Written by Sherry Lin

Hello everyone! I’m excited to announce the first feature in a new series spotlighting Potomac Debate Academy’s alumni and current coaches, which will explore how debate has shaped their journeys after high school. Today, we’re hearing from Leon Wang, who is a Varsity and Travel Tournament Coach here at PDA. He is currently pursuing a major in Human Science alongside a minor in Statistics at Georgetown University’s School of Health.

Leon’s debate journey started in the most middle-school way possible: on a bus! “There was this guy on the bus named Mahilan in 6th grade who did Potomac,” he recalls. “And I thought he was really cool.” Once he joined PDA, debate quickly became one of the activities he was most committed to. The constant need to think on your feet and engage with complex global issues kept him coming back year after year: “I stuck with debate because it was intellectually engaging,” he says.

But beyond the obvious skills—like argumentation and public speaking—Leon also shares that debate taught him lessons he didn’t expect. “Teamwork and communication” were two that he emphasizes, as he’s “had to deal with bad partners before.” Those experiences, even though frustrating at times, became opportunities to learn and develop. Public Forum debate is fundamentally a partnership activity, built on trust and teamwork. Learning how to communicate clearly and navigate disagreements teaches lessons that are applicable far beyond debate tournaments. For Leon, those moments strengthened his patience and emotional intelligence as much as his speaking skills.

Now studying human science and statistics, Leon still relies heavily on the habits debate taught him. “The critical thinking skills I developed really help me dissect scientific research and implications of public health policy,” he says. These skills continue to shape how he approaches both his academic studies and his real-world engagement.

In high school, Leon debated in Varsity Public Forum at Richard Montgomery High School in Maryland, accumulating 13 TOC bids and qualifying for the Tournament of Champions all four years. With such a decorated debate career, why come back to coach at PDA? “For me, it’s about giving back to the community,” Leon says simply. PDA was where he developed as both a competitor and a thinker, and coaching allows him to shape the same environment for the next generation.

But, the shift from competitor to coach hasn’t been effortless. “I miss debating,” he admits. “It hurts to watch rounds and watch my kids do the wrong things.” As a debater, he could control every argument he made, but as a coach, he had to step back, teaching him patience and perspective. Instead of focusing solely on winning, Leon now aims to help students understand how to recover from mistakes and learn from losses.

When asked what advice he would give to younger debaters, Leon says confidently: “Never give up. There were a lot of tournaments where I went 3-3 until senior year.”

Today, debate means something different to Leon than it did when he first joined. From competition to growing community, Leon’s journey reflects what makes debate—especially at PDA—so special.