Amazing Staff!

Camp Instructors

Founder and President: Griffith William Vertican Esq.

Coach Griffith is the director of the National Institute for Homeschool Debate. He is also a licensed attorney and one of the most successful debate coaches in America. He himself won our nation's largest collegiate debate tournament the NPDA in 2007. Students who attended his camps have won every division of debate and the overall tournament champion award. Students he personally coached took 1st place in TP Debate (Jeffrey Pistor) and 1st, 2nd, and 6th place in LD Debate at 2018 NITOC Championships. He's coached 12 different national champions in all three forms of debate, and the 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024 LD national champions were all his students.

Isaiah McPeak is unfortunately unable to join us this year in person, but will be providing an online video lecture!

Gary Vertican

Pastor Gary Vertican is it former school principal, as a pastor he has helped start numerous churches and home Bible study groups. He’s also a teacher and log home builder extraordinaire. He’s been a long time, special speaker for the camp and is excited to be back this year to encourage and equip the students to take a deeper dive in their faith.

Scott Thomas

A teacher in the California prison system by day, a parent and coach of Whirlwind speech and debate club the rest of the time, Scott Thomas of Blythe, California, has had 11 years to reflect on the Stoa experience and how to help students and parents find their way in the speech and debate world. His wife is Gabriela and his children are alumni Nathan and Daniela.

Ginger Vertican Carrier

Ginger has been leading theater as a professor for Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virginia, and has directed numerous plays. She’s also a very talented musician, having written numerous original songs, including some camp favorites like the classic remake “it’s all about debate“ she’s excited to be back, leading worship and teaching acting skills about brand new and advanced students.

Alumni Experts

Sara Kempston

Sara competed in Stoa speech and debate for six years, striving for excellence in every speech, every round, and every tournament. By the time she finished her sixth year, she'd been to tournaments in over seven states, learning invaluable lessons and skills. Sara specializes in Team Policy and Parliamentary Debate, as well as the limited prep speech events. She's passionate about using her skills for the advancement of God's kingdom and reinvesting into the community that invested so much into her. She can't wait to contribute to the learning and growth of the awesome students at NIHD!

Charis Baker

After falling in love with debate at 12, Charis competed in Stoa for five years, participating in every event that Stoa offered. She broke to finals in numerous speech events, finishing her career by competing in Extemporaneous finals at NITOC. During her senior year, Charis placed in the top two Lincoln Douglas Speakers at seven tournaments, going on to become the 2023 Lincoln Douglas Speaker Champion. Charis won Lincoln Douglas and Parliamentary Debate finals at multiple tournaments during her career.

Having coached over 200 students in the past 4 years, Charis' primary goal is to cultivate skills that enable young people to clearly and confidently speak truth to a broken and hurting world. Charis' goal is "that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" as 1 Peter 2:9 says. In a culture that will surround them with darkness, Charis prays that there will be a people who cannot help but proclaim the light.

Rachel Shipley

Hi there! I’m Rachel, a former speech and debate competitor with a passion for teaching others and a vision to be a part of a community that equips young people to defend their faith boldly. Throughout my competition years, I worked incredibly hard, and God blessed my efforts in a really cool way. In total, I won Team Policy Debate 10 times, Parliamentary Debate 5 times, and each of my speech events at least twice. In my senior year, I won the Tournament Champion award 7 times and finished the season as a National Finalist in Team Policy Debate, Apologetics, Extemporaneous, and Impromptu.

I’ve been where you are, looking for a coach who can help me up my game to the next level. I found that the best coaches were those who were just as willing to listen as to talk. I want to be that kind of coach for you. Tell me where you want to improve, and together we’ll craft a strategy that pushes past your limits and showcases your strengths. My philosophy is to meet students where they are and encourage and equip them to be the best debaters they can possibly be. My hope and prayer is that God would be glorified through all that I do and that I would always point others to Him.

Nathan Thomas

To paraphrase Michael Jordan, failure is a great teacher. And boy, have I failed at speech and debate. My league hides the last few placers in each event. I've been in the hidden 43 times in my career. Fourteen times, I placed dead last out of everyone. I competed and failed to place in the top 40% 199 times. Twenty-one times, I was one place away. I've failed over and over and over again in forensics. Since then, I have written a book about how to improve at speech and debate (From Hidden to Finals on Amazon), become a coach in my club, done well at local tournaments, and received multiple national awards from the Stoa league.

Daniela Thomas

Hey y'all! My name is Daniela Thomas, and I'm so excited to be working with NIHD this year! I spent 11 years competing in STOA, starting at age 7 and finishing at 18. Over the years, I had the opportunity to compete in a wide range of events, placing 2nd nationally in both Expository and Duo Interpretation, and 8th in Parliamentary Debate. I’ve broken to outrounds at NITOC in both speech and debate more than a dozen times and was honored to receive the Founders Award for the past three years.

Becoming a well-rounded communicator has been one of my biggest priorities in STOA. Because of that, I've competed at nationals in Expository, Original Oratory, Persuasive, Impromptu, Extemporaneous, Apologetics, Duo Interpretation, Slam Poetry, Interp in a Box, Oratory Analysis, Parliamentary Debate, Team Policy, and Lincoln-Douglas Debate. I'm so excited to meet you all and can't wait to see how the Lord will work in and through you this season!

Ben Copeland
Ben is the 2024 LD Champion and will be joining us for a Zoom video lecture!

NIHD Staff

Administrator: Sara Kempston & Charis Baker