Schreiner taking his talents to EMU

Ypsilanti, Mich. is a little more than a thousand miles from Comanche, but it will be the place Comanche senior Jackson Schreiner will call home for the next four years.

On Monday morning, Schreiner signed a scholarship with Eastern Michigan University to continue his speech and debate career on the school’s forensic (public speaking) team.

Schreiner was a top 10 finisher at the national speech and debate competition last year. He will be returning this year as a state champion in poetry interpretation. 

Ironically, Schreiner was at a loss for words to describe what it meant to him to be able to pursue his career after signing in front of family, friends and students.

“I don’t know how to describe it,” Schreiner said. “I get to  continue spreading my gift and continue spreading my message from God. I feel like I’m doing what God put me on earth to do. It feels like a step in the right direction.”

The fact that only a minuscule percentage of people get the opportunity he is being presented is not lost on the senior.

“It means the world to me,” Schreiner said. “I feel so lucky. Only the smallest percentage of people get this opportunity and I just feel extremely lucky to have coaches, teammates, friends and family who support me in this. There’s so much to say, but I can’t put it into words.”

It was not until last year at a competition where he decided this was the career path he wanted to take.

“It was actually at my first tournament last year where I lost,” Schreiner said. “I was like, ‘I really want to do this. I really want to win.’ And every night I’d practice and do my stuff. I’d practice over and over again to the point where I was sick of the dang thing.”

The practice would pay off, however.

“When I started winning those medals, I realized it was what you put into it,” Schreiner said. “It was an activity that I wanted to do. It’s not an activity where everyone participates. It’s based strictly on performance and who’s better. When I figured that out, it just clicked instantly.”

His teacher Steve Austin knew he had a special talent to work with.

“The thing about Jackson is just the way he’s grown over the year,” Smith said. “I’ve never met a person, much less a 17 or 18-year-old, with as much dedication, discipline and leadership skills. He not only does his thing, but he teaches his thing. It helps him get better. He’s taught me. He’s taught others in the class. He’s got a Padawan who is stepping into his shoes when he leaves. No one is more deserving of this opportunity. I look forward to seeing the fantastic things that you’re going to do at Eastern Michigan and afterward how the world is going to be a little bit different.”

Schriener’s scholarship package is worth $120,000 over four years. 

Eastern Michigan is renowned for its forensics team. It placed third at the national championship tournament in 2022 and second at the national championship tournament in 2023.