submitted by froehlic@augsburg.edu
The Minnesota Urban Debate League, a program of Augsburg University, announced its Volunteer of the Year awards last night.
We want to send our congratulations to Ingri Ramirez, who earned the overall Judge of the Year Award, and Liya Tesfaye, who earned the East African Debate Judge of the Year Award!
Our Volunteer Coordinator, Johan Fullard, said at the ceremony:
“East African Debate is one of our most fun programs because the kids are so competitive and ready to compete. We need judges who can explain their decisions well and help them improve through l feedback. Liya writes great ballots and she’s helped us across multiple programs, not just East African Debate. She’s always there with a smile to support the kids!”
Ingri was chosen as the Judge of the Year because she completed a significant number of hours across the entire debate seaon, working with both middle schoolers and high schoolers and English and Spanish debates. She also recruited a significant number of judges through her network of friends and colleagues. That’s one of the most helpful things you can do for our work as a volunteer.
Thanks so much to these Auggies for showing up for our students!
They didn’t just help kids improve their public speaking skills. Competing in debate helps students become engaged learners, critical thinkers, and active global citizens who are effective advocates for themselves and their communities.
Inspired to join them? Fill out our interest form: https://forms.gle/zKLV6uNwN5BUN2Mv6