Mallari tops 37th Annual AG’s Cup

Dr. Galvin Deleon, left, Jill Anne Mallari, center, and Zeno Deleon Guerrero pose for a photo at the CNMI Superior Court following Mallari’s victory during the 37th Annual Attorney General’s Cup Speech Competition last Friday. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Jill Anne Mallari, who has been raking in awards in various forensics contests since her elementary days, has a new feather on her cap—a shiny trophy she won after topping the 37th Annual Attorney General’s Cup speech competition last Friday at the CNMI Superior Court.

Mallari, a 17-year-old senior at Mount Carmel School, took home the prestigious AG’s Cup last Friday after delivering a powerful speech on affirmative action, putting her on the long list of Knights who have previously claimed the cup for MCS.

The victory officially makes Mallari the 20th MCS Knight to take home the cup.

“This is my first time competing for the AG’s Cup, though MCS does have a long legacy of producing winners. I’m our school’s 20th winner and 17th under my coach, Dr. Galvin Deleon Guerrero,” she said.

When asked how she felt about her triumph, Mallari said winning the cup felt like a full-circle moment.

“I’ve always wanted to audition to represent my school as a speaker, and I’m glad it was resumed in my last year. Throughout the whole process, which took around two-and-a-half months, I’ve been showered with unconditional support from my teachers, peers, and coaches. My main goal while preparing for the competition was really to uphold and honor the MCS legacy. My two other coaches, Mr. Zeno Deleon Guerrero and Ms. Victoria Deleon Guerrero, were previous AG’s Cup champions, too, so I felt really privileged to be under their care. I like to call them the holy trinity as our school refers to them as the ‘single letter adults’: Dr. G, Mr. Z, and Ms. V. And even after the competition, I still receive overwhelming support from everyone at my school and many fellow AlumKnights. [The] AG’s Cup is something we take very seriously; one way we like to put it is how it’s our school’s version of the Super Bowl. I’m very grateful to be part of the long (and ever-growing) line of champions whose names are engraved onto the cup,” she said.

This year’s topic prompt tackled the issue of affirmative action.

“The stance I took for my speech was on overturning affirmative action as we tend to forget that the original intent of affirmative action was and is to affirm equity, whether it be in the workforce or higher education. The purpose of affirmative action today has been misconstrued to simply diversify colleges and universities, and it disregards underlying problems of keeping students in colleges and helping them succeed. This is especially important for students in the Northern Marianas, which was my inspiration when writing and performing,” she said.

“A portion of my speech stated, ‘Affirmative action may have helped them gain admission, but at what cost when they face accusations of reverse discrimination and doubts about their ability?’ It’s a question that really sinks in as a senior in high school. Students of color deserve more than just to be a statistic for diversity,” she added.

The 2023 AG Cup champ encourages her peers to join the AG’s Cup competition, if they have the passion for it, as it is a chance to amplify the voice of the youth.

“These yearly topics are controversial issues that our government and nation debate heavily, and it’s both important and impressive to hear high school students take their stance. It’s also something that can’t be done overnight. My speech was a collective effort of thoughts, opinions, and research, which impassioned me to deliver a speech I feel deeply connected to. If you feel passionate about what you speak, the message will flow out of you. It’s a story not just for the judges but also for the community to listen to and feel,” Mallari said.

Mallari, who has seen her fair share of speech and debate competitions much like the AG Cup, says she plans on majoring in political science so she can someday practice law.

“I will be attending the University of San Diego this fall, with plans to major in political science and business administration, and eventually practice law. Other than AG’s Cup, I have been traveling for National Speech and Debate tournaments yearly since the 6th grade. It was there where my interest in social reform began. I also competed for my school’s mock trial team, where I was exposed to the world of law,” she said.

Deleon Guerrero said that, after more than 20 years as MCS AG’s Cup coach, he is still impressed by what students like Mallari have to say every year.

“Every year, I feel privileged to work with students on speech teams who work diligently to conduct extensive research, examine different sides of a contentious issue, and then develop a compelling argument supported by ample evidence and articulated with rhetorical eloquence. And every year, I am impressed by what all competing students have to say and offer to our public discourse. So, whether we win or lose, for me as an educator, I am inspired by the hard work and impressed by thoughtful insights that all these students bring to the competition,” he said.

Another one of Mallari’s coaches, Zeno Deleon Guerrero, shared that he, and the entire MCS family, are beyond proud of her.

“The entire Mount Carmel School family is beyond proud of Jill for her well-deserved win at this year’s AG Cup competition. Jill has tremendous skill as an orator and writer, and this win is a testament to that fact. Dr. Galvin Deleon Guerrero and I had a phenomenal time working with Jill as both of her coaches in preparing her for this competition. We spent numerous hours workshopping her delivery and ensuring that Jill’s speech thoroughly addressed questions presented in this year’s topic. Jill was juggling practicing for this speech with studying and taking her AP exams, so the pressure was definitely on,” he said.

“Moreover, as many in the community know, Mount Carmel School has a strong legacy in regard to winning the AG Cup. …Jill joins a rich history of AlumKnights who have taken their speaking prowess beyond the competition to excel academically in higher education and to occupy leading roles in business, government, and beyond,” Zeno added.