Sandra played a pivotal role in not only boosting my confidence in speech and debate and helping me navigate the competitive circuit but also in providing invaluable support throughout my college application journey. From the outset, Sandra guided me meticulously, aiding in the development of speeches, conducting thorough research ranging from meta studies to interview-based investigations, and refining my debate cases to align with my unique speaking style and patterns. Her adeptness at dissecting arguments and tailoring her teaching to suit my learning style was truly remarkable. Through her unwavering support and mentorship, I not only excelled at state and national-level competitions but also witnessed a significant enhancement in my self-assurance and debate skills. Sandra emerged as one of my most trusted advocates throughout my high school tenure and continues to be a pillar of support beyond speech and debate.
Kriti Vasudevan
Sandra Peek gave me the skills that eventually helped me win four state championships and break into deep out rounds at NSDA nationals. She can give any student the tools to win, but what she gives more than anything else is life-lessons that will help the student in real-life when they’re done competing.”
— Josiah Atkinson, past student and UNT debater
“While Mrs. Peek will help you write arguments and tell you everything you need to know about a topic, she is best at teaching you the skills and thought processes you need to not only have arguments, but to write them, fully understand them and defend them in the round. There were only two times I thought my ideas were better than hers, and I lost both of those rounds. She has an enormous amount of experience and can just about predict how things are going to work out.”
—BRETT MAY
Mrs. Peek’s dynamic approach to teaching students is unrivaled. Working together, Mrs. Peek gave me the skills to transform from a 37 second 2NR debater to placing 3rd at the state meet. She equipped me with invaluable skills such as effectively researching a topic, digesting information quickly, and how to communicate well in a structured discussion. The skills I learned are skills I carry with me and utilize daily within my career.”
— JORDAN FREE (SOFTWARE ENGINEER CONSULTANT, AVANADE/ACCENTURE)
“Sandra Peek is an amazing debate coach and teacher. I teach theatre at a school and was tasked with debate again this year, even knowing I wasn’t that strong. Mrs. Peek agreed to help our kids who had never debated before. In the time that she worked with my kids, they understood and performed well enough to receive alternate to state. If anyone were to ever ask me if I would recommend Sandra Peek for debate help, I would absolutely say yes, and I would assure them the time spent would be well worth it.”
—NATHAN PRATER (CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL)
“A few years ago when I first started as a coach with absolutely no experience in the speech and debate community, Mrs. Peek was there to teach me all of the things I needed to know to be successful. She has a passion for helping students reach their full potential in any event they choose and has the skills to equip them to reach their goals. Personally, I believe she excels at explaining the foundations of debate in such a way that students are quickly able to understand them and apply those principals in round. Overall, I believe that Mrs. Peek is an incredible coach that pushes her students to excellence."
-JAKE COSIO (HEAD SPEECH AND DEBATE COACH, LOVEJOY HIGH)