The University of Oregon Debate Team is critical to attracting high-achieving students, equipping them with the tools to succeed, and fostering a sense of community that inspires them to give back.

Today, I serve as General Manager for DoorDash, overseeing our U.S. marketplace business for the West Coast. I am also a Harvard MBA (Class of 2021), a former Presidential Scholar, and a graduate of the Clark Honors College. The UO Debate Team played a defining role in that journey. In fact, it was the deciding factor in my choice to attend UO, as I wanted to continue speech and debate after high school.

My experience on the team not only shaped me personally but also motivated me to give back. For example, while at Deloitte Consulting, I helped create a direct recruiting pipeline from UO to Deloitte, enabling more graduates to launch successful careers. I firmly believe this instinct to invest in others came from the supportive, ambitious community I found in debate.

I attribute much of my accomplishments today to the Debate Team. It gave me critical reasoning, problem-solving, and communication skills that I use every day. More importantly, it provided the support system I didn’t otherwise have growing up. Forensics gave me both a family and a foundation — and without it, I would not be where I am today.

For me, the UO Debate Team is not just another program. It is deeply personal. It represents opportunity, growth, and community — the very things that make a university education transformative. Cutting it would take away one of the most powerful engines for student success that UO has to offer.