‘Purpose, pride, and power’: Young leaders emerge at 2025 Northeast Great Debate

The 2025 edition of the Northeast Great Debate brought a select group of about 40 students from Guatemala and an assortment of East Coast states for a transformative experience that set them on the course for leadership. 

“These six days at Saint Francis University marked a powerful journey where voices found their strength, and confidence grew with every moment,” said Keysla Rodriguez, 2025 Northeast Great Debate Associate Education Director. “I witnessed the future take shape in real time, not in theory or someday, but in the voices of young people who rose with purpose, pride, and power.

“In every round, every conversation, every connection made, we were not just preparing leaders,” Rodriguez added. “We were experiencing leadership. Investing in youth is not about what comes next. It is about recognizing that their brilliance is already here.” 

“We have seen participants from all backgrounds and walks of life realize the foundation of their potential beyond academics, sports, and public speaking,” observed Steven Hernandez, 2025 Northeast Great Debate Education Director. 

“We saw participants lean on their intuition, their stories, and their hearts, participants who invested so much faith in one another, creating masterful conversations changing the traditional discourse from that of ‘Who has the better argument?” to ‘Who sees the strength of our community with a more impactful vision than anyone else?’”

One of the program’s head coaches, Ryan Cataldo, was impressed with the camaraderie displayed by students. 

“This year, I’ve seen some of the best collaboration between teams I’ve ever seen,” he noted. “I’ve seen students leave their rooms and say, ‘I loved your opening statement’ and ‘That was a very thoughtful question.’”

Mikayla Bellamy, from The Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, who won the Extemporaneous Speaking category, reported great growth in her time at the program. 

“I’ve learned a lot of valuable skills here, how to connect with others, how to communicate well, how to build my confidence with public speaking, and I also made a lot of really cool friends,” she said. “I learned how to become a better person and how to expand my vocabulary and my interests, as well as expand my knowledge of culture and traditions, and learn culture and traditions from other places, such as Guatemala.” 

Her mother, Larissa Bellamy, added, “This is the first time she’s ever participated in a debate program or anything similar to that. It’s also the first time that she’s ever spent time away from home. So I was very comfortable that she was that in great hands with NHI and on a very safe campus. And I’ve gotten a lot of pictures and a couple of messages home at night, just saying how wonderful the experience is. I was in tears watching some of the finalists — although I don’t know all the kids, you can hear and see the growth and the genuine experiences they’ve had.” 

Top Honors

Cross Examination

• 1st Place: Grant Millan, Rye Country Day School, Rye, New York
• 2nd Place: Cole Delfin, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, Bethesda, Maryland
• All-State: Deo Reyes, Xavier High School, New York, New York

Oratory

• 1st Place: Emma Wulff, Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, Newton, Massachusetts
• 2nd Place: Santiago Montenegro, Colegio El Valle de Occidente, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
• All-State: Jennifer Sanchez-Fonseca, Kennett High School, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Extemporaneous Speaking

• 1st Place: Mikayla Bellamy, The Agnes Irwin School, Rosemont, Pennsylvania
• 2nd Place: Mia Jancachagua, Washington Latin Public Charter School, Washington, D.C.
• All-State: Yanely Luis, Kennett High School, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Athenaeum

• 1st Place: Aubrey Gallman, The Agnes Irwin School, Rosemont, Pennsylvania; Angeliz Lopez, Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Sueleika Sabater, Jupiter Community High School, Jupiter, Florida
• 2nd Place: Jefferson Velasquez, Colegio Cientifico Tecnologico Einstein, San Antonio Suchitepequez, Guatemala; Emmanuel Ortiz, Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Alexander Robles, Boston College High School, Boston, Massachusetts
• 3rd Place: Evangelis De Jesus, Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Camila Ciprian, Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Jayden Torres, Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Special Awards

Hall of Fame Award

Jefferson Velasquez, Colegio Cientifico Tecnologico Einstein, San Antonio Suchitepequez, Guatemala

Dean Stephen Merritt Memorial Award

Omar Contreras, Kennett High School, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

The Northeast Great Debate is made possible in part by support from State Farm and the Bezos Family Foundation.