Recently, SVUDL students had the opportunity during the Sojourner Truth Tournament to learn about the professional pathways they are being equipped to pursue by developing a variety of skills through Speech and Debate.  Eric Lin, a former high school Speech and Debate competitor, graciously offered to join students during lunch and share how his experience at tournaments connected to his college journey and career in law. As Senior Patent Counsel at Genentech, he works at the intersection of AI and biotechnology, and was well-suited to share his personal journey while also offering insights into the 2024-2025 Policy Debate topic, Intellectual Property.

Our Board of Directors plays a major role in helping students uncover the power of their voices.  Iris Chen, the newest member of SVUDL’s Board, brings a wealth of experience from her time at Airbnb and Google.  Iris has been a champion for diversity and inclusion initiatives at both Google and Airbnb and believes SVUDL’s mission and work can bring more diversity to the legal profession and give students lifelong communication and critical thinking skills needed to thrive in any profession.   Learn more about Iris Chen’s career path and passion for our mission here.

From its earliest days, HP has championed diversity. Today, as HP continues to innovate, it also continues to partner with SVUDL keeping that mission top of mind.

 Even the most seasoned media spokesperson is unnerved by being on live television, but one of the best ways to prepare must be by participating in Speech and Debate.  Take a moment to see SVUDL student Chloe Truong’s appearance on KRON-TV’s Live In The Bay.  You would never know it was her first time on television- let alone live TV!

Alessandra Cain made the shift from the legal field to teaching and now directs the Law Pathway program at Yerba Buena High School.  Read about her life story from working in her mother’s law office while in middle school to how she was inspired to obtain a law degree herself.  Her career reveals the many interesting parallels between the legal and teaching professions.

SVUDL students Vu Quang (Yerba Buena High) and Chloe Truong (Independence High) made history at this year's CNDI (Cal National Debate Institute) in Berkeley. Chloe, a novice in Policy debate, advanced to co-champion in the Varsity division and earned “First Speaker” and “MVP,” a first for a new Policy debater. Vu also shined as a semi-finalist in Varsity. Their achievements highlight the power of hard work and passion in debate.

What does it mean for an individual or corporation to “own” an idea? What is the difference between a copyright, a trademark, and a patent? And what are the real-world implications of intellectual property for debaters—aside from the fact that the national 2024-25 high school Policy debate topic is “Intellectual Property Rights”? SVUDL students had an opportunity to explore these questions and more during a recent trip to Cisco, alongside lawyers and staff from Desmarais LLP. Click here to learn more about the day.

You may remember Sofia Funk from her remarkable achievements as a SVUDL student in high school. She has continued to excel, attending and graduating from Brown University. As she begins her new role at SVUDL as Program Specialist, we checked in with her to learn more about this next chapter in her story.

On July 13, nine SVUDL students, alumni, and their families were honored by Intermedia Cloud Communications and the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team. They were able to watch a thrilling match between the Quakes and the Sporting Kansas City soccer club. Click here to learn more about this experience hosted by two of SVUDL's biggest champions!

“Mentorship means meeting a person where they are and fully understanding their diverse background, unique experiences, and goals in order to properly support their career path,” said Li Zhu, recipient of the Asian Leadership Award by the Profiles in Diversity Journal. A lifetime of mentoring by his debate coaches, Michaela and Seth Northrop, helped to shape his life from high school Policy debater to law firm Partner. Li himself is now inspiring the next generation of mentors. Keep reading here to learn about the tremendous impact of Li’s mentors and how their guidance transformed Li into the trial lawyer he is today.

SVUDL is proud to share that Cindy Chanay and Michelle Tiburcio-Garate will be joining SVUDL as NAUDL White & Case 2024 Fellows this summer.

Keep reading to learn more about this program and our new team members!

SVUDL is excited to announce the addition of Alison Elliott to the Board of Directors. Alison brings a wealth of diverse experiences, insights and perspectives to the board. Take a minute to read about her fascinating career and background here.

Continuing the momentum from last month’s Moot Court Showcase, SVUDL students exercised their voices by arguing the same pretrial motion in front of judges of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County and the Superior Court of San Mateo County - but this time from inside the courtroom!. Click here to hear some student reflections on this experience, including how a judge taught SVUDL student Chloe Truong to “remain authentically yourself while achieving success.”

“The first of September in 2020 marks a day I will forever be grateful for. Staring at my Zoom screen filled with minuscule faces, my nervousness left me gripping the edge of my seat. As a shy freshman, I blindly ventured on a journey I would soon grow to love. I even recall reciting my introduction over and over: ‘Hi! I’m Neha Parthasarathi and I joined Speech & Debate to learn how to argue,’ was my line,” said Neha.

Cindy Owyoung, Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at BILL, opened the exciting event by sharing how BILL has made a tremendous commitment to DEI across its more than 2000 employees in California, Texas, and Utah. She described how proud BILL is to partner with SVUDL on this event.

SVUDL enables students to uncover and hone the power of their voices so that they can confidently step into their full potential as professional and community leaders: Anderson Ortiz is an excellent example of this. Not only is he a senior at Oxford Day Academy in East Palo Alto, but he has earned a spot in the coveted Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula for the Youth of the Year finals, securing a spot in the nationals in Sacramento!

From the start, diversity has always been in HP’s source code —from hiring the first known Asian-American engineer in Silicon Valley history in 1946 to expanding the way the company hired by recruiting talent in the 1960’s. Every employee at every level plays a part at HP in weaving diversity, equity, and inclusion into the fabric of the company. HP’s Senior Legal Counsel Usha Narayanan is no exception. She currently works with HP worldwide legal volunteerism as a liaison with many different volunteer organizations.

The election is over! The National Policy Debate Topic election, that is – keep reading to find out how this topic won … and which topic came in as the runner up. You can also learn about how you can help our students prepare for a topic that is a natural fit for Silicon Valley.

With access to new opportunities through SVUDL, students open a world of possibility for themselves. By building essential skills, they're empowered to make an immediate impact in their own lives. Their involvement with SVUDL becomes a pivotal point, elevating the trajectory of their futures. SVUDL student Addis Arciniega is a prime example of this journey. Twice before at major inflection points in her life, we spoke with her. First, we connected during the pandemic to uncover how she found community in that period in history. Second, we chatted with her to drill down into how debate prepared her for change. Now, we check in with her as she continues to make an impact in the community as SVUDL’s new Program Coordinator and Coach. Addis is fulfilling this role while also a full time student at De Anza College.

This quote is from Savana Gonzalez, a senior at Latino College Preparatory Academy. In this article, she shares how SVUDL propelled her to speak up about issues so that young people's perspectives are also heard. Learn how she plans to carry the voice she has uncovered and honed into the future.

Nicholas Carrubba, a senior at Summit Everest High School in Redwood City, won the Impromptu Speech division this past Saturday at our annual Dolores Huerta Tournament. This is no small feat as Nicholas joined SVUDL in 2021.

I RESOLVE is a public debate presented by The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL) and the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League (SVUDL). This event brings together high school debaters, distinguished civic and community leaders, school leaders, and supporters of debate for a public debate series that showcases the power of debate for a public audience, exploring some of the most pressing issues in our society through the perspective, voice and values of the next generation of leaders — high school debaters.

As a Partner and trial lawyer at Robins Kaplan LLP, Li Zhu has spent more than a decade litigating bet-the-company cases for Fortune 500 companies, universities, and Silicon Valley startups. But his path to this prominent career role didn’t come easily. As a first-generation immigrant, he truly understands the obstacles that must be overcome. This is part of why he is also a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the legal profession.

By preparing diverse, skilled leaders right now, SVUDL is ensuring a future where broader perspectives are reflected and represented at the highest levels of government and industry. Because they’re equipped with empathy and understanding, those future leaders will be able to unite people from all sides with respectful discussion. Part of that organizational core effort includes the SVUDL Legal Advisory Committee, and we are excited to welcome our newest member, attorney Jennifer Kim, currently an Associate in the Litigation Department of Davis Polk & Wardwell, LLP.

“Even though I no longer debate, I find myself going back to my roots more often than not. As I wait for office hours at Stanford University, I still pace the halls listening to my favorite song. And just like in high school, I always push forward, holding my head high even when I am afraid. Despite the fear racing through me, I know that I am ready. I enter the room and sit down,” describes SVUDL alum and current Stanford University sophomore Kastella Nguyen during her speech at Words To The Wise 2023.

“One of my family’s favorite pastimes is to argue about current affairs and I always enjoyed it, especially when I won an argument. I joined my high school debate team because I thought it was a natural fit for me. I also knew at a young age that I wanted to be a lawyer and thought being on the debate team would help build the necessary skills. I discovered, however, that being on the debate team provided so much more than I could have imagined,” recalled Neysa Fligor, HP’s Division Counsel of Gaming, PC Consumer and Peripherals Business. “Debate allowed me to learn and converse about different topics, form deep friendships with my teammates and advisors, and think quickly on my feet.”

Words to the Wise 2023 is on the horizon, and this week we shine the spotlight on our generous Platinum sponsor, Intermedia Cloud Communications.

Summer for Teague Clark, a rising junior at Skidmore College, means a chance to explore and grow as SVUDL’s summer intern. Teague will be collaborating with Jenet (Net) Manuel, SVUDL’s Administrative and Operations Manager.

SVUDL alum Sofia Funk is a SVUDL Fellow this summer, working remotely in Providence, Rhode Island as she continues to take classes at Brown University. She has a fair amount of autonomy to decide her path as she tackles tasks and projects for the SVUDL team. Her main projects involve debate curriculum development for Teacher Coaches, researching and compiling topic and teaching resources, and compiling the SVUDL tournament calendar for next year.

Najma Ali, as SVUDL alum, and now coach for students at Andrew Hill and Latino College Preparatory Academy, and Roberto Cruz Leadership Academy for the 2022-23 school year, remembers well her own time as a SVUDL student. Some of these memories are fun and joyful.

Debate Centered Instruction engages students and teaches them to craft claims, evaluate evidence, and reflect on reasoning with greater rigor. On June 6-8, Dr. Burns and the Program team led a 3-day professional development (PD) seminar with 26 East Side Union High School District teachers from 14 different schools. The seminar, entitled Igniting Minds, Amplifying Voices: Harnessing the Power of Debate Centered Instruction, focused on integrating debate-inspired activities into every subject area and classroom.

SVUDL extends a hearty congratulations to Kwodwo Moore, Senior Program Specialist, on his award from Cal State East Bay and the Alumni Association as the recipient of the 40 Under 40 Award, Class of 2023.

Over the course of the past three months, SVUDL staff presented a series of three 80-minute professional development sessions to twenty Silver Creek teachers from every subject area - Math, Science, English, History, and even Physical Education! Topics covered included, “Increasing Student Engagement and Voice: A Debate-Centered Approach,” “Building Student Reasoning: A Debate-Centered Approach,” and “Speech and Debate-Centered Activities in STEM Classrooms.”

Bryson Santaguida grew up in El Paso, Texas, where he competed in Policy debate and Extemporaneous speaking at Irvin High School. “I also played sports, but was better at debate,” recalls Bryson.

SVUDL student and Summit Everest High School senior Julian “JJ” Christensen recently had his 15 minutes of fame. KRON’s Live! In the Bay is the Bay Area's newest lifestyle show, and features local news, people, and places. The show is designed for conversations about community impact and content as diverse as the Bay Area itself. KRON covers an area that spans 12 counties with a diverse population. This totals 1,000,000 Greater Bay Area households a week!

Before joining SVUDL, the issues that East Palo Alto’s Eastside College Preparatory School senior and SVUDL student Stephany Urbina-Diaz were curious about were limited to those that existed around her personal bubble of reality.

Eight SVUDL Students from 5 different schools had the opportunity to work with professionals from the Berkeley Law School’s Alumni Association in preparation for their mock Pre Trial motions in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties! The students worked in small groups with the Berkeley alums, including both lawyers and a judge, sharing their opening statements and fielding practice questions meant to help them focus their arguments and get into the mindset necessary to be at their best.

Jessica Lew-Munoz is in her fourth year as a high school math teacher at Downtown College Prep (DCP) El Primero High School in San Jose.

The North American Debate Circuit (NADC) is an online tournament circuit dedicated to creating a prestigious online community while removing financial and transportation barriers to accessibility. The NADC offers standardized, monthly tournaments to grow skills quickly and visibly and allows all entries to compete: school-affiliated, club-affiliated, and hybrid. Each tournament features a cash prize pool, as well as virtual badges for debaters’ profiles.

From April 15th-17th, top debaters across the country traveled to Lexington, Kentucky to compete to become the national victors of the annual Tournament of Champions (TOC). The TOC is the premier invitational debate championship in the United States.

Following the success of the I RESOLVE public debate this past fall, Newsweek and the NAUDL entered conversations about elevating the voices and perspectives of high school debaters – particularly those individuals that 22 urban debate leagues have the honor of working with every day. To that end, Newsweek will be launching a media hub in the coming weeks that will highlight the stories and voices of high school debaters across the country – and SVUDL is honored to be among those featured.

East Palo Alto’s Eastside College Preparatory School senior Jocelyn Guzman credits her experience in Speech and Debate with learning the importance of hearing both sides of a story and how to think critically about current issues that connect to our communities.

The Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara welcomed nearly 100 attendees to this year’s Young Women’s Power Lunch, hosting approximately 60 young women ranging from 8th grade through high school to meet with mentors comprised of female judicial officers, attorneys, elected officials, and local leaders. Providing a momentous end to Women’s History Month, the event hosted by the Court’s Community Outreach Committee aims to connect high school students with adult mentors by engaging in a two-way learning experience with mentors and students. Opportunities for small group discussion and networking activities took place over lunch, along with speakers who were thoughtfully invited to empower the youthful audience. Through uplifting exchanges, the event conveys to all participants that a collegial sisterhood has the ability to provide empowerment to those committed to supporting one another.

The Philhistorian Debating Society is one of the oldest associations dedicated to the promotion of Speech and Debate within the state of California. The Philhistorian has had massive impacts in shaping the debate landscape of California, and they have played a hand in founding both the Pacific Forensic League and the Northern California Forensic Association. On March 25th-26th, the Philhistorian Debating Society had graciously opened its doors to two SVUDL debaters at its annual High School Championship Tournament, waiving all judge and team fees in order to make their tournament more accessible to us.

With Rick Tinsley’s philanthropic work laser focused on education and advocacy, SVUDL was a natural next step for his community work. “SVUDL sits squarely at the intersection of these themes by offering compelling enrichment opportunities for underserved youth, as well as empowering them to find their voice and thereby be more effective advocates for themselves and their communities over the course of their lives,” said Rick.

March 18-19 was our annual Ryan Mills Memorial Invitational (named in honor of one of our most dedicated supporters and volunteers). Ryan Mills was a deeply influential coach and mentor to many of our team at SVUDL. Speaking words that resonate with each of us, Kwodwo Moore noted in a memorial note, “You made me feel like a peer when my experience within the debate community was so tiny compared to your own, and for that I deeply appreciate and respect you. You have had a real effect on me, and by extension the students that I taught/am teaching/will teach. I am better for knowing you. Thank you Mr. Mills. Thank you simply for being who you are.” Ryan continues to live as part of our community through the relationships he built and the spirit he embodied.

Independence High School student Nuha Khan first got involved with SVUDL after graduating from her previous debate academy. She was looking to start something of her own within her high school. She originally reached out to SVUDL to see if they could come in and coach what was then just a small club, but is now a team of 25 dedicated debaters. “Quickly this program became much more than that. It grew to be a family and a significant part of our school environment. It catered to not only the success of students, but creating a growing, educational community,” said Nuha.

Graham Haworth is a teacher at Independence High School in San Jose where he teaches English, AVID, and Journalism/Yearbook. He is also the Speech & Debate Co-Advisor. When he was a student in high school, he took a Speech class in high school where he learned the basics of Speech and Debate, but he was never on a Debate team.

The partnership with SVUDL aligns with Independence High School's mission organically as it is designed to meet students where they are currently and to give them every opportunity to learn and educate themselves about the world around them.

SVUDL has changed Julian “JJ” Christensen’s perspective on his life. “SVUDL has made me more confident as a person. The ability to go to tournaments and participate and compete has given me the confidence to actually follow through on something and finish something. I feel it’s the same sort of confidence that other more physical athletes get from other sports. The difference is that my sport is speaking,” shared JJ.

Yerba Buena High School student Maridel De Los Reyes holds many leadership roles at her school. Not only is she Debate Society Varsity Captain, but she is also Mock Trial President, Knitting Club Co-President, Rising Phoenix Lion Dance Club Co-President, and Filipino Student Union Co-President.

On Thursday, February 23, 2023, the Santa Clara County Superior Court Community Outreach Committee hosted the Superior Court’s third Color of Justice program. The Color of Justice Program is designed to promote diversity in the legal profession and in the justice system as a whole, and to provide students, who may or may not have previously envisioned a career in law, a greater understanding of the many pathways and opportunities available to them within the legal field.

Andrew Hill High School’s Social Justice and Advocacy class had the opportunity to learn about the struggle for voting rights in California and across the nation from both a renowned activist and a famous journalist during a 2.5 week unit co-taught by English teacher Damien Quach and SVUDL’s own Director of Programming, Dr. Robert Burns from October 22-November 9. Read more!