Written by Katherine Xue

As the school year begins again, so are classes and the debate season at Potomac Debate Academy! We hope that all students and parents are having a good start to the year, whether it’s competing at tournaments (shout out those who’ve done tournaments on the Septober topic already) or meeting their new classmates. 

One of our main goals at PDA is to create a thriving debate community—and we know that it takes more than just classes and tournaments. Our debaters are central, which means that many of them are involved in a variety of roles here! Some of our more experienced competitors in speech and debate have even taken on roles to help support your experiences with PDA in the form of Student Coaches, Team Captains, and Brand Ambassadors. Here’s a quick guide to the different leadership titles at PDA and how they’re serving our community. 

First off, we have our Student Coaches! This year, we welcomed four new faces — Katherine Xue, Sherry Lin, Aaron Tian, and Grace Li. All four of them are seasoned debaters in their senior year of high school (fun fact: they’ve all been with PDA since elementary or middle school!). The Student Coaches will be taking on teaching and mentorship responsibilities. You might have seen them around already; our Student Coaches have delivered webinars, led demo debates, welcomed students during in-person classes, and coached your classes and tournaments!

We also have our Team Captains, who offer support, feedback, and guidance to fellow student debaters through tournaments, mocks, workshops, and newsletters. This year, our High School Team Captains are Alisha D., Ekansh D., Shreya D., Anthony L., Zack L., Veer P., and Ethan C. Our Middle School Team Captains are Iris A. and Nina. Our captains are one of the core members of student leadership—while they come from different grades, schools, and even states, what unites them is their dedication to debate and the Potomac family. They are one of your most useful resources here—whether you’re a student nervous for your first tournament, or a parent looking for student mentors to support your child, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Team Captains for assistance! New captains are chosen at the end of every school year through an application process, so if you’re interested in this opportunity to mentor fellow students and support your teammates, keep it on your radar for the upcoming year! 

Finally, we have our Brand Ambassadors Kaitlyn O., Lebene W., Thandi D., Vika V., and Vivian C.! You might’ve seen their faces on our Instagram, Facebook, or Linkedin, where they celebrate the student experience at PDA. They have been hard at work capturing the memories and stories of debaters on our team, and are some of the most spirited debaters around. Our Brand Ambassador applications are open in the fall, so make sure to be on the lookout for that role, which is perfect for students who love storytelling, social media, and representing PDA!

Together, our Student Coaches, Team Captains, and Brand Ambassadors have been diligently working to create a strong support system and community for everyone here at PDA. Our student leadership opportunities aren’t just limited to these, though—there are plenty of other opportunities for you to get involved, whether it’s judging Potomac intramurals or being featured in our blogs! 

Here’s a final takeaway: Remember that the leadership journey doesn’t just start with an application. Many of our current coaches and captains started showing leadership within their class or tournament group. Even the smallest action, like helping a younger student find blocks to a common argument, is a sign of leadership. If that sounds like you, you’re on the right path. 

So, make sure to stick around and keep an eye on announcements from PDA. In our future blogs, we’ll be spotlighting these leaders and sharing their journeys with debate and leadership!

That’s all for this week—keep up the great work, and we’ll see you again soon!