“I’ll always admire Mrs. Vaknin, far beyond her skills as a coach and teacher, but also as a person, who understands that life and expectation can weigh on kids heavily, and that a teacher has the ability to alleviate that burden while also teaching them valuable skills that they may never learn in the outside world… Mrs. Vaknin has far surpassed the expectation of teaching speech and debate and has left something that will outlast any trophy. She’s left dozens of kids inspired, ambitious, tenacious, poised, empowered, confident, and respectful. She’s left a legacy."
- Melodie Barrau, NSDA Alum
