Polk State Speech and Debate coach inducted into FCSAA Hall of Fame

In 2013, Polk State Professor Christina Gesmundo was tasked with starting the Polk State Speech and Debate Team. During February’s annual FCSAA Forensics Tournament, she was honored as one of the best the Florida College System has ever seen.

Gesmundo, who teaches speech at Polk State and serves as coach of the College’s Speech and Debate Team, was inducted into the FCSAA Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognizes “individuals who have distinguished themselves with outstanding achievement and excellence in one or more FCSAA divisions.”

“It’s a wonderful recognition,” Gesmundo said. “I wouldn’t be here today doing what I do without the phenomenal support from my peers around the state. I’ve tried to pay that forward and help where I can, which makes this induction truly heartwarming.”

Over her 13 years as coach of the Speech and Debate Team, Gesmundo has watched its reach grow significantly. Under her leadership, the team has won multiple state titles. In 2019, Gesmundo spearheaded the inaugural Polk State Speech and Debate Tournament that drew more than 100 competitors from around the state.

“Early on, the College expressed a desire to have a team,” Gesmundo recalled. “The team has evolved from competing to becoming a bigger participant of the greater College community, speaking and presenting at College events. All of the opportunities for team members are a way for students to take their speaking to the next level.”

At this year’s FCSAA Forensics Tournament, Polk State finished third in the team sweepstakes. Participant Witskerbial Louis-Marc finished in the top three in Persuasive Speaking for the second year in a row. Louis-Marc said Gesmundo referred her to a second coach for additional help in perfecting her craft over the summer.

“She’s always willing to help,” Louis-Marc said of Gesmundo. “Over the summer, she was able to help me find additional resources. The fact that she went out of the way to get me extra help meant a lot. She’s as great as a professor as she is a coach. She encourages us so much and is a great supporter. We know she’s always just a call, text or an email away.”

The Hall of Fame induction isn’t the first recognition on the state level for Gesmundo. She was named FCSAA Forensics Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2019. She was recognized as Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha Forensics Coach of the Year in 2015 and by Polk State as the Banking Endowed Teaching Chair for the 2020-21 Academic Year.

“She’s always there for us,” said Sofia Sanchez, a first-year member of the Polk State Speech and Debate Team. “She was heavily involved in organizing the in-person debate (on the Polk State Lakeland Campus earlier this academic year). We had a lot of people come out and support us. She does a great job promoting our club and encourages us to be interactive with our teammates. That’s helped me make new friends in my first year of college. She’s done a great job organizing for and being an advocate for us.”

With her induction, Gesmundo becomes the sixth inductee associated with Polk State. Others are former Head Baseball Coach and Athletics Director Bing Tyus; former professor and coach Laurel Smith; Professor and Department of Music Coordinator John Anderson; Brain Bowl participant Aaron Layton; and Carlos Parra, former SALO director.

Gesmundo is currently a doctoral student pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of South Florida. As humbled as she was by the recent induction, Gesmundo expressed that just serving as Speech and Debate coach has been rewarding in its own right.

“It’s meaningful and satisfying to see students committed to their own growth,” Gesmundo concluded. “Most come in with no experience and to see them try something new and grow is incredible. They teach me too, and I’ve learned along with them.”