Fadhil Lawal

Ascend California Junior Instructor - Congressional Debate

Fadhil is an incoming freshman at Vanderbilt University and a current senior at Seven Lakes High School. He has been heavily involved in congressional debate since the 9th grade and has collected the equivalent of 13 TOC bids during his career. He currently serves as the President of the Seven Lakes Speech & Debate team and was the Captain of the Seven Lakes Congress squad from 2022 - 2023. He has qualified for the TFA State tournament every year since freshman year, the NSDA National tournament every year since sophomore year, and the TOC every year since junior year. His significant achievements include a championship title at the Tournament of Champions, TFA State tournament, the Barkley Forum, and the Glenbrooks, as well as a 3rd place finish at the Harvard Round Robin in 2024; championship titles at the Glenbrooks and the UIL State tournament, a 3rd place finish at the Tournament of Champions, a 2nd place finish at the UT Longhorn Classic, and a 5th place finish at the Barkley Forum in 2023; and a 6th place finish at Nationals in 2022. Fadhil is a strong believer in the importance of individuality in congressional debate and opposes the idea that certain "styles" of accomplished competitors can be copied. Instead he believes that everyone has their own innate style that they need to uncover and utilize to its full potential - do not aim to be like someone else, be yourself. As a coach Fadhil seeks to help students understand who they are as a public speaker and bolster their strengths while also developing their weaknesses with a focus on strong, convincing argumentation and impactful emotional appeals.