Ascend Student Council

Ashwin is a junior at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in Florida. Competing in Congressional Debate, he’s finaled the Florida Blue Key tournament, semi-finaled the Barkley Forum at Emory, Yale Invitational, and the Sunvitational (2x). In 2024, he was a part of the 2nd place team in World Schools Debate for the state of Florida. On the Ascend Student Council, Ashwin is excited to expand resources for tournament preparation and to ensure every competitor has a friend—no matter who they are or where they’re from on the circuit. Apart from debate, Ashwin takes lots of photos for his school’s newspaper, plays tennis, and is on a mission to find the best pizza in every city he visits.

Aurav Johri is a sophomore at Council Rock North High School in Pennsylvania. He started Congressional Debate this year, doing so he really enjoyed the idea of learning new things and perspectives of many different individuals and overall stepping out of his comfort zone. He hopes everyone can find a mutual feeling so they can truly enjoy debate as much as he has thus far. Outside of debate, he enjoys diving into sports (basketball & football) and listening to music (rap and indie). He’s excited to meet everyone and can’t wait for a great experience together!

Ellis is a junior at Stuyvesant High School in New York. He has been competing in Congressional Debate for the past year and a half, during which he has reached finals at both the Princeton and New York City Invitationals, earning third place at NYC, as well as semifinals at the NY State Championships twice. He also earned three bids to the Tournament of Champions this past season. When he’s not debating, he loves to read, hike, and canoe, though he usually gets lost at least once per trip. Ellis is super excited to help strengthen the debate community and expand access to free resources through the Ascend Student Council!

Hayley is a freshman at Los Osos High School in California. Despite still being in the early stages of her Congressional Debate career, she’s earned a couple of debate accomplishments like winning MS TOC, quarterfinals at Harvard, and qualifying in 3 events to the CHSSA state tournament and NSDA. Through the Ascend Student Council, she looks forward to fostering a stronger sense of community within the debate circuit and ensuring that everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources for success. But don’t worry—Hayley has a life outside of debate too. On weekends, you can find her making questionable financial decisions at the mall with friends, stuffing herself with new types of food, or spending hours swimming in the water. 

Inder Bura is a sophomore at James Logan High School in California. He is a Tournament of Champions Semifinalist in Congressional Debate. Through the Ascend Student Council, he is excited to help build a larger, more connected congressional debate community to make tournaments more fun and meaningful. Outside of debate, he enjoys playing video games, watching TV shows, and spending time with friends.

Jack is a rising senior at Flower Mound High School in Dallas, Texas. He is entering his third year in speech and debate and his second full year competing in Congressional Debate. Over the course of his competitive journey, Jack has made finals at TFA State, the UC Berkeley Invitational, the Longhorn Classic, and UIL 6A in Congressional Debate. As a member of the Ascend Student Council, he hopes to bridge gaps in diversity, promote transparency in circuit trends, support tournament preparation and competition, and connect with students across the country who share his passion for this activity. Outside of the chamber, Jack enjoys collecting rubber ducks for his Jeep, playing pickleball, and spending time with his cats.

Kary is a sophomore at James Logan High School in California. Competing in Congressional Debate, she has finaled at the California State Tournament as well as semi-finaled multiple tournaments like the Harvard Invitational, Glenbrooks, and MLK. Through the Ascend Student Council, she is excited to build a space where everyone feels welcomed, seen, and supported; a true community where every voice matters, not just in round, but in shaping how we grow and thrive together as debaters. Outside of debate, Kary enjoys traveling, hanging out with her dogs, and going out with her friends. 

Liam is a sophomore at Highland Park High School. Competing in Congressional Debate, he is most notably a 2024 Glenbrooks Finalist, 2025 TOC Semifinalist, and the 2025 Illinois State Champion. When he’s not debating, he’s probably skiing, swimming, watching football, or just chilling with friends. Liam is super excited to serve on the ASC, and hopes to make debate a better place by making sure everyone has an opportunity to succeed, no matter what they come from.

Sharmada is a junior at WB Ray High School in Texas. Competing in Congressional Debate, she has finaled at the Longhorn Classic, and semi-finaled tournaments such as Harvard, Glenbrooks, TOC, and NSDA. She is excited to use her role in the Ascend Student Council to increase access to debate resources for underserved communities, and help foster an environment where every debater feels safe and included. Outside of debate, Sharmada enjoys reading and spending time with friends and family.