Our Team
Meet the enthusiastic team of youth behind the day to day operations of the organization
Rebecca Amisano | Head Coach and Founder
Since she first dragged her friends with her to debate club in grade nine, Rebecca has developed an immense passion for public speaking and debate. In high school, she travelled with her partner Gabrielle to tournaments all over North America, most notably becoming a senior finalist at Canadian Nationals in 2019 and a senior quarterfinalist at US Nationals in 2020. Her passion for debate led her to create DSDC in the summer of her grade nine year, in hopes of making debate a more accessible activity that all students can learn and benefit from. She believes that every student can benefit from the fundamental skills that debate teaches as it helps to cultivate personal growth and academic diversity. She is now a full-time student at the University of Sydney studying a dual degree in philosophy and law. In her spare time, Rebecca loves to cook, travel, and play with her cat.
| Tournament | Year | Team Result |
| Canadian National Debate Championships (Senior) | 2019 | Finalist |
| US National Debate Championships (Senior) | 2019 | Quarterfinalist |
| UBC Fall High School Tournament (Senior) | 2018 | Finalist |
| UBC Summer High School Tournament (Senior) | 2018 | Finalist |
| UBC Spring High School Tournament (Senior) | 2018 | Finalist |
| UBC Spring High School Tournament (Junior) | 2017 | Champion |
| Individual | Year | Ind. Result |
| UBC Summer High School Tournament (Senior) | 2019 | 3rd Place |
| UBC Spring High School Tournament (Senior) | 2019 | 6th Place |
| UBC Fall High School Tournament (Senior) | 2018 | 7th Place |
Gabrielle Wong | Coach
Gabrielle has over three years of experience debating in styles including World Schools, Canadian national Debate Format, British Parliamentary, and Public Forum. She has debated in the final rounds of multiple national tournaments and represented Canada on the national team in Grade 12. Debate has pushed her to be more confident and knowledgeable about the world around her, which has enhanced her academic and leadership capabilities. She hopes the skills she passes on to her students via coaching will provide similar skill sets and opportunities. Beyond debate, Gabrielle currently attends Simon Fraser University, pursuing a major in human geography, a minor in social data analytics, and a certificate in urban studies. She is also committed to running a small art-activism organization called Finding Present, volunteering for her local Big Brothers, Big Sisters, serving as an executive member of the West Coast Youth Music Society, and overrunning her work space with crocheted stuffed animals.
| Tournament | Year | Team Result |
| World Women’s Open | 2020 | Finalist |
| Fall Novice Open Western Championships (Senior) | 2020 | Champion |
| Canadian National Debate Championships (Senior) | 2019 | Finalist |
| US National Debate Championships (Senior Division) | 2019 | Quarterfinalist |
| UBC Fall High School Tournament (Senior) | 2018 | Finalist |
| UBC Summer High School Tournament (Senior) | 2018 | Finalist |
| UBC Spring High School Tournament (Senior) | 2018 | Finalist |
| Canadian British Parliamentary National Championships | 2020 | Finalist |
| Individual | Year | Ind. Result |
| Fall Open Western Championships (Novice) | 2020 | 1st Place |
| BC British Parliamentary Provincial Championships (Senior) | 2019 | 1st Place |
| Canadian British Parliamentary National Championships (Novice) | 2020 | 1st Place |
| SFU High School Debate Tournament (Senior) | 2018 | 1st Place |
| Public Speaking Provincials (Debate, Senior) | 2018 | 1st Place |
Anson Yu | Coach
Since accidentally falling in love with public speaking 7 years ago, Anson has been inseparable from it since. Throughout this time, she has debated in Canadian National Debate Format, British Parliamentary, World Schools, and Public Forum. Her love for public speaking also manifests itself in staff positions at Model United Nations conferences and business case competitions. Even after all this time, Anson continues to be inspired by the care, enthusiasm, and intelligence of the debaters around her – especially students. Currently, she is a Loran Scholar attending the University of Waterloo for Systems Design Engineering. Outside of debate, Anson can be found listening to stand up comedy, participating in film festivals, or coding away at her computer. In her community, Anson also led the team at Social Diversity for Children, a youth led non-profit organization for empowering children with disabilities.
| Tournament | Year | Team Result |
| US National Debate Championships (Senior Division) | 2019 | Quarterfinalist |
| UBC Fall High School Tournament (Senior) | 2018 | Champion |
| UBC Summer High School Tournament (Senior) | 2018 | Finalist |
| SFU Invitational Debate Tournament (Senior) | 2018 | Champion |
| LME Regional Tournament (Junior) | 2017 | Champion |
| Individual | Year | Ind. Result |
| Pacific Championships Tournament (Junior) | 2017 | 1st Place |
| World Speech Day (Open) | 2018 | Outstanding Speaker |
| Eric Hamber High School Tournamnet (Junior) | 2018 | 1st Place |
| LME Regional Tournament (Junior) | 2017 | 1st Place |
Rose Oh | Coach
Rose Oh is an ambitious IB Grade 12 student at RE Mountain Secondary and is ecstatic to serve as a coach for DSDC. She came from a heavily competitive environment of studying from South Korea in grade 6 and found herself in her first debate class the day of her arrival. She was extremely inspired from how debate allowed her to speak with logic and evidence and strategize to trap opponents and get the win. Since then, she has continued to appreciate the deep and rich discussion and the ability to persuade someone. Outside her debate life, Rose tries to survive in IB, blow whistles foul basketball players, preps for her next debate tournament, or records herself playing her violin repertoire only to delete the recording after hearing herself play the wrong notes.
| Tournament | Year | Result |
| Seattle Academy Invitational | 2019 | Co-champion |
| Tournament of Champions | 2019 | Gold Bid |
| Princeton University Invitational | 2019 | Semi-finalist |
| Lower Mainland South Regionals (Junior) | 2019 | Champion |
| Georgetown Public Forum | 2018 | 2nd Place |
| British Columbia Provincial Mock Trial | 2017 | Champion |
| Puget Sound University Public Forum | 2018 | Semifinalist |
| Individual | Year | Result |
| Lower Mainland South Regionals (Junior) | 2019 | 2nd Place |
| UC Berkeley Invitational High School Tournament | 2019 | 1st Place |
| Georgetown Public Forum | 2018 | 4th Place |
| Puget Sound University Oratory | 2017 | Champion |
| Sedro-Woolley High School Oratory | 2016 | Champion |
Kitty Liu | Coach
Kitty’s passion for debate and public speaking started after her friend enthusiastically encouraged her to join debate club in grade 9. Through her experiences in public speaking through the years, her love for it grew exponentially. Kitty has coached various forms of debate for two years and specializes in Canadian National Debate Format, British Parliamentary, as well as Public Forum. She has participated in numerous local, provincial, and international tournaments and won speaker awards at several. Kitty enjoys coaching others because she is ecstatic by the positive changes debate has brought to her life and wants others to experience the same. She has experience coaching debate at the South Surrey Youth Effective Speaking Club, as well as the C&C Learning Centre. Outside of debate, she attends UBC studying general sciences. Besides debate, Kitty is the founder of the West Coast Youth Music Society and mostly finds herself practicing piano for her next concert, and going swimming at 6 AM.
| Tournament | Year | Result |
| Lower Mainland South Regional Championships (Senior) | 2020 | Finalist |
| Lower Mainland East Regional Championships (Junior) | 2018 | 4th place |
| Individual | Year | Result |
| Lower Mainland East Regional Championships (Junior) | 2018 | 3rd place |
| Lower Mainland South Regional Championships (Senior) | 2019 | 7th place |
Nick Liu | Coach
Currently in his senior year at Fraser Heights Secondary, Nick Liu has been enthralled by the captivating world of debate all of his high school career. Throughout his time debating, he has debated in Canadian National Debate Format, British Parliamentary, World Schools and Public Forum. Nick has participated in tournaments at the local, provincial, national and even the international level. Having coached for two years, he truly enjoys allowing for new students the means to express their opinion. Outside of debate, Nick can be found participating in Model UN, volunteering around the community, and baking his next sweet creation.
| Tournament | Year | Result |
| Stanford Public Forum (JV) | 2019 | Finalist |
| Lower Mainland East Regional Championships (Senior) | 2020 | 2nd Place |
| UBC Spring High School Tournament (Senior) | 2019 | Semifinalist |
| Puget Sound Varsity Public Forum (Junior) | 2019 | Quarterfinalist |
| Individual | Year | Result |
| Lower Mainland East Regional Championships (Senior) | 2019 | 3rd Place |
| Lower Mainland East Regional Championships (Senior) | 2020 | 4th Place |
Anisha Biswas | Coach
Anisha was introduced to the world of debate in 9th grade when her friend strongly encouraged her to join. Captivated by the way debate explored a variety of perspectives on different issues, she began competing in as many tournaments as she could. She has debated in regional, provincial, and national tournaments in the styles Cross-Examination and Canadian National Debate Format. Anisha is also very passionate about spreading her love of debate to others and co-founded a club at a local elementary school to teach more children about critical thinking and persuasion through debate. This gave her a lot of coaching experience which she applies to teaching at DSDC. Debate has changed both her academic and social life immeasurably, and she believes everyone should get to experience the benefits of the activity. When she is not debating, Anisha is usually studying for IB, volunteering, and attempting to embroider.
| Tournament/Event | Year | Result |
| Law Foundation Cup Debate Provincials (Junior) | 2019 | Nationals Qualifier |
| Lower Mainland East Regional Championships (Junior) | 2020 | 2nd Place |
| Sir Winston Churchill Debate Invitational (Open) | 2020 | 9th Place |
| Lower Mainland East Regional Championships (Junior) | 2019 | 5th Place |
| Individual | Year | Result |
| Lower Mainland East Regional Championships (Junior) | 2019 | 11th Place |
Cheyenne Ding | Coach
Cheyenne first found her great interest in public speaking back in grade 9, where she unintentionally came across debate club and joined for a class-side round; ever since then, she has fallen more and more in love with the art of speaking. For the past two years, she has consistently found herself either judging rounds alongside Rebecca, or attending tournaments with her debate partner in both the Canadian National Debate Format and Cross-Examination Format. In hopes of improving her own skills in debate, she became a teacher’s assistant at DSDC in her tenth year of school. During her time as a teachers assistant, she has not only discovered more passion and knowledge in the area of public speaking, but has also grown closer to the enthusiastic learners and students around her. In her free time, you can often find Cheyenne engaging in deep conversations with her friends and family, hopping around from her dance studio to the community swimming pool, or even dabbling around her kitchen in attempts to cook and bake something edible.
| Tournament/Event | Year | Result |
| Lower Mainland South Regional Championships (Junior) | 2020 | 4th Place |
| Individual | Year | Result |
| Lower Mainland South Regional Championships (Junior) | 2020 | 5th Place |
Finn Liu | Coach
After ranking at the bottom of his first tournament, Finn was left with a weird sense of inspiration to keep debating until he sees progress. Since then, he’s competitively debated for a year and a half in multiple tournaments, and in styles including Canadian National Debate Format and British Parliamentary. Debating has led him to gain knowledge, confidence, and a love for speaking that he definitely wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. He believes that acquiring the ability of analytically expressing your own opinions and having the confidence to do so is something truly great to have. Outside of debate, Finn enjoys playing deafening sounds on their guitar and piano, tutoring, and making digital artwork (and occasionally going on Reddit to look at memes). He aims to continue bettering himself at debate, while also helping students to do so as well!
| Tournament/Event | Year | Result |
| Canadian National Cup (Junior) | 2021 | Quarterfinalist |
| BC Provincial Cup (Junior) | 2021 | Finalist |
| Lower Mainland East Regional Championships (Junior) | 2020 | 2nd Place |
| UBC Spring Elementary School Tournament (Open) | 2019 | Semi-Finalist |
| UBC Spring Elementary School Tournament (Open) | 2019 | 3rd Place |
| Burnaby Mountain Invitational (Junior) | 2019 | 4th Place |
| Lower Mainland East Regional Championships (Junior) | 2019 | 7th Place |
| Individual | Year | Result |
| BC Provincial Cup (Junior) | 2021 | 3rd Place |
| Lower Mainland East Regional Championships (Junior) | 2020 | 1st Place |
| UBC Spring High School Tournament (Junior) | 2020 | 4th Place |
| UBC Spring Elementary School Tournament (Open) | 2019 | 6th Place |
| Burnaby North Invitational (Junior) | 2019 | 5th Place |
Isabelle Han | Coach
Ever since reading about debate and speech clubs in miscellaneous magazine articles, Isabelle has become dazzled with the activity. She enjoys debate because it allows her to apply the ideas and information in her mind into a real-world setting, all in a thrilling and competitive environment. Throughout her 3 year debate journey, Isabelle has debated in both CNDF and Cross-Examination, as well as coached in a variety of contexts. She is thrilled to have the chance to share her love of debate with other people. Outside of debate, Isabelle can be found reading books by F. Scott Fitzgerald, trying to solve absurd math problems, or jamming to One Direction.
| Tournament/Event | Year | Result |
| Lower Mainland South Regionals Championships (Junior) | 2019 | 2nd Place |
| Lower Mainland South Regionals Championships (Junior) | 2020 | 2nd Place |
| R.E. Mountain Invitational (Novice) | 2018 | 2nd Place |
| Sir Winston Churchill Debate Invitational (Open) | 2020 | 9th Place |
| Individual | Year | Result |
| Lower Mainland South Regional Championships (Junior) | 2019 | 1st Place |
| Lower Mainland South Regional Championships (Junior) | 2020 | 2nd Place |
Meverest Lin | Coach
When Meverest first joined debate, she thought it was a little boring… but when she joined again in grade 9 she found this activity to be much more interesting and rewarding, and after nervously going to her first tournament she became intrigued by the skills and passions of debaters. Since then, she has enjoyed how research for topics has taught her knowledge she would otherwise never encounter, appreciated the more light-hearted speech events, and how debate allows her to argue with logic. That is why aside from debating Public Forum and the Canadian National Debate Format, Meverest found herself coaching at summer camps, becoming the President of her school’s debate club, and now teaching at DSDC. Outside of debate, she tries to get through IB, watch movies that make her cry, tape her thumbs before a volleyball game, and practice piano.
| Tournament/Event | Year | Result |
| Online Debate Covid Series for Public Forum | 2020 | 1st Place |
| BC Provincial Mock Trials (Senior) | 2019 | Semi-Finalist |
| Auburn Riverside Invitational Spontaneous Argumentation (Senior) | 2019 | Finalist |
| Monticello Invitational (Senior) | 2020 | Semi-Finalist |
| Individual | Year | Result |
| Kamiak Invitational Impromptu Speaking (Senior) | 2019 | 2nd Place |
Catherine Wong | Teaching Assistant
Catherine Wong is an incoming pre-ib grade 10 student at RE Mountain secondary school. Debating for three years, she has attended provincial and national debate and speech tournaments.
Debate and speech have been the main outlet Catherine has used to grow her confidence and persuasion- and she hopes to extend these benefits through coaching students at DSDC. Outside of debate, she often plays the piano or clarinet, creates art, and plays sports with her friends
| Individual | Year | Result |
| Vancouver Elementary Debate Tournament (Junior) | 2020 | 7th Place |
| Langley School Speech Festival (Junior) | 2015 | 3rd Place |
DSDC 