January 12, 2024 - This year’s Comal Shake Champion is Annie Conlan, a fifth-grade student from Goodwin Frazier Elementary School.
The self-proclaimed ‘talker’ participated in the competition last year but didn’t make it to the finals, and she skipped her class field trip to attend this year’s semifinal round.
The champion’s advice to anyone who has a difficult time starting a conversation or feels shy when talking to others, is to “ask the weirdest question ever and don’t be nervous.”
Two of her go-to questions are “what character would you want to be in any movie” and “what age would you want to be stuck in for the rest of your life.”
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Comal Shake competition which encourages elementary students to hone their interpersonal skills, specifically, starting conversations, showing confidence and shaking hands.
The Comal Shake competition begins at the campus level with every Comal ISD elementary campus selecting two representatives to compete in the semifinals. The top six out of the the 40 advance from the semifinals to the championship round.
The six finalists are given two minutes with each of the three judges to showcase their interpersonal skills.
This year’s judges for the championship round included Superintendent Dr. John E. Chapman III, Comal ISD Board of Trustees President Russ Garner and Carter Casteel, former president of the Comal ISD Board of Trustees, state representative and county judge.
Besides Conlan, finalists were Jake Thomas from Clear Spring Elementary, Quira Anders from Goodwin Frazier Elementary, Brandon Canales from Kinder Ranch Elementary, Kedzie Campbell from Freiheit Elementary and Julieta Chelius Jasso from Morningside Elementary.
Congratulations!
-Annie Conlan, a fifth-grade student from Goodwin Frazier Elementary, is this year’s Comal Shake champion.
-Pictured front row from left are the Comal Shake finalists including Jake Thomas, Quira Anders, champion Annie Conlan, Kedzie Campbell, Julieta Chelius Jasso and Brandon Canales. Pictured in the back from left are this year’s Comal Shake judges including Comal ISD Board of Trustees President Russ Garner, Superintendent John E. Chapman III and former president of the Comal ISD Board of Trustees Carter Casteel.