From workshops to policy research - and even to accounting - JWin does it all.
Jessica Winsey, a graduate of Street Academy and a BAUDL alum, thrives on a compact schedule. When given the option to attend either her senior prom or the 2009 BAUDL League City Championships, Jessica chose both. She debated her way to a perfect record on Saturday, quickly threw on heels and danced the night away, and then promptly woke at dawn to compete on the second day of the tournament, advancing to the final round of the City Championships.
For Jessica, the weekend was business as usual – a small feat considering the demands of her already hectic senior year. “I was mixed up in the wrong crowd and wasn’t doing so well,” explains Jessica in regards to her formative high school years. Consumed by the pressures of drinking, smoking, and popular cliques at Skyline High School in Oakland, Jessica finished her junior year with a .99 GPA – 60 credits behind her fellow classmates.
Determined to graduate on time, Jessica transferred to Street Academy, where she found her footing in debate. “I did better in school when I started debate,” Jessica remarks, deeming debate her “center” and a source of authenticity. Energized by a top 20 finish at her first competition, Jessica attended tournament after tournament, accumulating a record of four straight tournament wins that has yet to be beaten.
She did so while maintaining a rigid weekday regimen: attending debate practices in the afternoon, Piedmont Community College classes in the evening, and finishing homework late at night. With persistence, Jessica walked away from Street Academy with a high school diploma, a transcript 13 credits over the requirement and the best debate record in the League. Most importantly, Jessica found herself. “Debate,” Jessica reflects, “informed me of who I am.”
One of debate’s greatest benefits for Jessica involved her mother and father. Debate competitions brought the divided Winsey family together. Her parents attended every debate tournament. Jessica’s mother would run through speed drills with her. Her father would pass on articles relevant to the debate topic. Punishments even revolved around debate: “If my grades began to slip, my mom would say, ‘no debating!” Through Jessica’s relationship with her parents, debate ensured that she was on top of her academic performance.
Today, Jessica still juggles a wild array of activities with her trademark work ethic, drive, and intelligence. She is studying political science at the City College of San Francisco, where she has been a member of the debate team. Known around the BAUDL office as “JWin,” Jessica now carries numerous responsibilities for BAUDL, even helping with organizing financial records. In her words, “Some people seem to fear Quickbooks, but I look forward to the many expense reports that the future holds.”
An aspiring attorney and US Senator with hopes of attending Columbia Law School, Jessica attributes her success to debate. “Debate changed me…it was my strength and my staff to hold on to. Without debate,” Jessica concludes, “I can only guess what else I would be doing.”
