Ashley Mack, Lyceum Director
As a high school competitor Ms. Mack was a finalist at Harvard, NCFL, and NFL. She was a three-time State Champion in interpretation events and Original Oratory. As a college competitor she was the 2007 AFA Informative Speaking National Champion, in addition to being a finalist in Prose Interpretation, Poetry Interpretation, Programmed Oral Interpretation, After Dinner Speaking, and Persuasive Speaking. Ms. Mack was a top 20 Individual sweepstakes winner 4 times.
Original Oratory students working with Ms. Mack have gone on to win national championships, including the 2005 NCFL National Champion and 2006 NCFL National Runner Up James McGraw, and the 2007 NFL and NCFL National Champion Anthony Francomacaro. Other notable past camp student successes include: Marie Agnello (2006 NFL National Finalist); Sarah Knapp (2006 Harvard and NCFL National Finalist); Lauren Jaffie (2007 NCFL National Finalist); and Dana Urban (2009 NCFL National Finalist). Within the last two years students coached by Ms. Mack have advanced to or won final rounds at Emory, ASU, St. Marks, Crestian, Blue Key, Wakeforest, Yale, University of Pennsylvania, Villiger, Glenbrooks, George Mason, Harvard, and Berkeley.
In addition to being the Director and Founder of the Lyceum, she is the former director of Oratory at the National Speakers’ Forum, she was the former Director of Oratory at the Florida Forensics Institute, and an instructor at the George Mason Institute of Forensics and the University of Texas Institute of Forensics. Ms. Mack has worked as a consultant with top programs such as Albuquerque Academy (NM), Lake Highland Preparatory (FL), Desert Vista High School (AZ), Sioux Falls Lincoln High School (SD), the University School (FL), Dobson High School (AZ), Mountain View High School (AZ), and Dowling Catholic (IA).
In conjunction with her work as an Original Oratory consultant, she is a full time instructor of public speaking and rhetoric at the University of Texas-Austin where she is pursuing her Ph.D in Rhetoric and Language.
Lydia Nelson, Lyceum Instructor
Lydia Nelson is the 2003 NFL National Champion in Original Oratory. While competing for Western Kentucky University at the collegiate level, Lydia was a five time World Champion, once in Parliamentary debate. Lydia was a 15 time national finalist in interpretation and public address events. She is the 2005 NFA National Champion in Informative Speaking, the 2006 NFA National Champion in Duo Interpretation, and the 2007 AFA-NIET Individual Sweepstakes Champion. Lydia has dual Bachelors degrees in Writing and History. She received her masters in Communication Studies at Arizona State University, and in the fall of 2010 will begin pursuing her Ph.D in Performance as Public Practice at the University of Texas at Austin. This is Lydia’s third year at the Lyceum!
Kelley Siart, Lyceum Instructor
Ms. Siart is a seasoned orator, and graduate of Desert Vista HS in AZ. She is a former student at The Lyceum, and in 2007 was crowned the Glenbrooks champion in Original Oratory, and Arizona 5A State Champion. Among other accolades (like being one of the most brilliant souls you will ever meet) she is an accomplished actress, and attends American University where she is studying politics and theatre. This will be Kelley’s fourth summer at the Lyceum!
Emily Schlichting, Lyceum Instructor
Emily Schlichting is a 2008 graduate of Millard North High School in Nebraska. In high school, Emily advanced to outrounds at Glenbrooks and Harvard in Original Oratory and Duo Interpretation. She was a 2008 Original Oratory semi-finalist at NFL. Emily was also a 2008 Nebraska Class A state champion in Duet Acting, and national finalist in the AirAmerica “Words That Shook The World” oratory contest. As a collegiate competitor, she was a 2009 AFA-NIET quarterfinalist in Duo Interpretation and Persuasive Speaking, and in 2010 she was a quarterfinalist in Prose and Persuasion. Emily is double majoring in Political Science and Communication at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and competing for their nationally ranked forensics team. This will be Emily’s second summer at the Lyceum!
Alphonce Mshomba, Lyceum Instructor
Alphonce Mshomba is a 2010 graduate of Holy Ghost Prep in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. He is a two-time Pennsylvania state champion in Persuasive Speaking (Original Oratory). He is also a two-time national runner up at the NCFL tournament and a two-time NFL national finalist in Original Oratory. (He placed 3rd and 4th in 2009 and 2010, respectively.) He will be attending the University of Richmond in the fall as a Richmond Scholar.
Chris Moncrief, Lyceum Instructor
Chris Moncrief is a 2010 graduate of Bronx Preparatory School in Bronx, NY. He was a 2008 and 2009 NFL National semi-finalist, as well as a 2010 NFL and NCFL National finalist in original oratory. This is his first year to join the staff at the Lyceum.
Allie Pridmore, Lyceum Instructor
Allie Pridmore is a 2010 graduate of Lake Highland Prep in Orlando, FL. She is a former student of The Lyceum and won 1st place at Glenbrooks, Emory, Wake Forest, and the Florida Blue Key during her senior year. Allie was the Captain of Debate and Speech during her senior year and Director of Oratory for her junior and senior year. She placed 7th at the 2010 NCFL tournament and in the top 30 at the 2010 NFL national tournament. She attends George Washington University where she is majoring in Economics and International Affairs.
