Who is at the Helm?
We are excited to roll out the
Summer 2026 Helmsmen Camp coaches and staff!
Hudson
Winchel
Debate Camp
Coach
Hudson Winchel participated in Stoa speech and debate for five years, competing in 11 different events. In his final year, he qualified for Nationals in all seven speech categories and two debate formats, accumulating 113 qualifying checkmarks. Hudson won 25 tournaments in various events including Apologetics, Impromptu, Original Oratory, Persuasive, Parliamentary Debate, and Team Policy Debate, ultimately securing the title of 2023 NITOC Parliamentary Speaker champion. Ranked third nationally at the season's end, Hudson is committed to using his skills for God’s glory and aims to coach others to be proficient, honorable speakers who positively impact God’s Kingdom.
Caleb
Helsing
Speech Camp Coach
Caleb participated in Stoa from his eighth grade year until senior year of high school. During that time, he competed in Lincoln Douglas value debate, Parliamentary debate, Mars Hill Impromptu, Impromptu, Extemporaneous speaking, several platforms, and several interps. These competitions gave him a helpful background for coaching current Stoa students in a variety of events. Today, Caleb competes in forensics at Patrick Henry College, including Varsity Moot Court, IPDA, and Transatlantic Dialogues. These competitions have kept his rhetoric and knowledge of forensics fresh, and combined with his prior coaching experience with Helmsmen Speech and Debate camps equip him well to continue coaching in the future. Caleb is passionate about helping future generations reach their fullest potential in forensics, both competitively and by building character. He believes this activity, if done correctly, has few equals in building up a person in Christ, and he considers it his honor to assist this growth in whatever way he can.
Elise
Sprimont
Debate & Speech
Camp & Private Coach
Elise was blessed to compete in Stoa from 2014 - 2021. She continued debate into college where she consistently earned gold. She has been actively coaching every speech and debate event since 2019. Coach Elise helps students discern and focus on what they need to improve in their performance, knowledge, and skills in speech and debate. Her goal is to help students grow in their relationship with Christ and to elevate the quality of competition in Stoa.
DeEtte
Sprimont
Camp Director
& Coach
Coach Sprimont has been involved in Stoa since 2010. She coaches Voyagers speech and debate team and is administrative staff for all Helmsmen Institute camps. She coaches all levels of Lincoln Douglas and Parliamentary debate, and any speech event. Her approach to coaching is based on a growth mindset, and a recognition of the student's purpose and goals. She is picky about words. Coach Sprimont lives to serve, honor and glorify God.
Mary Hannah Runge
Debate Camp
Coach
Mary Hannah is a proud Stoa Alumni and Hillsdale College student. In her time at Stoa she was one of the top competitors in her region in Team Policy and Parliamentary Debate, as well as Extemporaneous Speech, as well as a NITOC competitor in all of her events. She uses the research and communication skills Stoa has taught her on a daily basis as she continues to pursue her studies, and through coaching hopes to pass on her knowledge as well as her love and appreciation for the Stoa community.
Katie
Davidson
Camp
Private Coach
Katie has been part of the Stoa community for five and a half years and couldn't be more grateful for her time in the organization. She's tried her hand at eight different events, including platforms, interps, wildcards, TP, and Parli, and has enjoyed helping to coach both speech and debate for her club. Regionally, she reached semifinals and finals in both speech and team policy debate. One of her proudest moments was placing 3rd nationally in Duo Interp at NITOC 2024. Stoa has taught Katie many lessons and fostered a community dear to her heart. Her main hope is to show the same care and love that Stoa showed her to future generations of speakers and debaters.
Special Lectures at our Speech & Debate Camps
Provided by Economic Thinking
Mr. Gregory Rehmke
Guest Speaker
The Helmsmen Institute is pleased to announce our guest speaker for our online camps: Mr. Gregory Rehmke. Mr. Rehmke has a degree in Economics from the University of Washington and has worked with the Reason Foundation, the Institute for Humane Studies, and the Foundation for Economic Education. Mr. Rehmke has published study guides and articles on each year’s debate topics on EconomicThinking.org and earlier in The Freeman, DailySpeculations.com, and the MasterResource blog. Mr. Rehmke is coauthor of the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Global Economics. Mr. Rehmke serves on the Mackinac Center Board of Scholars and is a speaker at Institute for Economic Studies-Europe seminars for college students and each year’s Summer University in Aix-en-Provence. Additionally, Mr. Rehmke serves on the board and works with American Logos, offering economic principles relevant to World Schools debate tournaments, held mostly in Europe.