-1 rating and her Expository Address ?Dance of Mali? earned her the All State nomination. This is also the first time in more than 20 years that any Mid-Praire Expository Address has gone on to receive All State honors. Unfortunately Kadidia wasn?t able to attend the Festival with Ciana and Melissa due to a conflicting exchange organization event in Washington, D.C., that could not be changed.

Melissa is a first-time All State honoree and is the first Mid-Prairie HSAP (Home School Assistance Program) student to get to the state contest, get a perfect 1-1-1 rating in Acting and be recommended to perform at All State with a monologue titled ?The Bird.?

While over 40,000 students throughout the state of Iowa participate in the Iowa High School Speech Association competitions each year, only 2-6 percent get nominated to receive All State honors.