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NEDERLAND — Rylie Burden has always been outspoken.

With a father who is a pastor and a mother who is a published author, it seems only natural Burden would find interest in debate.

It is something she always enjoyed.

She competed at the state level in numerous University Interscholastic League events; four of them in Congress drafting legislation in what she called persuasive speaking and in extemporaneous speaking during which students have a short amount of time to prepare to deliver their speech.

But there’s more. The Nederland High School Class of 2024 graduate earned gold at the UIL State Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

Her father, Rev. Jason Burden, said Rylie only got into the Lincoln-Douglas Debate within the past year or so.

“She has learned a lot and enjoyed a lot of success,” Rev. Burden said.

In fact, she will go on to debate while at Howard Payne University in the fall. Se plans to double major in prelaw and global political science.
For Rylie, debate is an outlet and definitely not a thing a lot of students her age are interested in, she said.

This year’s Lincoln-Douglas Debate topic was “on balance, the use of artificial intelligence in art, music and literature is undesirable.”

For this philosophical topic she had to prepare an affirmative debate, a negative debate and one where she was able to choose.

There’s more than agreeing or disagreeing. There is preparing and citing of evidence to support either side.

The outlet aspect of the debate allows Rylie to do her research and allows her to met with like-minded students who like this type of learning experience, she said.

Rylie is the daughter of Rev Jason Burden and Kristi Burden.

While she hasn’t figured out which career path to take, she has many goals; possibly law or politics.

Whatever she chooses it’s important it is something good, where she can make a memorable difference.