Caleb Flegel
Whitworth Forensics team champion Sarah Mott prepares to compete on a national stage, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash. | Caleb Flegel/The Whitworthian
Sarah Mott, a senior on Whitworth University’s Forensics team, has had an exceptional season, culminating in her recent win of the prestigious Brent Northup Award. This award is given to the top competitor in the Northwest Forensics Conference (NFC), and Mott is the first student from Whitworth to receive this honor since 2015.
Mott was the top overall competitor at Lewis & Clark University in October, Linfield University in November and Lower Columbia College in February. She won all six of her speaking events at the Linfield University tournament and brought home the Mahaffey Individual Speaker Award.
Mike Ingram, director of Forensics and communication studies professor, coached Mott all three years she has been on the team.
“It was great for our team to see that and experience that,” said Ingram. “I mean none of the coaches could ever remember a student winning six events.”
At Linfield University’s Mahaffey Invitational, Mott achieved a feat by winning all six of her speech events. No coach could recall a competitor accomplishing this at the NFC. Her victories included: After Dinner Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, Informative Speaking, Programmed Oral Interpretation and Duo Interpretation, where she partnered with Minase Legesse, a junior at Whitworth.
“She works really hard,” said Rylee Walter, assistant director of speech and debate. “She works consistently throughout the year to make sure her speeches are in good shape at the beginning, but all the way through the year too.”
One of Mott’s standout performances was in Programmed Oral Interpretation, where she showcased her exceptional storytelling and characterization skills.
“One of them is a poem about the personification of hunger,” said Ingram. “She does it in this creepy voice and it’s startling the first time you see it, but it is such a powerful representation of the powerful language that hunger preys on people.”
Mott first started giving speeches at the young age of five. Growing up in North Bend, she was homeschooled as part of a Christian group, with two older siblings who were involved in speech and debate. Inspired by them, Mott started competing in junior tournaments through Stoa, a Christian homeschool speech and debate league. She continued her involvement through high school with Stoa, honing her debate skills.
Mott’s success was noticed, and she was recruited by Ingram to join Whitworth’s team. However, for Mott, forensics is more than just a competitive activity — it’s become a family.
“Coach calls it a family for a reason, it is a family,” said Mott. “We don’t all agree with each other, we don’t all have the same backgrounds, and I think that’s what makes it beautiful is that we learn from each other and to support each other.”
The team has shaped much of her experience with lasting friendships created through countless hours of practice and competition.
“All my best friends coming out of college are from the team,” said Mott. “My housemates right now they’re on the team, the people who are going to be at my wedding after this, they’re on the team, it’s everything.”
“I feel like the most joyful things are the little things like singing karaoke in the van on the way back from a tournament or sharing a bed with someone at the hotel during a tournament and then instantly becoming best friends,” said Mott. “There are a bunch of insider traditions, which I probably shouldn’t talk about because you have to join the team if you want to know.”
Mott has also been an inspiration to her teammates.
“She’s been super welcoming from day one, and just her kindness has been incredibly inspiring,” said teammate Madalyn Dotson, a freshman at Whitworth. “And then of course her amazing accomplishments within speech and debate have been just astounding.”
Despite her success in forensics, Mott’s focus in her studies has always been computer science.
“I’m a computer science major,” laughed Mott. “One would not think my fun thing to do on the side would be to go talk to people.”
Looking ahead, Mott plans to move back to the west side after graduation, where she’ll be working at a financial tech company and marrying her high school sweetheart.
Though her forensics journey at Whitworth is nearing its end, Mott’s legacy on the team and the lasting friendships she’s formed will continue to impact those who have had the privilege of competing alongside her.
*A correction has been made on this article: In an earlier version of this story published on April 1, 2025, The Whitworthian erroneously reported that Sarah Mott was involved with the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association. Sarah Mott was involved with Stoa and the article has been updated to reflect this.