GREENFIELD — A Stoneleigh-Burnham School student and Shelburne native has been ranked as the country’s best debater.

Competing at the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship in Durban, South Africa from March 26 to April 2, Stella Turowsky-Ganci came in 10th out of a total 108 students from 16 countries and first among students from the United States. She advanced to the finals in three of the tournament’s four categories: impromptu speaking, after-dinner speaking and interpretive reading.

Turowsky-Ganci said she attempts to “own the room” when it is her time to talk, and that skill propelled her to the final rounds of the international competition.

“When it is time to listen, I listen,” she said. “When it is time to talk, I perform; I don’t leave space for others.”

Her coach, Jayne Benjulian, noted that while the Stoneleigh-Burnham team may only have fewer than 10 committed students, their presence is over-represented in the awards the group wins.

“We have a big presence in New England,” Benjulian said.

Three students from Deerfield Academy also participated in the competitio

In her speeches, Turowsky-Ganci used new and different ideas to sweep the competition. In the impromptu speaking category, she was told to give a speech about “value.” In minutes, she wrote a speech about friendships that discussed weighing values against one another. She also read a story by British author Roald Dahl, employing theater skills from her youth to create characters and voices during the performance.

In the after-dinner speaking category, where students write and perform satirical speeches, Turowsky-Ganci took on the persona of a fictional Gen-Z congressman, making political commentary about the inaccessibility of running for office.

Turowsky-Ganci said the biggest challenge was that the international debate style used at the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship was different than the style she is accustomed to. While she competed with a partner for the debate section of the contest, she was working against that partner to be the best debater in the room. In American debate, the contest often includes two people working together, so it was a shock to be working against her partner.

This was the second time Turowsky-Ganci took part in the international competition. Last year, she participated over Zoom, but did not place. She launched a crowdfunding effort this year to pay for the costs of flying to South Africa.

Debate is not only useful in a competitive setting, Turowsky-Ganci explained. She said the activity has helped her gain confidence in all areas of her life. Through her training, she learned about posture and body language.

“This helps me conduct myself in life,” she said.

Turowsky-Ganci hopes to return — and do even better — in next year’s competition. To attend, she’ll have to qualify by winning an international tournament, but she said she’s up for the challenge.

Hailing from a boarding and day school for girls, Turowsky-Ganci learned to take up space, something that is often difficult for women.

“As women, we are told to be considerate of other people and not take up space,” she commented. “There is time to make space for others, but when it is your moment, you shouldn’t care what anyone else is doing.”

Bella Levavi can be reached at blevavi@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.

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