A BIT ABOUT US

Ascend TX a Christian home-schooled family speech and debate club serving 12-18-year-old students. We are parent-run, student lead, and family-friendly. All members of a family are encouraged to join in the learning and actively participate. Our purpose is to develop critical thinking skills, discernment, and leadership skills within a biblical worldview by engaging in a wide variety of speech and debate events ultimately focused on the goal to speak the truth in love to all.

CLUB SCHEDULE

Ascend TX Meets Every Friday at Christ Our King Church

8:00 AM - Apologetics or Mars Hill Class

9:00 AM - Lincoln Douglas and Team Policy Debate Classes

11:30 AM - Speech Class & Juniors

Parliamentary Debate and Extemporaneous Speaking Meet via Zoom on Tuesdays at 7 PM

Get Directions

CLUB MEETINGS

August 21 and 28, 2026

Christ Our King Anglican Church

September 4,11, 18, and 25, 2026

Christ Our King Anglican Church

October 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2026

Christ Our King Anglican Church

November 6, 13 and 20, 2026

Christ Our King Anglican Church

December 4, 2026

Christ Our King Anglican Church

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

Meet Our Club Captiains

A strong club isn't just coach-led — it's student-led.

Older students who step into leadership roles set the tone for younger members, model the confidence and preparation the club is built on, and pass down what they've learned the way it was passed down to them.

Leadership teaches responsibility and mentorship alongside speech and debate skills, giving senior students a chance to grow beyond their own competition record and invest in the club's next generation.

Our student leadership team helps set the standard — mentoring younger members and carrying the club's culture forward, one season at a time.

Wyatt Simbro

Lincoln Douglas Captain

Howdy y'all! My name is Wyatt. I'm going into my senior year of high school, and this is my fourth year at Ascend and second as a captain. Through Speech and Debate, God has dramatically increased my ability to present, articulate, communicate , and reason, for which I am incredibly grateful. I love bacon, reading, hanging out with friends, working at T Bar M Camps, bacon and following Jesus!

Titus Saur

Team Policy Captain

Bio soon to come.

Barrett Reagan

Team Policy Captain

Barrett is in Challenge 3 of the Classical Conversations program, which translates to being a junior in high school. He was born in Colorado but promptly moved to Texas and has been here ever since. He is the oldest, and therefore obviously the wisest, child in his family, which includes his parents and two younger siblings. Barrett enjoys reading, playing basketball, traveling and arguing well. This will be his third year to participate in STOA Team Policy Debate.

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Sarah Mayer

Speech Captain

Hello, my name is Sarah Mayer! I'm a Junior in high school, and this is my fourth year in Ascend. I serve as an Interpretive Speech Captain and Team Spirit Captain. A fun fact about me is that I love baking and often bring baked goods to tournaments!

Meet Your Coaches

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

Speech and debate is a skill built through practice, feedback, and repetition — but it's rarely one a student masters alone. A good coach sees what a student can't yet see in themselves: the argument that needs sharpening, the pause that needs confidence, the delivery that needs polish. They turn raw effort into real growth, pushing students past the plateau they'd hit on their own and helping them find a voice they didn't know they had.

At Ascend, our coaches aren't just instructors — they're mentors invested in each student's character and confidence, both on and off the platform.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." — Proverbs 27:17

Dr. Chris Lisanti

Head Coach

Parliamentary

Mars Hill

Apologetics

LD Coach: Colonel (ret) Chris Lisanti, MD has been coaching Lincoln Douglas debate
for 15 years at his local club in New Braunfels, TX (now Ascend Texas Speech &
Debate). All four of his now adult children competed in STOA throughout their home
school years. Dr. Lisanti has published several articles on philosophical anthropology
along with its application to the practice of healthcare and biomedical ethical
implications. He is the senior faculty advisor for the Hippocratic Society at Brooke Army
Medical Center, advocating for virtue in both personal and bioethical considerations.
Lastly, he has released a series of thirty lectures on human flourishing through his
podcast “Roots of Flourishing.”

Heather Simbro

Team Policy Coach

Heather Simbro is a homeschool mom and small business owner. She is also a debate mom who enjoys discussing current topics and debate strategies with our Ascend policy team students. She is a graduate of Biola University, where she earned her elementary teaching credential, and Talbot School of Theology, where she earned a master's degree in Christian Education. In her free time, she enjoys reading, going for walks with Randy and Wyatt, playing board games, and spending time with her small group.

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Austin Kelly

Assistant Team Policy

Austin Kelly is a homeschool dad of 4 and also manages his wife’s Family Medicine practice. He has a music education degree from Texas Tech University and taught music in public schools for 9 years. He enjoys working with high school students to find their passion and hone their skills.

Victoria Zinkgraf

Junior Head Coach

My name is Victoria Zinkgraf, and I'm a homeschooling mother of four. This is our fourth year participating in STOA, and my second year teaching the Junior Speech class.
One of the things I value most about STOA is its emphasis on helping students develop the lifelong ability to articulate their thoughts clearly and communicate with confidence. It is incredibly rewarding to watch junior students grow from their first, often nervous speeches to confidently walking into and out of tournament rounds with poise and excitement.
My goal is to create a fun, encouraging environment where young students can build a strong foundation in public speaking, develop confidence in their abilities, and discover the joy of sharing their ideas with others. It is a privilege to be a small part of each student's journey as they grow both as speakers and as individuals.

Naomi Flores

Speech Coach

Naomi Flores is a homeschool graduate and art teacher. She competed in various speech events with Stoa for 6 years, reaching the national level 3 times. In 2021, she graduated from Northeast Lakeview College with her Associate's degree in Art. Since graduating, she has taught various speech classes and stepped into the official role of speech coaching in 2024. She is a creative and dedicated educator who enjoys facilitating engaging and fun learning environments for students across multiple age groups. In her free time, she enjoys doing needlecrafts, playing the piano, and listening to film soundtracks.

Andrea Harlan

Club Coordinator

I live my life for an audience of One—God. As a homeschool mom, wife to my husband, Sid, and mom to our two sons, Josiah and Wyatt, I am passionate about raising the next generation to live with purpose, character, and faith.

With a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, I love teaching young people the principles of entrepreneurship and equipping them with the skills and confidence to pursue their God-given potential. When I'm not mentoring or teaching, you'll find me traveling with my family and making memories together.

Myko Mayer

Assistant Club Coordinator

My name is Mrs. Myko Mayer. I am a Christian, a housewife, a mother of two, and a homeschooler. These days, that means high school. One of my greatest joys has been seeing my girls grow into confident communicators. Thank you, Speech & Debate. I serve on the Schertz Library Foundation Board. Previously, I was a Parent Mentor for new homeschoolers for the Texas Homeschool Coalition. I love being a resource and encouraging families in their homeschooling journeys.