2024-2025
Having immigrated to the U.S. at nine, SVUDL student Vu Quang never felt that experiences like his were part of the history and curriculum taught in schools. This changed when he discovered critical literature in Policy Debate. “I have been inspired to delve deeper into the works of other activists and scholars to better understand the lived experience of myself and those around me. Studying Asian American Studies in college would not only allow me to further my interest and passion but also contribute to the growing body of counternarratives that were so empowering to me,” he said. Keep reading to learn how the thread of Policy Debate wove through all four years of Vu’s SVUDL experience and continues to empower him today as he heads to Stanford University this fall.
In a state as vast and competitive as California, where over 300 high schools participate in Speech and Debate through the California High School Speech Association (CHSSA), qualifying for the State Championship is no small feat. For Katelynn Nguyen, a junior at Silver Creek High School in San Jose, the journey to this elite tournament was more than just an individual milestone—it was a historic moment for her school and for the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League (SVUDL). Click here to learn more about Katelynn’s path to state champs.
Although talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. By providing access to new people and experiences, we give SVUDL students a chance to pursue goals and activities that have seemed out of reach to them in the past. Our Board of Directors plays a major role in helping students uncover the power of their voices. Rak Garg, the newest member of SVUDL’s Board of Directors, first met SVUDL co-founder Jennie Savage when he was in high school and she was coaching Speech and Debate. Learn more about Rak Garg’s career and his path to joining SVUDL’s Board of Directors here.
“I'm no longer afraid to make my voice heard, even when my opinions might be unpopular,” said SVUDL student Angelina Le. "I've become much more confident and willing to embrace challenges.” Keep reading to learn how Angelina joined debate as a freshman and found it transformative.
Every subject matter has the potential to be “debatified” – the process of infusing debate into a classroom by utilizing Debate Centered Instruction (DCI). One particularly compelling example can be found in SVUDL DCI Fellow Roberto Solis’s biology classroom. One lesson he implemented was a debate on the most important organelle in a cell. Students were assigned different organelles and had to argue why theirs was the most essential for life. They researched, wrote claims, and defended their positions while challenging others. This debate led to deep discussions about cell functions and interdependence, reinforcing their understanding of the topic in a way that traditional lectures do not. Read on to learn more about the intersection of biology and DCI.
What do The Alchemist, Lord of the Flies, and La La Land have to do with Debate Centered Instruction (DCI)? Each of these components were strategically woven into Evergreen Valley High School SVUDL DCI Fellow Kevin Tran’s classroom. Keep reading to learn the nexus between these elements and DCI and how the classroom transformed as a result.
From April 3rd-6th, students from Independence High School, Yerba Buena High School, Downtown College Prep El Primero, and Andrew Hill High School represented our league at the 2025 Urban Debate National Championship at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. With nine students competing across two divisions, our teams demonstrated incredible skill, teamwork, and resilience. The experience was not only competitive but also a celebration of growth and community—capped off with a fun visit to the World of Coca-Cola Museum! Read more about their experience here!
Latino College Prep’s SVUDL Fellow Andrew Garcia Chavez teaches social studies and uses Debate Centered Instruction (DCI) as a tool to engage his students. Learn how he is equipping students with new ways to find common ground - whether a classroom debate on if the American Revolution was virtuous or a Socratic seminar on Just Mercy, this teacher is bringing new excitement to his classroom through DCI.
What Summit Everest High School senior Cristel De La Cruz Bonilla values most about SVUDL is the access to opportunities she might not have otherwise encountered. "SVUDL brought out my courage. I had fooled myself into believing I never had any," she shares. "Though I was always interested in advocating for social justice, I didn't know where to start.” Click here to learn more about Cristel’s journey.
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has announced the selection of “Arctic” as the National High School Policy Debate Topic for the 2025-2026 academic year. Keep reading to learn about the process of selecting this topic and discover which topics were not selected for the upcoming debate year.
Dr. Ali has always had a passion for teaching. Even as a young student, he often helped classmates with mathematics and other subjects. “Teaching my friends helped me learn even more myself,” he says. Keep reading to learn about his lifelong love of teaching which led him to his current role as SVUDL’s Debate-Centered Instruction (DCI) Fellow at Andrew P. Hill High School in San Jose.
Discomfort is something many of us strive to avoid, but for Independence High School Senior Chloe Truong, it became a catalyst for growth. Through her involvement with SVUDL, Chloe learned to embrace discomfort in ways she never imagined possible. In this story, Chloe explains how “sitting with discomfort," paired with a newfound sense of audacity, helped her navigate imposter syndrome and the unique challenges she faced as a female debater. It was this audacity that allowed her to grow, thrive, and become the confident speaker she is today. In fact, Chloe was just named NAUDL’s 2025 Debater of the Year. Keep reading to learn more!
February brought with it a flurry of national tournaments! Last month, thirty-nine SVUDL students competed in at least one national competition, with almost half of those students competing at two or more tournaments over the course of the month. Click here to learn more about how SVUDL students navigated a month full of national tournaments.
During the recent Larry Itliong SVUDL Tournament, Senior Program Specialist Kwodwo Moore and longtime supporter and volunteer Annie Matheu held a fireside chat in front of nearly 100 SVUDL students. A former high school debater, Annie currently works at Google, after starting her career on Wall Street. Click here to learn more about their discussion, which included a conversation about different career options for Speech and Debate participants, including options beyond the legal field.
Recently, students from numerous SVUDL high schools convened with attorneys at the Perkins Coie Palo Alto office for an evening of contract negotiation, skill development—and some very good cake pops. Click here to learn more about this event, offered thanks to SVUDL’s amazing partners at Perkins Coie and Meta.
Daniel Garcia’s first language may be Spanish, but the experience of SVUDL has shaped his ability to communicate in profoundly powerful ways in multiple languages. Read about his SVUDL journey from the first day of signing up in high school right through to his appreciation of how Speech & Debate has shaped him as a human being, forging new opportunities and pathways for the future.
Students from the Bay Area Urban Debate League (BAUDL) and SVUDL debated at Laney College in Oakland at this year’s I RESOLVE event on the topic of AI’s impact on democracy and elections. Guest panelists Ryan Beiermeister, VP of Product Policy at OpenAI and Shannon Bond, a Correspondent at NPR, asked questions and framed a deep conversation on the benefits and risks of AI to society. Click here to learn more about the event.
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.
Keep reading to discover how.
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.
2022-2023
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!
High school senior Ryan Nguyen credits SVUDL with giving him the opportunity to learn that his voice is a platform. “The community of receptive coaches, staff members, volunteers, and fellow debaters fostered a space where I could speak without fear of being discriminated against or silenced,” he reflected. Keep reading to learn how Speech and Debate further developed his capacity for empathy and how it shaped his aspiration to become an educator.