Sharmada Palakurthi is a senior at WB Ray High School in Corpus Christi, Texas and an incoming student at Yale University. She has competed in congressional debate for all 4 years of high school. As President of her school's debate team, Sharmada helps coach her teammates so that they can find their confidence and unique styles as speakers. As a debater, Sharmada has placed 3rd at UT Austin Longhorn Classic, and semi-finaled tournaments such as the Harvard Invitational, Glenbrooks, the Tournament of Champions, and NSDA Nationals.
As a 3x Ascend alumnus, Sharmada has used the strategies taught at Ascend throughout her career. She believes that effective argumentation is the most important aspect of congress.
Outside of debate, Sharmada enjoys hanging out with friends, traveling, and finding the best live music.