MOUNT VERNON — Ryan Struve, a Cornell College senior from Ankeny, Iowa, is one of 15 students nationwide named to the 2002 All-American Individual Events Team by the American Forensic Association’s National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET). He is the first student from an Iowa college to make the team, which was created in 2001.
Struve was a quarterfinalist (top 24) in communication analysis at the AFA-NIET in April at Bradley University, where he qualified in five categories. Also in April he made his second consecutive trip to the annual Interstate Oratory Competition, the oldest (130 years) and most prestigious intercollegiate speech championship, at South Dakota State University this year. Only two competitors from each state are accepted. He was a semifinalist (top 12).
Being named an All-American caps a successful speech career for Struve, a triple major in computer science, communications and politics. He will attend law school at the University of Iowa in the fall. All-Americans are selected for scholastic achievement, participation in AFA competitions and community service. Struve feels the keys to his success were a commitment to polishing his technique and attending about 20 tournaments in a year, which repeatedly put his name before the judges.
“After speech for four years, I have an appreciation for people who can use the English language. It’s bolstered my resume and given me direction toward law school,” he says. “I’ve gained a tremendous number of friends from other schools and met my fiancee doing speech.” He and Jennifer Potter, a 2001 Cornell graduate, will marry July 6.
Last year, Struve was named the representative for District 4 of the AFA-NIET. He was chosen by a vote of AFA-NIET member students in the district, which includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska. There are nine districts across the country. During his one-year appointment he brought student proposals regarding competition rules and tournaments to the attention of the national organization.