Monterrey and Guadalajara bringing teams to Texas-hosted Great Debates this summer

The National Hispanic Institute has a long tradition of students from Mexico participating in its programs, and their perspectives contribute to a vibrant experience. But by definition, one of NHI’s longest-running programs – the Texas Great Debate – has involved only Texas students from major metro areas, including Austin, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Houston, North Texas, the the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Brownsville (Tip of Texas). 

But in 2025, the Texas Great Debate will enter a new era, with a team from Monterrey representing at the Austin College-hosted competition in Sherman, Texas, held from June 5 to 8. Unique among NHI’s Great Debate programs, the four-day program engages NHI alumni to prepare ninth-grade students during the spring, leading up to a fast-paced tournament for the state championship title. 

Additionally, a team of students from Guadalajara will come to San Antonio for the Texas Ambassador Great Debate, a second four-day Great Debate hosted by St. Mary’s University from July 24 to 27. 

“We’re excited to bring these students from Monterrey and Guadalajara into Texas for the Four-Day,” said Nicole Nieto, NHI executive vice president. “Their inclusion will enable everyone involved, on both sides of the border, to learn from each other, grow, and take crucial steps toward developing into leaders.” 

The Great Debate, the first of NHI’s three summer leadership programs, focuses on public speaking and self-expression, with students competing in Oratory, Mock Trial, Cross Examination debate, and Extemporaneous speech and debate categories as pairs, individuals, and as a team. To prepare for the debates, NHI alumni prepare community-based rehearsals, activities, book groups, inquiry, story-telling, and introduce students to community leaders. This provides social development and helps students contextualize their ideas around community-centered themes.

Manuel Treviño, a high school junior taking the lead on recruitment and training for the Monterrey team as its head coach said he “fell in love” with NHI following his participation in the Colorado LDZ and Rocky Mountain CWS programs. 

For him, NHI offers something unique that he wants to bring other students in his city to experience. 

“We have a lot of experience with leadership and debate programs in Monterrey, but there isn’t a program like NHI’s that gets you out of your comfort zone, makes you build community. This sense of community was something that I felt was very much needed for my own classmates.

“When I went to the NHI programs and saw this sense of community and identifying how you can develop these leadership skills to then bring back to your community, that’s the thing that I thought was missing in Monterrey,” he added. “That’s what my goal is now, to bring this to Monterrey.” 

Paul Rosales, serving as project administrator for Monterrey, is also excited to bring NHI to Nuevo León’s largest city. 

“Anytime you get an opportunity to be in an NHI program, it’s great,” he said. “But now that it’s the first time this region represents itself at the Texas Great Debate, we have an opportunity to establish what we want the culture to be like, for us and for future generations who participate.” 

Ana Paula Rosales Visoso, head coach of the Guadalajara team, is similarly inspired to send an inaugural team to St. Mary’s University.

“Last summer, I started recruiting participants in Guadalajara to be able to live the NHI experience,” she said. “I fell in love with being part of the process of the participants finding their voice and growing in confidence, seeing realization on their faces, and knowing that they trust me enough to share their process of growth with me.

“This made me see the experience from a very different perspective,” she added. “I learned a lot from the participants and I loved the staff family we created, so much that I did not hesitate to recruit participants to be staff again, it was simply already on my agenda.” 

Both the Monterrey and Guadalajara teams are still early in their formation, with about 10 students committed to each, but with plans to expand their ranks in the coming weeks. 

“My experience with NHI has taught me to reflect, question, create my own informed opinions and share them without losing sight of the importance of listening to others’ opinions,” Rosales Visolo added. “I’ve discovered my individual power and potential while realizing how magical and unique it is to share our opinions as a family and community. I am very excited to invite participants to the Great Debate because I know that there will truly be a before and after in them.” 

For more information about the Texas 4-Day Great Debates, contact Isabella Sada, call 512-357-6137 or apply at www.nationalhispanicinstitute.org/txgd.

(Photo: Monterrey Head Coach Manuel Treviño, with Montse Cedillo and Isabella Guerrero at the 2024 Colorado LDZ — courtesy of Manuel Treviño)