Written by Katherine Xue

We’re here celebrating another member of our student leadership. Today, it’s Grace Li, one of our student coaches! Like many of our student coaches and captains, she’s been debating with Potomac since elementary school and started competing on the national circuit in seventh grade. She’s now a senior at Richard Montgomery High School, where she’s involved in activities like RM Mock Trial. 

Grace is able to showcase many of the skills she has gained through debating in mock trial as well. As an attorney this year, debate crossfires have prepared her to think on her feet as she proffers objections in the courtroom. She also attributes her ability to not let opponents phase her, stay calm under pressure, and teamwork to the activity. And beyond competitive activities like mock trial, debate has also influenced her academic interests. Through the years of debate research that she’s done while prepping for topics, she developed a care of current events and global issues that impact both her community and the world. As a student in RM’s IB diploma program, she chose a topic for her Extended Essay—a 4,000-word paper—based on a topic she’d learned while debating. 

Grace considers herself an extrovert, and explains that she “was very talkative as a child and had a passion for public speaking.” Once she joined debate, she also realized her passion for arguing (in a good way!). Throughout her years on the circuit and in Potomac classes, some of her funniest memories were the countless times she’s said “Thus we affirm” at the end of a speech, despite being on the negative side (and vice versa!). 

As Grace looks towards the future, she plans to continue debating in college, where she’s excited to learn new styles like Parliamentary debate. She also wants to pass on her knowledge to aspiring debaters, as she continues to coach with Potomac. Ultimately, she wants to pursue a career in law, a dream she’s had ever since elementary school. 

From debate classrooms to the courtroom, Grace is another example of how the skills built through speech and debate are applicable in so many other aspects of life. We’re grateful to have her as a part of our student leadership team and the Potomac community! That’s all for this week—stay tuned for more student leader features!