“It has secretly been my biggest dream to be on the Australian Debating Team since I was in Year 10.” — Katherine Ye, Vice Captain

Over the Term break, Katherine travelled to Kenya to compete at the World Schools Debating Championships, representing the Australian Debating Team.

Read Katherine’s reflection on her amazing experience on the world stage.  

I started getting into debating when I tried out for the Victorian State Debating team in 2024 and didn’t make it pass stage 2. That rejection opened my eyes to the beautiful world of debating – one much bigger than I expected, full of fervour and wit and awesome people.  

Some things I have learnt is that there is a formula to debating, other states in Australia start debating as early as Year 5, and University debating is a huge activity. These things made me realise that there was a lot to work towards but would require immense dedication if I wanted to be good. I started dedicating much of my spare time to debating – practicing speeches in my room, reading the Economist, watching recordings on the Australian Debating Council’s YouTube channel.  

In Year 11, I became a reserve for the Victorian State Team. This year, after speaking at Nationals for the VST, I was selected to be one of five students on the Australian Debating Team, as the only Victorian, and the only girl. It felt incredibly satisfying to see my work pay off. It was also thrilling proof that I had the ability to achieve my heart’s desire, if I wanted it badly enough.  

I spent the last three weeks in Tanzania and Kenya at the World Schools Debating Championships, and they were some of the most amazing weeks of my life. I met people from all over the world – speaking different languages and with very different cultures – who are all united by a love of debating. It was crazy to see all the people, from 74 countries, who cared just as much as me about my favourite activity. I became close with friends who will undeniably be with me for the rest of my life, some in Brisbane and Sydney, and some in completely different countries.  

Australia placed 7th in the preliminary rounds but got knocked out in the double-Octo finals. Along the way, I completed over 20 debates in the last three weeks, and countless more when training for WSDC. My coaches were both people I have looked up to for a long time in the debating circuit (watching them on the ADC YouTube!), so I cannot put into words how surreal it was to have been coached by them.  

Debating is one of the things in the world I genuinely love, and I cannot recommend it enough to younger students. It is an all-encompassing, thrilling activity that works my brain more than any school subject.  

Katherine Ye
Vice Captain