Storm Lake Junior Eden Estes Wins Prepared Speaking, Heads to Nationals

Eden Estes, a Storm Lake High School junior, won first place in Prepared Speaking at Iowa’s Career Development Conference and earned a trip to the national stage in Salt Lake City, Utah, later this month.

Her victory came in a field of more than 70 students and lifted her into a small group of Iowa qualifiers headed to the National Career Development Conference, scheduled for April 30 through May 2. The state competition was held March 26 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines and was sponsored by Sammons Financial Group.

Prepared Speaking is more than a classroom speech contest. Students build and deliver a structured presentation on a topic of their choosing, then answer judges’ questions on the spot, a test of organization, poise and professionalism that mirrors the demands of interviews, college presentations and workplace leadership.

The conference is part of Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates, a program that now operates 202 programs across the state and expects to serve more than 11,000 students in the 2025-2026 school year. iJAG says its work since 1999 has helped unlock the potential of more than 40,000 young people, and it reports that 77% of students pursue continued education or full-time work in their first year after high school.

For Storm Lake, Estes’ win is a visible sign that local schools are helping students compete well beyond Buena Vista County. It shows that Storm Lake High School is not just sending students into contests, but building the speaking, interviewing and presentation skills that can carry into scholarships, college admissions, FFA leadership, and future careers.

The national conference will bring together students from 31 other state affiliates, turning Estes’ win into a broader showcase for Iowa students and the career-development pipeline behind them. iJAG describes the national event as the pinnacle opportunity for students to demonstrate skills, explore careers and connect with employers.

That context matters in a place like Storm Lake, where one student’s advance can reflect the strength of an entire school culture. Estes’ trip to Salt Lake City gives Buena Vista County a local name to watch, and a reminder that career-ready education can produce statewide winners with national reach.