West Campus Debaters Sofia Yee ’28 and Hadeeqah Khan ’28 prepare for a round at the NCFL National qualifying tournament.
At Sacramento’s West Campus High School, two students—Sofia and Hadeeqah—are proving that speech and debate is about so much more than arguments and awards. It’s about finding your voice, building confidence, and learning to face the world head-on.
For Hadeeqah, debate began as an afterschool club in seventh grade. “I was iffy about it at first,” she admits. “But I became really close with my teammates, and that motivated me to show up. Then I went to my first tournament, and it was like—this is really cool. I want to do this.”
Sofia’s path was similar. “I signed up for the elective in eighth grade because everyone always said I liked to argue,” she laughs. “But I was scared of tournaments. It wasn’t until I competed in a speech contest that I realized—this is actually fun. I can do this.”
Both students credit debate with transforming their confidence. “I used to hate public speaking,” Hadeeqah shares. “But now, even if I stutter or get nervous, I know to keep going. That mindset helped me not just in debate, but in school, too.”
Sofia agrees. “Debate taught me to trust myself. I’ve learned it’s okay to not have all the answers—as long as you sound like you do! That confidence helps me every day, whether I’m giving a class presentation or just speaking up.”
Their growth was on full display at this year’s prestigious Cal Berkeley Invitational, one of the largest debate tournaments on the West Coast. Sofia and Hadeeqah were seeded last going into elimination rounds—but what happened next surprised everyone, including themselves.
“We had to face the top-seeded team, and honestly, we didn’t think we had a shot,” Sofia says. “But we won. And then we won again. Suddenly, we were in the finals.”
The journey wasn’t just about the two of them. “Our whole team was behind us,” Hadeeqah recalls. “Coaches, novices, varsity debaters—everyone stayed up late researching, sending us files, helping us prep. It made me want to win for them.”
Sofia nods, “When you see your teammates working that hard to support you, it changes everything. You realize this is bigger than just one round or one win.”
That sense of community—students supporting each other, coaches stepping up, and peers pushing one another to succeed—is at the heart of the Sacramento Urban Debate League (SUDL). It’s also what makes your support so critical.
Your donations make moments like this possible. You help provide tournament access, coaching, transportation, and the resources these students need to compete with the best. You fuel their confidence, their education, and their dreams.
“This experience changed me,” Hadeeqah reflects. “It showed me I’m capable of way more than I thought.”
Sofia smiles, “And I’ll carry that with me—through school, college, and wherever I go next.”
Join us. Invest in these voices. Support Sacramento Urban Debate League today.
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