District 88 Board of Education recognizes Willowbrook alumna for state-level accomplishment

Left: Pictured is Willowbrook alumna Chloe Devens (class of 2020). Devens was recognized during the Special District 88 Board of Education meeting on July 27 for competing in Extemporaneous Speaking during the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Tournament this past February. Right: Members of the District 88 Board of Education and administration congratulate Devens (pictured third from left in the third row from the top) during the meeting. She is the first Willowbrook student to qualify for that event in at least 30 years and is in the top 21 Extemporaneous speakers in Illinois. Pictured at right in the second row from the top is Brett Blair, Willowbrook Speech Team Head Coach and English Department Head.

During the Special District 88 Board of Education meeting on July 27, the Board and administration recognized Willowbrook alumna Chloe Devens (class of 2020) for her state-level accomplishment in Speech during the 2019-20 school year.

Devens competed in Extemporaneous Speaking at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Tournament, which took place on Feb. 21 and 22 at Peoria Civic Center. Devens is the first Willowbrook student to qualify for that event in at least 30 years, and she is in the top 21 Extemporaneous speakers in Illinois.

Extemporaneous Speaking is a limited-preparation speech event based on research and original analysis. Participants are given 30 minutes of preparation time to compose a seven-minute speech. When preparation starts, speakers are offered three questions to answer. Questions are based on current affairs, and topic areas generally include international and domestic policy, economic policy and social or scientific issues.