Coaching Philosophy:
Coaching with a structure in mind is like running into a circus expecting to know exactly what you are going to see. It never works as planned. Just like every learner is different, every speaker is. I always coach in a manner that is fundamentally personalized and specific to the speaker themselves! Some of my students are timider, some more outgoing, some have unique tonal patterns, some use their body language to communicate more than others, some can project loudly, some need help researching more than speaking, etc., etc. All of these intricacies are important for me to not only attend to as a Coach but also, capitalize on. Our differences as speakers are our strengths - it is important to grow them with the right coach rather than trying to “blend in” with other speakers.
As someone who has competed in Interp, Congress, OO, and Debate - I love to apply my learnings from other areas into the event I’m working with students on. It is something unique as a coach I have done that I have seen result in immense success among my students.
For instance, in OO, I have found argumentation to be essential. I work with them on developing arguments and sustaining them across disciplines and various types of evidence. Usually, argumentation is a focus in debate events - but I see how applying it in OO has helped students find an extra edge over any competitors.
Something usually Interp students focus on is “scoring” scripts. However, I help students "score" their speech and their debates - regardless of whether or not they are doing Interp. The student's organization, style, voice, and personality will all shine through their scoring. From here, we can work to make sure diction, inflection, and tone all connect the content to the presentation.
In Congress and Impromptu, confidence is key. I have seen incredible growth in my students through practicing extemporaneously and altering what might not work best immediately as it happens. While some students need more assistance in organizing thoughts and ideas, other students may need help in discussing content or determining what to say. Whatever the difficulty may be, there are exercises and practices that can remedy it.
In all events, presentation is one of the most important focuses for me.
‘Delivery and passion are two of the hardest concepts to execute flawlessly, but they are the most important for the audience. This is a huge part of my coaching - learning how to say what we want to say in a manner that comes across in ways it will really be understood. I always say, "People do not care how much you know, unless they know how much you care."
Serene Singh
OO, OA, Impromptu
Short Bio:
Serene Singh is a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford pursuing a Doctoral degree in Criminology.
As a 3P Coach for 3P for the past 7 years, Serene has helped countless students reach their goals (and higher) in the Speech and Debate world - including National Championships and State Championships and in the “real” world - Ivy League admissions, winning global top scholarships, etc. For Serene, it is most important that every student she works with becomes an undeniably excellent communicator - a skill she believes they will forever be able to use.
Serene herself competed in Speech and Debate throughout junior high and high school. After she won the National Junior Forensics League National Championship, Serene went on to become the first student in her state to win 3 State OO Championships in a row, multiple Tournament of Champions (TOC) Finalist placements (Top 5), and various National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) national titles in Oratory (Top 12), Congress (Top 20), and Impromptu (Top 15).
Serene's commitment to helping others belong and find their voices does not just stop at being a Speech and Debate coach - it is in everything she does.
Singh’s Doctoral research centers on women on death row in the United States, a population rarely discussed, researched, or humanized in the field of criminal justice. Singh also completed her postgraduate studies with a Master’s in Public Policy as the youngest student in Oxford’s internationally competitive and prestigious global cohort of 150+ individuals. A Truman Scholar, Marshall recipient, Fulbright recipient, and an alumnus of the University of Colorado, Singh graduated with summa cum laude honors in Political Science and Journalism degrees and attained a minor in Leadership Studies.
Singh is the winner of the title of 2020-2021 National All-American Miss - a coveted prestige for the world’s largest and most prestigious pageant system.
As the first South Asian as well as the first Coloradan to win the coveted national crown, she was honored by the Governor of Colorado in-person and awarded an honorary Colorado state flag by the Governor and State Senators. As the designer of her own fashion high-heel “Serene Singh” shoe, a former America’s Junior Miss, and Miss Colorado Teen, her pageantry and modeling experience inspires her to empower girls and women worldwide. In July of 2021, Serene wrote and published her very first children’s book titled “The Queen Machine” to build self-esteem and confidence in kids worldwide. Her passion for girls and women has also led her to create The Serenity Project 501c3 nonprofit to give self-love and empowerment tools to women survivors across the state of Colorado and now nationwide. The Serenity Project remains immensely successful as the featured “nonprofit that is changing lives” in the “Serenity Documentary” with employees in three states, over 450+ brand partners including the Love Your Natural Self Foundation and has helped hundreds of women survivors find the tools to gain confidence and helped develop their skills to chase their biggest dreams.
Moreover, Singh has continued her work for girls and women empowerment through developing the first-ever large-scale girl-to-girl peer transnational mentor program with Mrs. Obama and the Girls Opportunity Alliance to improve adolescent girls’ education rates globally, winning the first-ever volunteer-based Victoria Secret’s GRL PWR campaign, serving as a Dalai Lama Fellow, and USA Representative to the Global Changemaker community. Singh was also awarded the Diana Award, the first Coloradan and Sikh American to win the award, UK’s most prestigious and competitive humanitarian honor.
Her leadership philosophy titled the “RDC Method” has been taught in leadership courses in colleges across Colorado like Colorado College and the University of Colorado at Boulder and was the featured topic in a keynote to 2,000 individuals by Serene in 2019. Singh plans to advance her passion for public service to one day serve on the United States Supreme Court.
Expertise:
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Structure/Wording in OO, Congress, and Impromptu speeches
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Vocalization (inflection, tone, emphasis, pausing)
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Scoring speeches to help with delivery/presentation
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Impact Development (Pathos, linking vs terminal impacts, Ethos, Logos)
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The wonderful art of persuasion in everything said and not said :)
Testimonials about Serene!
Student