USA Debate
About USA Debate
Nine members of the National Speech & Debate Association have been selected to represent the prestigious 2017-2018 USA Debate Team after completing a rigorous application process.
“These students are some of the best debaters across our country,” said Executive Director J. Scott Wunn. “We’re excited to watch them embark on an educational experience of a lifetime!”
Throughout the school year, the team will compete in nearly a dozen competitions across the globe including New York, Germany, Croatia, California, Slovenia, Massachusetts, Texas, and Florida before heading to the World Championships in Croatia and Slovenia in July.
In addition, 12 underclassmen have been selected to the USA Debate Development Team. This group of students will train and practice with USA Debate coaches and alumni to learn more about World Schools Debate.
Since 2013, the National Speech & Debate Association has assumed responsibility for the USA Debate Team, choosing the best debaters in the country to represent the United States in international competition.
Team USA features a highly accomplished and dedicated coaching staff. These coaches have deep roots in the content and style of World Schools Debate and work with the team to acclimate the debaters to the event.
The mission of USA Debate is to join the global promotion of free and civil discourse, foster international cooperation and education, as well as demonstrate competitive excellence and national pride.
Questions about USA Debate? Please contact Steve Schappaugh at steve.schappaugh@speechanddebate.org.
2017-2018 National Team
Shreya Agarwala
Senior from Greenhill School in Texas
Shreya has been part of speech and debate since her freshman year, participating in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, and World Schools Debate. Last year, she was a part of the inaugural USA Development Team. Shreya was awarded first speaker at Holy Cross in World Schools Debate and won both Greenhill’s 2015 World Schools tournament and Harvard-Westlake’s 2016 event. She also reached semifinals in both the 2016 Holy Cross and the 2016 Greenhill Classic World School tournaments. In Lincoln-Douglas Debate, she qualified for Nationals her sophomore year and broke at multiple national tournaments. Outside of debate, Shreya is an active Girl Scout, enjoys playing the guitar, and has had her artwork shown in numerous exhibitions.
Shreyoshi Das
Senior from Flower Mound High School in Texas
Shreyoshi is co-captain of her school’s debate team and has been competing in speech and debate at the local, state, and national level since her freshman year. She has achieved success in a variety of public speaking events, including Original Oratory and Extemporaneous Speaking, as well as debate events, including Lincoln-Douglas Debate and World Schools Debate. Shreyoshi is a two-time qualifier to the Texas Forensic Association State Tournament in Lincoln-Douglas Debate and a two-time qualifier to NSDA Nationals in World Schools Debate, reaching octafinals at the 2016 National Tournament in Salt Lake City. As a junior, Shreyoshi was selected to the inaugural USA Debate Development Team and traveled to Minneapolis, New Orleans, and Dallas with her team to compete in World Schools Debate. She co-championed the World Schools division of the Blake tournament and received third place at the First NBC World Schools Invitational at the Holy Cross School in New Orleans. Outside of debate, Shreyoshi is a varsity member of her high school’s choir program and has performed in various regional choirs. She is also President of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta math honor society at Flower Mound High School.
Piper Doyle
Senior from Palisade High School in Colorado
Piper has been active in speech and debate for four years, competing in a variety of events including Public Forum Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking, and World Schools Debate. Last year, she was a member of the inaugural USA Development Team. She placed first in World Schools Debate at the Harvard-Westlake World Schools Debate Tournament and the Blake World Schools Tournament. She was a semifinalist at the Greenhill World Schools Tournament and the Holy Cross World Schools Tournament. Piper also qualified for the National Speech & Debate Tournament both her sophomore and junior years in World Schools Debate. When she is not competing, Piper leads Teen TBI, an organization for teens who have experienced concussions. She actively participates in community service and is an committed member of her school’s National Honor Society chapter. In her free time, Piper enjoys playing the piano, skiing, camping, and traveling with her family.
Emily Grantham
Junior from Kingwood High School in Texas
Emily has been active in speech and debate at Kingwood High School since her freshman year, primarily competing in Public Forum and Extemporaneous Speaking. As a sophomore, she was a member of the highest seeded female PF Team at TFA State with her partner Leila Saklou, ultimately finishing in ninth place. At the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year, Emily was accepted to the inaugural USA Development Team and competed across the nation in World Schools Debate, reaching elimination rounds at the Holy Cross School tournament and the Harvard World Schools tournament. Emily also co-championed the Blake World Schools Tournament. She competed at the EurOpen World Schools Tournament with her high school in Hamburg, Germany, and reached out-rounds. Additionally, she was a finalist in World Schools Debate at the 2017 NSDA Nationals, competing with her district team. Outside of speech and debate, Emily is a passionate advocate for women’s rights, and is the co-president of the Kingwood Chapter of Girls Learning International, an organization which aims to promote awareness and advocacy for gender equality. In her free time, Emily enjoys volunteering in her community and with her church to promote Hurricane Harvey relief.
Ranen Miao
Junior from Millburn High School in New Jersey
Ranen has been competing in speech and debate since his freshman year of high school, primarily in Congressional Debate, and is the captain for the Congressional Debate program at his school. Some of his competitive accomplishments include placing third at the NSDA tournament in World Schools, placing fourth at NCFL Grand Nationals, placing third at New Jersey states as a freshman, and placing ninth at the Princeton Invitational, among others. Outside of debate, Ranen is an officer of his school’s Key Club, Peer Leaders Program, Student Government, and Make-A-Wish Club, along with writing for his school newspaper, The Miller, and founding his school’s branch of the Young Democrats of America. Ranen is passionate about politics and philanthropy, and in his free time enjoys watching Ted Talks, volunteering for local charities, and catching up with current events. He is excited to be working with the USA Debate Team this year!
Ella Michaels
Senior from North Hollywood High School in California
Ella is a returning member of Team USA, and has been active in speech and debate since her freshman year, primarily competing in Congressional Debate. She is a California State Champion, NSDA National Finalist (House), and broke to semifinals at the Tournament of Champions when she attended the tournament her freshman and sophomore years. She has also placed in the top seven at Berkeley, Stanford, La Costa Canyon, Jack Howe, and others. As a member of the USA National Team, she took second at the Harvard Worlds tournament and the Winter Holidays Open in Croatia, and championed Holy Cross and Harvard-Westlake. Most recently, she placed third at the World Championship in Bali, Indonesia where she was also among the top 15 speakers. In addition to being captain of her school’s debate team, she is a founding member of her school’s Model United Nations team and interns with California State Senator Robert Hertzberg during the summer. She is an editor of the Annual (yearbook) and of a student-run blog called Vector, and interns for Rostrum, the magazine of the National Speech & Debate Association.
Nikhil Ramaswamy
Senior from Plano West Senior High School in Texas
Nikhil joined the USA Debate Team in 2015 as a sophomore. He has competed in speech and debate since middle school, currently focusing on Congressional Debate and Extemporaneous Speaking. Notable achievements include being a two-time national finalist in Extemporaneous Speaking and qualifying four times to the NSDA National Tournament. He placed third in International Extemporaneous Speaking at NSDA Nationals in 2017, first at the George Mason Korea International English Speech Competition in Seoul in 2016, third at the World Schools Winter Holidays Open in Croatia in 2016, First Place Sweepstakes at the 2017 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions, fifth at the 2017 Tournament of Champions, and runner-up in Congressional Debate and Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking at the 2017 Texas state tournament. He has consistently ranked among the top 20 extemporaneous speakers in the nation, and is the top extemporaneous speaker in Texas. In addition to coaching middle school students in debate, Nik has been a youth instructor in Tae Kwon Do, where he achieved recognition as a black belt. He is a volunteer and student advisor to the Plano Youth Leadership Board of Directors, where he helps organize youth leadership seminars for high school students in his community, and has coached robotics to prepare students for the First Lego League robotics competition. In his free time, Nikhil enjoys designing his own Lego buildings, playing piano, and solving escape rooms.
Leila Saklou
Junior from Kingwood High School in Texas
Leila has been an active member in speech and debate since her freshman year and was a member of the 2016-2017 USA Development Team. She competes in Public Forum, Extemporaneous Speaking, and World Schools Debate. As a sophomore, Leila and her partner placed ninth in Public Forum at the Texas State Tournament. In World Schools Debate, she competed at the EurOpen international tournament, where her team placed ninth overall. Domestically, she has placed at numerous tournaments including the First NBC World Schools Invitational, the Blake tournament, and the Harvard World Schools invitational. Last year, she qualified for the 2017 NSDA National Tournament in Worlds Schools and placed second in the nation. Outside of debate, Leila competes in Texas State French Symposium competition in Dramatic Interpretation where she placed among the top five in Texas. She also is Co-President of her school’s Girl’s Learning International Chapter and Equality Club, which aims to promote advocacy for women’s rights and gender equality. She is also an officer for her school’s French Club. In her free time, she fundraises for the Global Soap Project to donate soaps to families in developing countries and raise awareness for preventable diseases.
Brian Zhou
Junior from Greenhill School in Texas
Brian has achieved national success in both Lincoln-Douglas Debate and World Schools Debate. He recently placed 1st speaker in the Lincoln-Douglas division at the 2017 Grapevine Classic, championed the Woodward Academy 2nd Year National Championships, and reached quarterfinals of the NDCA National Championship his sophomore year. In World Schools Debate, Brian and his team broke to doubles at NSDA Nationals, placing 16th overall in a pool of competitors from all 50 states, the U.S. territories, and other countries. Additionally, Brian has coached the Greenhill middle school debate team and judged at local tournaments. Outside of debate, Brian has been actively involved in Student Council for three consecutive years, and is currently Class President. In the National Junior Classical League, Brian has also placed second from among 2,000 students at the National Convention and serves as treasurer to Greenhill’s JCL chapter. In addition, Brian has played piano for more than a decade and is internationally certified, hosting monthly volunteer concerts for senior citizens.
2017-2018 Development Team
Updated photos and bios coming soon!
Leadership Team
Aaron Timmons
Head Coach from Greenhill School in Addison, Texas
Aaron Timmons is the Director of Debate at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas. He is a lifelong educator and in 2000 was named one of the “top debate coaches of the 20th century” by the National Speech & Debate Association. Aaron has coached multiple state and national champions in both Lincoln-Douglas and Policy Debate, in addition to a National Public Policy Forum Champion. Aaron is one of three coaches with champions in Lincoln-Douglas and Policy Debate and is the only coach in history to have multiple winners in each event. He has taught and/or directed debate workshops and trainings at Harvard University, Stanford University, Northwestern University, and the University of North Texas, among others. Aaron is also the co-founder of the Global Debate Symposium, held at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. He is a member of the National Speech & Debate Association Hall of Fame, Tournament of Champions, and the Texas Forensic Association.
Cynthia Timmons
Team Manager and Coach from Greenhill School in Addison, Texas
Cynthia Timmons lives in Dallas, Texas, and has been involved in debate for more than 40 years. Retired from 30 years in public schools where she coached dozens of national and state champions while winning numerous coaching awards, she has also served the speech and debate community in national and state leadership positions, in professional development training, and in summer institute work. In addition to coaching, Cindi is also the Team Manager. She is a member of the National Speech & Debate Association Hall of Fame as well as the Texas Forensic Association Hall of Fame. She is actively engaged in promoting the cause of women in debate and teacher professional development. Internationally, Cindi is an elected board member of WSDC, Ltd. and a two-term member of the WSDC Tournament Executive Committee. She has also served the international community on the Motions Committee for 2015. Having previously hosted three National Speech & Debate Tournaments in Dallas, she is preparing to host the best of the United States again in 2019. In her spare time, she loves reading and writing. Most importantly, she is a wife and the mother of two.
Dr. Sandra J. Berkowitz
Assistant Coach from The Blake School in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sandy Berkowitz is an Assistant Debate Coach at The Blake School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has also been a college professor of Communication Studies, where her research interests include the connections between debate and critical thinking, gender and social practices, and critical cultural discourses. Sandy has coached for more than 30 years and is a recipient of the 2015 Minnesota Coach of the Year Award. She has coached at both the high school and college levels and has had award-winning students in Public Forum, Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, and Congressional Debate, as well as Oratory, Extemporaneous Speaking, Informative, and Rhetorical Criticism. Sandy has taught and/or directed at several summer workshops including those at Harvard, Dartmouth, the University of Southern California, and Wayne State University.
Shane Stafford
Assistant Coach from The Blake School in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Shane Stafford is the Director of Debate at The Blake School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has coached for more than 30 years in all debate and speech events with multiple national and state champions and finalists in Public Forum, Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, and Congressional Debate as well as Oratory and Extemporaneous Speaking. Shane is the recipient of many awards, including the 2015 Minnesota Coach of the Year. Shane has coached at both the high school and university levels of competitive debate. He has taught and/or directed at several summer workshops, including those at Harvard, Dartmouth, Georgetown, and the University of Southern California.
In Memoriam
Dr. Alfred “Tuna” Snider
Former Coach from the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont
Dr. Snider was the Edwin W. Lawrence Professor of Forensics at the University of Vermont. He had degrees from Brown University, Emerson College, and the University of Kansas. He taught courses in debate, argumentation, persuasion, and rhetorical analysis. He was the Director of the World Debate Institute and the Lawrence Debate Union. Dr. Snider conducted formal debate training in more than 40 countries and trained debaters from more than 55 nations. Dr. Snider published six books on debating in the last seven years and during his career edited or wrote more than 50 volumes about debating and for debaters.
Thank You!
Throughout the school year, Harvard-Westlake School (CA), The Blake School (MN), Greenhill School (TX), and Holy Cross School (LA) provide invaluable training opportunities for the USA Debate Team. Thank you for your support!
More Information
2017-2018 Tentative Calendar – National Team
September 2017
- 13-17 – Greenhill – Dallas, Texas (mandatory training)
October 2017
- 27-29 – Cornell University – Ithaca, New York
November 2017
- 9-15 – EurOpen – Stuttgart, Germany
- 24-26 – Turkey Training – TBD
December 2017
- 14-17 – Winter Holiday Open – Zagreb, Croatia
January 2018
- 11-16 – Harvard-Westlake/Reagan Library – Los Angeles, California (mandatory training)
February 2018
- Event TBD
March 2018
- 8-10 – International WS Tournament – Ljutomer, Slovenia
- 23-25 – Harvard WS Tournament – Cambridge, Massachusetts
April 2018
- 11-15 – Bluebonnet WS Debate Tournament – Houston, Texas
June 2018
- 16-22 – NSDA Nationals – Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (compete for school if qualified or enter WS division; demo round on June 17 and awards on June 22)
July 2018
- 3-7 – Mandatory Training for the final five – Colorado College – Colorado Springs, Colorado
- 13-27 – WSDC 2018 – Croatia/Slovenia
2016-2017 Tournaments
September 28 to October 2 – training and tournament at Holy Cross School in New Orleans, Louisiana
November 2-9 – EurOpen in Hamburg, Germany
November 26-27 – Turkey Training in Houston, Texas
December 14-19 – Winter Holiday Open in Zagreb, Croatia
January 12-15 – training and tournament at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, California
January 16 – Public Debate on Education and Civil Rights at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, California
January 17 – Public Debate on Education and Civil Rights at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California
February 9-11 – sparring with international teams in Dallas, Texas
February 21-27 – International Round Robin in Singapore
March 23-27 – Harvard WS Tournament, Cambridge, Massachusetts
June 17-25 – competition and training at the NSDA National Speech & Debate Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama
July 9-14 – WSDC practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado
July 27 to August 11 – World Schools Debate Championship in Bali, Indonesia
2014-2015 Highlights
For the latest updates, follow #usadebate on Twitter.
2016-2017
Holy Cross School (New Orleans, Louisiana) – USA Debate closed out the final round of the tournament and placed 1st through 5th. Nikhil Ramaswamy, Nika Gottlieb, and Ellie Grossman closed out the final round with Josh May, Colette Faulkner, and Ella Michaels. Development team member Shreya Agarwala was top speaker.
EurOpen (Hamburg, Germany) – The team of Aditya Dhar, Colette Faulkner, Ellie Grossman, Sarah Lanier, and Ella Michaels reached quarterfinals (top eight). Gaurav Gawankar was 3rd place speaker and Sarah Lanier was 7th place speaker.
Winter Holiday Open (Zagreb, Croatia) – The team of Aditya Dhar, Josh May, Ella Michaels, and Liz Yount placed 2nd at the largest tournament in Europe, losing by a close 4-3 decision in finals. Colette Faulkner, Gaurav Gawankar, Sarah Lanier, and Nikhil Ramaswamy placed 3rd on a 3-2 decision. Speaker awards were won by Colette Faulkner (2nd), Liz Yount (3rd), Nikhil Ramaswamy (13th), Sarah Lanier (15th), and Ella Michaels (16th).
Harvard-Westlake (Los Angeles, California) – USA Debate teams placed 1st through 4th. Those included eight members of the national team and three members of our development team (Piper Doyle, Shreya Agarwala, and Jordan Hershman) who were undefeated at the event. Liz Yount was 1st place speaker, Ella Michaels was 2nd place speaker, and Ellie Grossman was 3rd place speaker.
Public Debates about education and civil rights were held at Harvard-Westlake School and at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and featured eight of the national team members.
2015-2016
2014-2015
- USA Debate Team Closes Out World Schools Debate Tournament in Slovenia (March 30, 2015)
- Members of USA Debate Selected to Compete in World Schools Debating Championships (March 27, 2015)
- Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, California/Minneapolis, Minnesota (January 12, 2015)
2013-2014
The USA Debate Team represents the diversity of our nation. The National Speech & Debate Association wants to ensure all students have full access to the opportunities available as they compete for USA Debate, without being limited by individual economic circumstances. Thanks to a variety of supporters like you, the students on the team are given the educational experience of the lifetime. Your tax-deductible gift allows the U.S. to continue to showcase the best and brightest young people to the rest of the world.
If you or your company would like more information about becoming an official sponsor of USA Debate, please contact us.
Sponsorship levels include:
- Competition supplies and materials for one debater
- Training sessions with the USA Debate coaches
- International competition for one student on the team
- World Championship for one student on the team
- International competition for entire USA Debate Team
- World Championship season for entire USA Debate Team
Join the USA Debate Team
Applications for the current school year are now closed. Check back this spring for more details!
Application Schedule for 2017-2018 (revised):
Stage One – April 4 through June 1: First wave of applications (includes signature sheet and video task)
Stage Two – June 29: Semifinalists notified (new video task assigned and due back by July 9 at 11:59 p.m. CT)
Stage Three – July 24: Finalists notified (interviews for finalists to occur August 15, 16, 17, 21, and 22)
Important Application Reminders
USA Debate Signature Sheet
Before beginning the online application process, students should download the two-page form called “USA Debate Signature Sheet.” You must complete and sign this form in addition to collecting signatures from your Parent/Guardian, Coach/Advisor, and Principal/Administrator. Once you have gathered all signatures, please UPLOAD it on the last screen of the online application form.
Stage One: Video Task
Students should also prepare an 8-minute speech responding to the motion, “This House would institute a robot tax.” The student can be Side Government OR Side Opposition. It should be the first speech for either side. You will be asked to copy/paste the unlisted YouTube video URL during the online application process.
Stage Two: Video Task
Students should submit a 4-minute video of a Reply speech (choose Prop or Opp) on the motion: “This House supports restrictions on free speech to combat the rise of right-wing populism.”
Students should brainstorm the arguments that would be run on each side before preparing the Reply speech of their choice. At the beginning of the video, you have one minute to state your name, the side you are defending, the motion, and a BRIEF listing of the arguments run on each side before proceeding to your Reply.
Click here for helpful tips about creating an unlisted YouTube video.
USA Debate Alumni
USA Debate Alumni – Class of 2017
Aditya Dhar
Harvard University
Aditya was the captain of Congressional Debate at Harker, placing second and receiving the Stennis Center Leadership Bowl in Senate at the 2017 NSDA Nationals. Aditya competed at the 2017 WSDC in Bali, Indonesia, where Team USA made it to the semifinals. Aditya is currently a freshman concentrating in applied math with a specialization in economics at Harvard University.
Colette Faulkner
Pepperdine University
Colette served as captain of the 2017 WSDC Team USA in Bali where the team reached semifinals. She is currently majoring in International Studies with an emphasis in Political studies at Pepperdine University. Colette will also be debating for the school’s team and plans to volunteer with the Los Angeles Urban Debate League.
Gaurav Gawankar
George Washington University
Gaurav debated for Kingwood High School in Houston, Texas, and was a member of the USA Debate Team in 2016-2017. He is now a freshman at the George Washington University double majoring in economics and political science.
Ellie Grossman
Yale University
Ellie Grossman debated for the Blake School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for four years in Public Forum, achieving domestic success from championing the Glenbrooks to making finals at the Tournament of Champions. Ellie was a member of Team USA her senior year when the team made it to semifinals of WSDC. This year, Ellie is excited to start her future at Yale and can’t wait to see what Team USA continues to achieve!
Sarah Lanier
Baylor University
Sarah is a current student at Baylor University. She will graduate in 2021 and is currently majoring in International Studies with a minor in Spanish. Sarah still stays involved in the debate community by coaching students in Extemporaneous Speaking and judging at various tournaments in the Texas area. She competed for Team USA in WSDC 2017 Bali.
Joshua May
Daniels College of Business – University of Denver
Josh debated with Team USA from 2015-2017 and represented Team USA at the 2016 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. He continues his debate career as a freshman majoring in Finance at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business.
Liz Yount
Elliott School of International Affairs – The George Washington University
In addition to being a two-year member of USA Debate, Liz was captain of Harvard-Westlake School’s World Schools Debate Team. Winning both international and domestic competitions, she has debated across the world in Germany, Croatia, Singapore, Canada, and Slovenia. She won first place at Croatia’s National Open in 2015, and reached finals again in 2016. Domestically, she was second speaker at the Harvard University’s World School Invitational in 2016. Liz has also contributed political commentary articles published in The Guardian and The Hollywood Reporter, along with regular columns in the NSDA’s Rostrum magazine. She is currently attending The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs as a Presidential Scholar.
USA Debate Alumni – Class of 2016
Milan Amritraj
University of Southern California
Milan was captain of the 2016 WSDC Team USA and is currently a freshman majoring in Business Administration at USC’s Marshall School of Business.
Nikolas Angelopoulos
Stanford University
Anastasios Nikolas Angelopoulos, Team USA 2012-2016, was the valedictorian and president of Polytechnic School and two-time HSPDP national champion. He competed in WSDC Thailand and WSDC Singapore, where Team USA placed tenth. Outside of debate, Nikolas is pursuing a license for his instrument pickup patent (#8993868), writing a musical, and working on the Argus retinal implant. He is now a sophomore at Stanford University pursuing a B.S. in Biological and Electrical Engineering and his M.S. in Computer Science.
Sonya Huang
Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania
Sonya debated for all four years of high school and was the vice president of Leland High School’s program in California. She placed second at the 2015 NSDA Nationals in Lincoln-Douglas Debate and fourteenth in 2016. Sonya was one of the final five selected to represent Team USA at the 2016 WSDC in Stuttgart, Germany. She currently attends the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where she is a data analyst for The Daily Pennsylvanian and novice trainer for Penn Debate Society.
Julia Lauer
Harvard University
Julia is concentrating in government, with a focus in international affairs and security. She competes on Harvard’s Parliamentary Debate Team and consults for the Harvard College Consulting Group. Over the summer, she coached Congressional Debate for the Champion Briefs Institute and the Institute for Speech and Debate, and will continue to privately coach middle school Parliamentary and Public Forum Debate.
Amit Kukreja
Rutgers Business School
Amit currently attends Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, majoring in finance. Amit coaches Lincoln-Douglas Debate at Success Academy in New York. Outside of debate, he is a member of the investment bankers association at Rutgers.
USA Debate Alumni – Class of 2015
Sara Evall
Duke University
Sara is a Program II major in Refugee and Migrant Studies. Outside of her time on the Duke Debate Team, she works as a student researcher in the Kenan Institute for Ethics and works closely with the refugee community in Durham. She recently conducted fieldwork in Amman, Jordan, on the refugee crisis, and will be traveling to Nepal, Jordan, and Chile to further her study of human rights this year.
Nicky Halterman
Oxford University
Nicky is studying Politics, Philosophy, and Economics and enjoys being a member of the crew team.
Jane Irons
Yale University
Jane is a junior at Yale University where she is majoring in Philosophy. She is a member of the Yale Debate Association and the Yale Model UN team, and is the COO of the political nonprofit The Millennial Institute.
Abigail Marone
The George Washington University
Abigail is a junior at The George Washington University majoring in Political Science and Communications. She serves as the Director of Political Affairs for the GW College Republicans and is a communications intern at Americans for Tax Reform.
Mitali Mathur
Georgetown University
Mitali attends Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She is majoring in International Economics, minoring in Mandarin Chinese, and receiving a certificate in International Development. She interns at the Institute of Development Impact.
Tiana Menon
Harvard University
Tiana is majoring in Economics and minoring in Government. She will compete as part of Harvard’s Debate Union and will coach at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Amelia Miller
Harvard University
Amelia is studying Social Studies with a minor in Computer Science. Amelia writes for the Harvard Crimson’s magazine and coaches debate through Harvard College Mentors for Urban Debate.
Jasper Primack
Boston University
Jasper is majoring in Political Science. He competes in American Parliamentary Debate and serves on the governing board of the American Parliamentary Debate Association. Outside of debate, Jasper is involved in research at BU and is training for the Boston Marathon.
SunHee Simon
Stanford University
SunHee is double majoring in Psychology and African & African American Studies. She will be coaching at James Logan High School in California and is involved in coaching schools in the Silicon Valley Urban Debate League. She currently debates for Stanford’s policy team and reached the semifinal round at CEDA in her freshman year of college (2016).
USA Debate Alumni – Class of 2014
Danny DeBois
Harvard University
Danny is a junior studying Social Studies at Harvard University. He competes in British Parliamentary Debate, where he has reached finals of both the North American Universities Debating Championship and the U.S. Universities Debating Championship, in addition to being a two-time outround participant at the World Universities Debating Championship. Outside of debate, he teaches Civics in Boston public schools and is a research assistant for a Harvard professor.
Daniel Garrison
Loyola University
Daniel Garrison is now a senior at Loyola University New Orleans. Majoring in Marketing, he hopes to immediately go into the corporate world and strike a path to the top. His plan is to later attempt to get his masters in International Trade and Economic Diplomacy at the Middlebury Institute in Monterey, California, and eventually shift into government policy. Back at home, Daniel is excited to start off his year working to effect change in the almost all-charter school district in New Orleans as a member of Students For Education Reform.
Shania Hunt
University of California, Los Angeles
Shania graduated in 2017 with a B.A. in Political Science with a focus on International Relations from UCLA. She coaches Harvard-Westlake School in MSPDA, LD, and WSDC and competed at the U.S. national collegiate tournament for UCLA in British Parliamentary Debate. With her eyes set on law school in 2018, during her gap year she will work on her news website startup and continue to coach/work in debate.
Lily Nellans
Western Kentucky University
Lily is studying Philosophy and International Conflict Studies at Western Kentucky University’s Honors College. She competes on WKU’s national championship forensic team and is involved in reproductive justice issues on campus. Outside of school, she has taught debate in Bosnia and conducted research throughout the Balkans.