Coming Full Circle: Najma Ali Joins the SVUDL Team

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.  

“Some of my best memories at SVUDL were going to the Santa Clara University tournament and competing outside of the league for the first time. I vividly remember leaving my first debate round that day and rushing back to our team meeting area to debrief about how our first rounds went while everyone was eating a McDonald's breakfast. It was a wholesome, communal experience as our whole team was getting used to competing with non-Urban Debate League teams,” recalls Najma.

Others are more painful but bore fruit.  “My most challenging memory was the first time reading complete novels about critical theory. Today that wouldn't be a difficult thing to do, but, back then as a 16-year-old, who recently got introduced to debate - it was a bit of an overwhelming, but fruitful experience. I learned so much and was able to use a lot of what I researched for my debate evidence,” reflected Najma.

Involved in debate since her sophomore year in high school, Najma earned her Bachelors of Science in Human Biology and Society from UCLA last year.  She recognizes the importance of the skills she honed during SVUDL as critical to her college experience.

“I used the critical thinking, communication, and research skills I learned through debate throughout my time as an undergraduate. It helped me excel in class discussions, have the confidence to approach my professors and ask questions, and improve my writing because of my depth and understanding of how arguments should be made,” shared Najma.

She found that her Bachelors of Science in Human Biology and Society transfers quite well to her current role as Speech and Debate coach for students at Andrew Hill High School and Latino College Preparatory Academy.  Her degree allows her to take an interdisciplinary approach and look at biological issues with a more social lens. For example, a lot of her students were novices and the case that they were working with this past school year was about gene editing. She was able to use her background to explain how gene editing functions, talk about its limitations, and create a discussion on the ethical issues that arise with such innovation.

She firmly believes that debate is the segue where students are able to foster necessary conversations on issues that affect them. “For me personally, debate is one of the first spaces in that I had very clear discussions on race, class, gender, and other hierarchies that actually equipped me with the literature and context to understand a lot of these issues' origins and how they manifest in today's society,” said Najma.

As a Program Specialist, she wants to be able to develop different avenues for accessing these bright and untapped minds. She recognizes that a lot of students of urban debate leagues come from disadvantaged backgrounds where they don't have the resources or haven’t found an outlet for their academic curiosity. She feels that debate can be a space to foster the growth of young students who have such high potential, but need a helping hand to begin that critical engagement.

She recognizes that SVUDL has many roles in students’ lives – academic, social-emotional development, leadership, and mentoring. “In high school, I viewed SVUDL as a community and extended family. I made friends with a lot of other debaters in different high schools within our league, as well as finding mentorship within the women who were running the organization at the time,” she reflected.

During college, SVUDL was the catalyst of her professional network. The people within the organization, the lawyers that she met, and the peers that she debated with and against were the start of her network.

And now?  “As an employee, I have a greater appreciation for the organization because I see how intentional every step is for planning events, providing resources for students, and the prioritization of making sure that our actions are constantly meeting the mission and vision of SVUDL,” said Najma.

She knows that SVUDL skills carry through from their origins in debate to her current day responsibilities. “Organization of thoughts and the ability to dissect an argument are important skills that I've carried from my initial participation in SVUDL through to this day. I credit debate for my ability to break down an argument and be able to question its premise, identify underlying biases, and quickly form counterarguments,” described Najma.

She appreciates how she is now the person imparting them to others. “I find it very beautiful and rewarding at the same time. It is a privilege to assist young students to find their personal voice, learn how to publicly speak, and understand that there's nothing wrong with arguing. Argumentation is a verbal art form that can be used in every space and every career. I have so much love for debate and it makes me very excited to be able to teach other people about this exciting activity,” said Najma.