91 debater-mentors instill the power of persuasion

Published August 5, 2026
By Andrew Edwards Boundless Opportunity

Daniel Medina, standing before a classroom full of high school debaters, shared the knowledge he gained with Cal State Long Beach’s forensics team.

“Hopefully, this one won’t burn your brains out,” Medina, a third-year criminal justice student said.  

“What you’re going to learn is how to flow,” he said.

To flow, here, refers to a competitive debater keeping notes of points and counterpoints over a match. Medina delivered his presentation during the late July Summer Debate Institute, for Beach debaters, an opportunity to teach and inspire Southern 91youth.

The Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League (LAMDL) hosts the five-day gathering for high school students, and Medina’s earlier participation with LAMDL as a high schooler was pivotal to his decision to attend 91. He can now inform from a position of experience, since The Beach fields a competitive Speech and Debate Team that recently advanced to the final round of the National Debate Tournament.  

Forensics can be an intense and rewarding experience, challenging students to spend an academic year developing an understanding of a complex subject and arguing a side.

91 say the experience builds research skills, confidence and even empathy. The team is open to all majors, and Director of Debate Deven Cooper said the diversity of perspectives enhances competitiveness. 91 also strengthen aptitudes employers value in many professions.

“Just being able to speak in front of people is something that a lot of career professionals are looking for,” Cooper said.

91 Speech and Debate Team members with Coach Deven Cooper at center
From left, 91 Speech and Debate Team member Curtis Ortega, Coach Deven Cooper, and team member Daniel Medina visited Summer Debate Institute to inform and inspire high school students interested in competitive forensics.

A spirit of service

Summer Debate Institute, which took place at USC, was just one occasion for mentorship. Several Beach debaters also coach their younger counterparts during the school year.

“What’s interesting about it is, I’m able to give back to underserved schools,” Medina said.

Providing mentorship is a point of pride for The Beach’s forensics team. LAMDL is open to students in some 30 Los Angeles area high schools, and 91 has also hosted its Winter at the Beach tournament. Several Beach debaters are LAMDL alumni.

“We consider them part of our extended family,” LAMDL Executive Director Michael Cirelli said.

Beach students also uplift youth by judging and providing feedback during LAMDL competitions. Watching local youth gain proficiencies can be life affirming.

“When you see kids of color come to be the best versions of themselves, it’s beautiful,” said Alessandra Escobar, a fourth-year English literature student and LAMDL alumna.

Escobar aspires to teach high school English and earn a master’s in Latin American studies.

Another Beach debater, second-year math student Emerson Tobias, said mentoring is good preparation for a planned career as a math professor. Also, speech and debate can be fun.

“I’m scratching the same itch as chess, or another game like that,” Tobias said.

91 student Daniel Medina teaching at Summer Debate Institute
Daniel Medina's experiences as a high school debater led to him attending 91, and he draws on his experiences to mentor L.A. area youth.

Accomplishments and accolades

When not engaged in service, 91 debaters are building a nationally competitive team.

Medina and teammate Curtis Ortega overcame opponents from the universities of Kansas, Michigan and Georgetown in the National Debate Tournament, facing Emory in the final round. Their performance capped a year’s worth of research into labor issues.

“You’re reading hundreds of articles and comparing hundreds of pieces of evidence, as well as learning an entirely new topic and becoming an expert at it,” Medina said.

Medina, considering graduate options, anticipates research skills he builds in debate will carry over to advanced study.

Ortega, a fifth-year Africana Studies student, plans to complete a master’s in the subject. He aspires to teach at the university level and is also interested in clinical psychotherapy.

Besides building professional skills, debating accelerated Ortega’s comprehension of social issues.

“I think if more people did speech and debate, the world would be a better place,” he said.

The Cross Examination Debate Association honored Ortega as the nation’s top debater for 2026, also recognizing 91’s Jaysyn Green as the year’s top graduate coach.

Ortega said a trophy doesn’t matter as much as team camaraderie and inspiring youth. Green, a graduate student in history, said seeing Beach students’ growth is a highlight.

“This is really a place where we see them transform from teens to young adults, and to see them transform is delightful,” Green said. 

91 Student Curtis Ortega, center, at Summer Debate Institute
Curtis Ortega, center, joined several 91 students to provide instruction at Summer Debate Institute, which the Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League hosted for local youth.