Highly qualified, expert instructors

The Debate Intensive’s mentorship program allows every student to receive a chance to work one-on-one with an instructor of their choosing. Our staff are some of the most successful coaches in the nation, and our students can tell. Learn more about our staff below!

The Debate Intensive has a wonderful staff that is unrivaled in terms of knowledge, skill, passion, dedication, and an eagerness to teach.

— David Si, Debate Intensive ’17

Check back regularly for additions to the summer 2025 staff list!

Curriculum Director

David Dosch

David Dosch is the founder and director of The Debate Intensive. David is also the Director of Debate at Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles, California, where he has coached the team for over eight years. David’s students have won several major national tournaments, including: The Greenhill Fall Classic, The Loyola Invitational, The College Prep LD Invitational, The Presentation Voices Invitational, The Alta Silver and Black Invitational. David’s students have earned a cumulative total of over 50 bids to the Tournament of Champions. As a competitor, David qualified twice to the Tournament of Champions and was in late elimination rounds of many national tournaments.

Public Forum Curriculum Director

Sam Chen

Sam Chen is the founder of Libertas Debate Academy and Outreach Debate. He debated for the Boston Latin School, qualifying to the NSDAs, NCFLs, and TOCs where he broke into elimination rounds in Public Forum, Congressional Debate, Worlds Schools, and Policy Debate. He was the top speaker at the Milo Cup and received a Top 2 Speaker Award at the Sunvitational Tournament, as well as a 5th top speaker award at the Harvard Round Robin. Sam has cumulatively directed or taught at 10+ Public Forum debate programs where his students have gone on to receive numerous bids to the Gold TOC and championed the NCFL tournament. He is excited to both instruct and direct PF at TDI x Libertas!

Directors of Student Life

Mikendra McCoy

With over 25 years of coaching competitive Speech and Debate, Mikendra McCoy is a distinguished leader in the field of forensics, renowned for her unwavering dedication and exceptional coaching expertise. Throughout her career, Mikendra has consistently exemplified the qualities of a visionary mentor and leader, inspiring those around her with her passion and commitment.

Mikendra’s proven track record of success is evident in the achievements of her students, who have excelled in league tournaments, prestigious invitationals, and CHSSA State Championships.

While Mikendra McCoy takes great pride in her students’ successes, she is equally passionate about supporting and mentoring new coaches in the field. Her coaching expertise has played a pivotal role in the development of many individuals who now lead thriving forensics programs at both the high school and collegiate levels.

Beyond her coaching role, Mikendra McCoy’s influence extends widely across the forensics community. Her extensive experience includes past service on the NPDL Board, participation in NSDA committees, and contributions as a camp educator and facilitator. Currently, as President of the California High School Speech Association (CHSSA), Mikendra continues to demonstrate her unwavering commitment to both student welfare and the advancement of forensics education. In recognition of her exceptional contributions, Mikendra was inducted into the CHSSA Coaches’ Hall of Fame in 2017.

Nikki Aqui

Nicole Aqui is an activities director for an assisted living facility as well as a paraprofessional educator for middle schoolers in Lawrence, Kansas. She is also an assistant debate coach for Lawrence High School in Kansas. This will be Nikki’s fourth year working at TDI. In prior years, Nikki has worked with us as a residential assistant. She is looking forward to this summer!

Lincoln Douglas and Policy Staff

Jared Burke

Jared Burke is an assistant coach at Damien High School and at California State University, Fullerton, as a
debater at Cal State Fullerton he finished his career in quarters of the NDT and semifinals of CEDA. In
previous years he has coached CSUF to an NDT qualification, an LD debater to late elims of major
tournaments and doubles of the TOC, and Damien’s historic year of 5 teams to the TOC as well as to late
elim appearances of almost every major tournament.

Patrick Fox

Patrick Fox is the assistant debate coach at Dulles High School, and competed in policy debate for the University of Houston. Prior to his move to Dulles, Pat coached the first ever qualifiers to the TOC from the Houston Urban Debate League, and has coached numerous critical and policy teams to the Tournament of Champions. In LD, Patrick’s debaters have won the Glenbrooks, TFA State, Grapevine, Stanford, Valley, and reached late elimination rounds of the TOC, as well as deep runs and speaker awards at many other highly competitive national tournaments. As a debater, Patrick was in quarterfinals of CEDA Nationals and received numerous speaker awards and elim appearances at major tournaments. Pat has coached a wide variety of styles of debate, but when not cutting cards his academic research focuses on Marxism, Lacan, and cybernetics. This will be his second summer at TDI, and he’s very excited to be returning as part of the instructor staff!

Gordon Krauss

Gordon Krauss is the head coach of Lincoln-Douglas debate at Peninsula High School. As a debater, he competed in Lincoln-Douglas at Claremont High School, where he qualified to the Tournament of Champions his senior year. He reached late elimination rounds of several national tournaments including the Alta Silver and Black Invitational and the Peninsula Invitational. Gordon has been an instructor at TDI for the past two years and is looking forward to this summer!

Jonathan Meza

Jonathan Meza is an assistant debate coach at Harvard Westlake. Jonathan, with five years of coaching experience, has guided numerous debaters to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. Recognized for his dedication to giving back to his community, he received the 2021 Volunteer of the Year Award from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League. As a debater he competed a part of LAMDL for 3 years in high school as well as debating for Cal State Fullerton where he made it to elimination rounds at the Wake Forest “the Shirley” Tournament. Jonathan is looking forward to joining as an instructor this summer!

Adam Mimou

Adam Mimou is an assistant debate coach for DebateDrills Academy. As a debater, Adam competed for four years at Damien and Ayala High School, qualifying to the Tournament of Champions three times. He competed in Policy and Lincoln Douglas, winning or reaching the finals of the Harvard-Westlake Tournament, The Barkley Forum, Arizona State, College Prep, Loyola, Jack Howe, Meadows, and Damus invitationals. He reached the quarter or semifinals at the National Debate Coaches Association Championships, the Berkeley Invitational, the Mid America Cup, the Harvard-Westlake Round Robin, the Nano Nagle Tournament, the Grapevine Invitational, and the King Round Robin. Adam attended TDI as a student and is very excited to be joining as an instructor this summer!

Riley Rees

Riley Rees debated for Immaculate Heart High School for four years, and she was the captain of the team her senior year. She qualified for the Tournament of Champions both her junior and senior years. Riley was in late eliminations rounds of several major invitationals, including semifinals of The Longhorn Classic and the Jack Howe Invitational. She also received speaker awards at the Meadows Invitational, the Nano Nagle Classic, the Jack Howe Invitational, and the Damus Invitational. She attended TDI as a student and is super excited to return as an instructor!

Shaina Sanchez

Shaina Sanchez debated at Immaculate Heart High School for four years and was captain her senior year. As a debater, she has made it to elimination/bid rounds of Damus, Harvard Westlake, Peninsula, Loyola, Meadows, Berkeley, Heart of Texas, Greenhill, and NDCA. She has received speaker awards at Loyola and Meadows and has attended the Harvard Westlake RR. She is excited to return to TDI as an instructor this year!

Arnav Simha

Arnav debated at Archbishop Mitty High School, earning a total of 3 bids and reaching elimination rounds of numerous national circuit tournaments, including quarterfinals or above at the UNLV, Nano Nagle, and CPS tournaments. Arnav now continues to debate at the University of Michigan and looks forward to instructing at TDI this summer!

Callum Theiding

Callum Theiding is a rising junior at NYU, studying Biology with a focus on urban ecology. He was Policy debater at College Prep in high school and is currently active on the NYU CEDA squad. He has coached Policy, LD, and PF with the Collegiate School and is now working at the Brearley School.

Coralynn Yang

Coralynn Yang debated for Peninsula High School, where she won the California Berkeley Invitational twice, Meadows Invitational, Damus Hollywood Invitational and Southern Bell Forum and was the top speaker at the Tournament of Champions and Barkley Forum. She currently debates for Emory University, reaching elimination rounds and receiving speaker awards at several college tournaments. She’s excited to return as an instructor this summer!

Aaron Yi

Aaron debated for Peninsula High School for 4 years, during which he qualified to the Tournament of Champions twice. In addition, he championed or reached finals of the Arizona State Invitational, the Blake RR, and the La Costa Winter Classic. He was also in late elimination rounds of many major tournaments including the NDCA, Loyola, and the Meadows Invitational. Aaron attended and enjoyed TDI for 3 summers and he can’t wait to return as an instructor.

Sahngwie Yim

Sahngwie Yim debated at The Harker School for four years in LD. She qualified to the Tournament of Champions, receiving speaker awards and reaching elimination rounds at several national tournaments, including semifinals of Nano Nagle and ASU and quarterfinals of UKSO. She primarily ran policy arguments and occasionally read kritiks.

Public Forum Staff

Ishan Dubey

Ishan is a student at the University of Houston and previously competed in PF at Strake Jesuit, where he now coaches. As a debater, he earned 27 full bids, an all-time record. Ishan won or co-championed multiple national tournaments, including: Barkley Forum (2x), Durham (2x), Durham RR, Yale, Blue Key, UK, Mid America, Harvard RR, Bellaire, St. James, Katy Taylor, UH, UT, and even Holy Cross in LD. Ishan also finished 2nd at the Glenbrooks and Sunvitational. In the postseason, Ishan won TFA state twice, reached finals of the TOC, and placed 7th at NSDA nationals.

Samantha Gerber

Samantha Gerber debated for St. Luke’s School for four years, serving as team captain and competing in national circuit Public Forum. While she is well-versed in lay and technical debate, Samantha most enjoys progressive argumentation — particularly kritiks. During her debate career, Samantha reached late elimination rounds at various tournaments, earned many speaker awards, and qualified for Gold TOC in her sophomore, junior, and senior years, making it to finals in 2024. She’s excited to join TDI this summer!

Alexander Huang

Alex debated for four years at Durham Academy, winning multiple national championships, including the Tournament of Champions (Gold) and NCFL Grand Nationals, ranking #1 in PF nationally for the 2022-2023 season. Additionally, they were Yale champion, Glenbrooks champion, North Carolina State Champion in PF, and a three-time qualifier to the TOC and NSDA tournaments. Since graduating, Alex now attends Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, and coaches PF during the school year at American Heritage Palm Beach. They love teaching and are very excited to work with students this summer!

Jason Zhao

Jason competed in Public Forum debate for Strake Jesuit, where he served as a team captain. As a debater, he earned 20+ bids to the TOC, qualifying all four years, and was ranked as high as #1 in the nation. Jason won multiple national tournaments, including the TOC, Glenbrooks, Yale, Sunvite, Grapevine, Laird Lewis, UH, and the Harvard Round Robin. He also earned 1st speaker at Glenbrooks and Emory, 2nd speaker at Bronx, and 3rd speaker at UKSO (2x).

Faculty