Margaret Tant Myhre, JV Apologetics, Speech, & Student Congress Coach
Margaret is so excited to be coaching Junior Varsity Speech and Apologetics along with Student Congress again this year and can’t wait to see all the new faces!
In her high school years, she competed in many speech events, listened to many Apologetics lectures and participated in Team Policy Debate. She also has many siblings who've competed as well.
Margaret competed and ran track/cross country all through middle school and high school, coached middle school cross country and enjoyed playing soccer as well.
After doing short films for fun, she went the next step and was in a feature film known as Remember The Goal and has since done commercials, short films, theater and most recently was in a TV show called The Dream Motel which airs October 1, 2019.
She credits her speech and debate career to her love for acting and attaining the skills and confidence needed for this activity. She graduated from David Lipscomb last December with a major in political science, but will probably end up pursuing something related to film.
In her free time, you’ll find her running and working out, doing hip hop with friends, submitting for auditions, drinking coffee and kombucha, hanging with friends, having deep political/theological discussions or at the lake listening to country music while wake-boarding.
Margaret’s goal for the year is to foster an environment that is encouraging and uplifting, but she'll also be working to inspire student's to move out of their comfort zone. She is excited to see the next speech and debate generation conquer the world using the skills they’ve attained from Ambassador Club.
Amy Spiers, SV Advanced & Novice Speech Coach
Amy Spiers has her Bachelors in Speech Communication from the University of Northern Colorado. She is a veteran homeschool mom of four, graduating her three oldest with one still at home. Her family has been involved in national speech and debate clubs since 2014. Amy has taught speech to students from 1st-12th grade, coached varsity students, trained parents, and directed a local club. She has seen how stepping up to the challenge of public speaking has greatly benefited both herself and her children, and she is passionate about helping others grow in courage, confidence, and valuable communication skills that are key for every area of life.
Joel Spiers, SV Novice Team Policy Coach
Bio coming soon
Jonathan's Helton, SV Advanced/Experienced Team Policy, Parli & Student Congress Coach
Jonathan Helton is from Old Hickory, Tennessee, and is a former member of Iron Sharpening Iron and Ambassadors Speech and Debate. He competed in Stoa for three years (2016-2018) in Team Policy, Parliamentary, Lincoln-Douglas, and Speech events. In his time in Stoa, he placed first in TP four times, first in Parli once, and also won several Speech events, qualifying for NITOC twice in TP, Parli, and Speech. He continued debating in college, placing second at team IPDA nationals in 2021.
Jonathan graduated with honors from Freed-Hardeman University this past May with a degree in Law and Politics. During his college years, he worked for several law firms and advocacy groups. He is also the founder of Tropicality Enterprises, a sourcebook for Stoa TP debaters.
While he has enjoyed all of these roles, his current and favorite job so far has been with the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, where he has written about one of his old TP cases, a federal maritime law known as the Jones Act, as well as numerous other issues that Hawaiians face daily. In his work with GRIH, he has sharpened his research, writing, and presentation skills--all of which speech and debate helped foster.
Liana Garner, SV Lincoln Douglas Coach
Liana Garner is a Stoa alumna and previous LD debater and coach. She graduated from home school in 2014 after qualifying and competing in three consecutive national competitions. Her favorite speech and debate events included Lincoln Douglas Value Debate, Parliamentary Debate, Expository speaking, and Extemporaneous. After graduating high school, she competed in college Parliamentary Debate where she and her partner took home two titles. Liana is passionate about teaching, the importance of critical thinking, and helping each student reach their fullest potential! Currently, Liana is a mom to her 1 year old son and an ophthalmic technician at Summit Eye Associates.