Hedin’s competitive spirit pushes Speaking Bearcats’ successful season

Hedin's competitive spirit pushes Speaking Bearcats' successful season

Andrew Hedin isn't shy about calling himself out as a perfectionist, and his success as a member of Northwest Missouri State University's Speaking Bearcats during the last year is evidence of his relentless work ethic.

Northwest's forensics team, the Speaking Bearcats, won big in February at the Missouri Association of Forensic Activities State Championship in St. Louis, with Hedin leading the way. Hedin, a second-year vocal music education major from Bellevue, Nebraska, was the tournament champion in After Dinner Speaking, Informative Speaking and Prose Interpretation. He also earned fourth-place finishes in Dramatic Interpretation and Program of Oral Interpretation.

That success earned Hedin the Nona Dailey Pentathlon Award as the state tournament's individual sweepstakes champion. As a team, the Speaking Bearcats received the Scott Jensen IE Sweepstakes President's Award as the tournament champion for small schools and the Quality Award, which is given to the tournament champion with the most points earned per entry.

A couple weeks later, at the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Forensic Association State Championship, Hedin was the runner-up in After Dinner Speaking, Program of Oral Interpretation and Prose Interpretation, outdoing students from larger schools such as the University of Oklahoma and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Hedin advanced to the final round of nearly every competition he entered during the 2025-26 season and, at the Pi Kappa Delta National Convention and Tournament in March in Springfield, Missouri, received the Rising Star Award, which is presented to no more than five first or second-year students.

Additionally, at the national tournament, Hedin received "excellent" ratings, which are given to the top 20 percent of competitors in their respective categories, in After Dinner Speaking, Informative Speaking and Prose Interpretation. He received "superior" ratings, which are given to the top 10 percent of competitors in Dramatic Interpretation and Program of Oral Interpretation.

"I think a lot of people have a lot of stuff to say, and I want to help use my platform to address those issues," Hedin said. "I really enjoy the activity and the platform that I am given to share these stories and perform."

Brian Swafford, a senior instructor of communication and the director of forensics at Northwest, calls Hedin a "crazy competitor, because he has this burning desire to be the best."

At the Missouri state championship, Hedin wrote his piece for Dramatic Interpretation the night before presenting it.

"I've always wanted to excel in everything I do," Hedin said. "So this gives me an opportunity each week to present my stories and messages and then be critiqued on them and see how I can always be evolving these speeches to envelop more people with this message. It's always good to be recognized for your hard work."

Although forensics was something he did as a high school student, Hedin didn't think he would participate in collegiate speech and debate when he arrived at Northwest in the fall of 2024. He was eager to participate in other activities on the campus.

But he overheard a conversation with Taylee Parmenter, who is now one of his Speaking Bearcats teammates, during Northwest's annual Advantage weekend fireworks show. As Parmenter expressed her excitement for participating in collegiate forensics, Hedin grew interested.

Parmenter has had success of her own by earning an "excellent" rating in Prose Interpretation at the national tournament this spring. Last year, she finished fifth in Dramatic Interpretation at the national tournament, in addition to advancing to the semifinal round of the prestigious Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship competition at the annual Region 5 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

"Of course, I butted myself in the conversation, and so then she's like, 'Oh, you should totally come to the meeting,'" Hedin said. "And so I did, and now we're here."

As a vocal music education major, Hedin also is active in the University Chorale, Concert Choir and Tower Choir, for which he is a section leader. Competing with the Speaking Bearcats, he says, offers him an alternate outlet to explore his creative side and performance skills.

"It definitely is a nice break sometimes to get away and use a different part of my performance abilities, but I think it complements really well in the shared experiences," Hedin said.

After completing his bachelor's degree at Northwest, Hedin wants to start his career as a classroom teacher and earn advanced degrees.

"I really always want to be continuing my education in some aspect, and I think that higher level is the goal that I want," Hedin said. "I want to inspire future generations."