This summer, three ASB grade 12 students, Rafa Horta, Alexis Magee, and Ayaan Taddese, represented Team Spain at the World Schools Debating Championship 2025 in Panama City.

The annual debate championship brought together delegations from across the globe, celebrating youth voices, ideas, and dialogue. Over eight preliminary rounds, Team Spain debated a wide range of complex topics, including:

• Whether Panama should replace the US dollar with its own currency,
• If European countries should gradually withdraw from NATO, and
• Whether sports leagues should fund loyalty bonuses for long-time athletes.

The team won two of their eight preliminary rounds, with strong victories against Argentina and Russia, and came close in several other debates. More importantly, they gained invaluable experience competing at the highest level of school debating, learning from peers and judges from around the world.

Alongside the debates, the team also experienced the vibrant cultural side of WSDC, enjoying events such as Culture Night, Break Night at the Panama Canal Authority, team dinners, and walks through Panama City’s historic Casco Viejo.

We are especially proud that this year’s Team Spain was coached by ASB alumni:

• Ana Rodriguez del Polo (Class of 2024), now studying Politics, Philosophy & Law at King’s College London
• Victoria Alvarez (Class of 2023), now studying Political Science & Statistics at Duke University.

Additional alumni mentors, Jake Anderson ‘20 (Stanford), Zachary Freer ‘23 (Brown), and Karolina Tudman ‘23 (Bristol), also supported the team virtually in preparation for the championship.

Congratulations to students and coaches for keeping the tradition of debate alive and thriving and representing Team Spain on the international stage! 

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