There volunteer opportunities available for North Atlanta High School students to earn the 75 hours required for graduation are bountiful. One option is through the Atlanta Urban Debate League (AUDL), which allows students to serve as debate judges for middle schoolers at Sutton Middle School’s 6th Grade Campus. With four rounds held over an eight-hour period from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., students leave with far more skills and experience than they initially anticipated.
Junior, Juana Han has been debating since seventh grade and has developed a strong interest in both competing and judging. She takes pride in judging debates four to six times each year. Because of her extensive experience, Juana is often assigned to judge junior varsity and varsity debaters. “I am in awe of seeing students at the level I once competed at grow and develop a curiosity for debate,” she said.
When junior Franklin Pickens found out about the opportunity to be a debate judge, he knew he couldn’t pass it up. While many people would not be excited to wake up early on a weekday, he was eager to try something new and get out of his comfort zone. Since he had worked on Sutton’s production of The Little Mermaid Jr., being around middle schoolers felt natural to him, and he enjoyed seeing how passionate they were about debate. “Being able to come back to my middle school and help out again was a pleasure,” he said.
Likewise, junior Julio Ayala enjoys volunteering at these events and makes an effort to attend as many as possible while balancing dual enrollment classes at Kennesaw State University (KSU) and AP courses at North Atlanta. Because the judging process is clearly explained through a training session before each event, he finds the role easy to navigate. More importantly, Julio values the opportunity to help students become confident public speakers and explore careers they are passionate about. “I enjoy being able to give meaningful feedback that helps students become well-rounded debaters,” he said.
AUDL is ready to welcome more students who are eager to make a difference. By stepping into the role of a debate judge, high school students can help younger debaters grow into confident leaders while discovering their own leadership potential along the way. Whether or not you have prior debate experience, getting involved with AUDL is a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful opportunities come from simply trying something new.
