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Sachin Jain
Executive Director and Founder
Sachin is the founder of Athens Debate. Sachin has 20 years of experience teaching Speech and Debate. His students have achieved champion-level success at the local, state, and national levels. He completed his undergraduate degree Summa Cum Laude from UC Berkeley and his Masters of Public Policy from the top ranked policy school in the country, UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy. Before starting Athens Debate, Sachin used his experience in Speech and Debate to find success in the real world. Sachin has worked in political and policy roles at the United States Senate, White House, San Jose City Council, the Governor of California, President of the UC System, and the Mayor of San Jose. He enjoys teaching students how to make debate come alive for them and be applicable to their future pursuits. Speech and debate changed his life and he hopes to do the same for all of his students.
Michael Epley
Vice President
Mike Epley is the Vice President of Athens Debate. He has a degree in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Rhetoric from University of San Francisco, where he captained the debate team. A successful collegiate debater, Mike is a multi-time regional, state, and national champion, and he was voted Northern California Forensics Association Debater of the Year in 2013. Mike has taught speech and debate for over a decade, and he’s been with Athens Debate since 2019. As an instructor, he brings energy, humor, and passion to the classroom. As an executive and administrator, Mike is steadfastly dedicated to student empowerment through the development of critical thinking, writing, communication, argumentation, and public speaking skills.
Anand Sundaram
Director, Tournaments and Supplementals
Anand comes to Athens from UCLA where he studied Applied Math. Anand's was a nationally renowned debater in high school, reaching semifinals at UC Berkeley twice, late elimination rounds at Stanford, and qualifying for the State Championships and the Tournament of Champions. Anand has several years of teaching experience and has coached at prestigious programs like the Monta Vista High School debate program.
Dr. Adam Tomasi
Associate Vice President & Advanced Debate Instructor
Adam earned his Bachelors in History and Communication from Wake Forest University and his PhD in World History at Northeastern University. Adams Tomsai was a high-school Lincoln-Douglas debater, He was a three-time elimination round participant at the Tournament of Champions (TOC). He reached the Quarterfinals of TOC his sophomore and senior years, and Octafinals his junior year. His senior year, Adam was the #1 seed at the TOC in 2015. Throughout his LD career, Adam was invited to multiple round robins at Harvard University, the Bronx High School of Science, West Des Moines Valley High School, and Presentation High School. Adam was a two-time Massachusetts State Debate Champion - his sophomore and senior years, and championed the Wake Forest invitational as well. Adam has displayed versatility in traditional LD, Policy arguments, Kritiks, and theory debate. As a college Policy debater, Adam reached elimination rounds at multiple national tournaments and was considered for a second-round bid to the National Debate Tournament (NDT) in my sophomore, junior, and senior years. His senior year, Adam and his partner were the Second Alternate team at the NDT. He was also a two-time ACC debate champion and three-time finalist.Adam has also been a briefs writer for Champion Briefs since 2015.
Graysen Stille
Instructor
Graysen is a graduate from University of San Francisco with his Bachelors in Philosophy focusing on Philosophy of Technology. He has been involved in Speech and Debate for the past 14 years as both competitor and coach. Throughout his career, Graysen has received various accolades from the Texas Forensics Association, CEDA, and had successful results debating with Athens Vice President, Mike Epley. As a coach, Graysen has brought teams to incredible highs on the collegiate and high school circuits including multiple national champions, TOC finalists and top speakers. His former students have gone on to compete for UC Berkeley, Harvard, and Georgetown to name a few. Graysen's teaching philosophy maintains student agency enabling their intellectual and academic fascinations to bring about competitive success.
Dr. Tim Elizondo
Instructor
Timothy joins Athens Debate after serving as the Director of Columbia College’s Speech and Debate Program, which he founded in 2005. Timothy holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Studies (with an emphasis on Rhetorical Criticism) from Arizona State University. He also earned his Doctorate from Bowling Green State University in the field of American Culture Studies. In addition to teaching at Athens Debate, Timothy is currently serving in his 18th year as a tenured faculty member at Columbia College (where he teaches courses in Communication and Philosophy) and recently completed a two-year term as the Vice President of the Yosemite Faculty Association. As creator of Colombia College's Speech and Debate program, Timothy led his team to a series of consecutive Gold Medal Sweepstakes awards at the California collegiate level. Timothy was been recognized as the “Coach of the Year” by the Northern California Forensics Association and is especially proud of his team’s qualifications into the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence. As an assistant coach of Arizona State University’s Individual Events team, Timothy’s students reached the semi-finals of the American Forensics Association’s National Championship in route to a team sweepstakes award. Timothy’s love for Forensics began in high school as he floundered in the novice level for his first year of competition. He found himself inspired by the activity and, more importantly, the level of intelligence, creativity, and drive displayed by the people the activity gathers within their community. As a high school competitor, Timothy rose in the ranks to earn the National Forensics League’s distinguished “Quad Ruby Award” for his efforts in Lincoln Douglas Debate, Original Prose and Poetry, and Impromptu. Timothy continued his competitive career in college as he earned his first State Championship title.
Drake Pough
Instructor
Drake is a graduate of Wiley College, home to one of the most prestigious speech and debate program's in the country. Drake also holds a Masters of Fine Arts from Western Illinois University. Drake has over 10 years of teaching experience in speech and debate. He has coached numerous local, state, and national champions. Drake, is an expert in Speech. Drake is a multiple National Champion in Speech. Drake has an incredibly engaging teaching style, is loved by his students, and really makes his classroom come alive.
Dr. Nicky Smith
Instructor
Nicky holds a PhD in Philosophy and a Master of Arts in Sociology from UC San Diego and UC Berkeley. At UC Berkeley, Nicky taught UC Berkeley Masters and Undergraduate students for almost a decade including in Communications, Political Science, Global Studies, and History. Nicky graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Education and Social Policy. Nicky was Clinton Fellow, Udall Scholar, Humanity in Action Fellow, and Critical Language Scholar. At Northwestern, Nicky co-founded a debate and advocacy association and completed additional scholarly and advocacy work at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, Universidad Panamericana, Tongji University, and the University of Jordan. Nicky has 19 years of experience coaching and competing in Debate, with multiple state championships and late elimination rounds at the nation's most prestigious tournaments, including Harvard, Valley, the NSDA/NFL National Championship, and the Grand National Tournament. Last year, Nicky taught debate for the advanced lab at the Stanford National Forensic Institute, for James Logan High School (winning the top two awards at the 2022 National tournament), and for the Online Debate Institute. Nicky specializes in case construction, rebuttal speeches and rhetorical skills, adapting to a variety of judges (traditional/circuit/different regions), extemporaneous argumentation, unique kritiks, and building on intersectional perspectives that can expand the Forensics arena. Nicky has led and looks forward to continuing to lead countless students to use debate to become more engaged in the classroom and articulate, informed, and active leaders in their schools and wider communities.
Grayce Marlowe-Alpers
Instructor
Grayce Marlowe-Alpers is a homegrown Athens Debate alum, entering her third year as a senior member of the Athens Instructional Team! Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree from University of California Davis, Grayce had an enormously successful debate career with Athens, winning numerous accolades at local and national tournaments in multiple events, including champion of the Santa Clara University Dempsey Cronin Invitational in Lincoln Douglas deabte. Grayce has first-hand experience learning and mastering every aspect of the Athens Debate curriculum, making her one of Athens’ most effective teachers! Grayce is one of Athens Debate’s most sought after teachers for her ability to connect with students and make debate come alive. She specializes in Lincoln Douglas debate, and empowers students daily to make thoughtful observations and analyses of current events. In true Athens fashion, Grayce fosters a classroom environment that hones critical thinking skills that extend beyond the tournament and classroom.
Brianna Yang
Instructor
Brianna Yang is thrilled to join the Athens team this year. As a college competitor, Brianna has earned five awards in IPDA debate and has also experience with a wide range of events including Impromptu, Platform Speaking, and Extemporaneous Speaking. She finds great fulfillment in supporting students with encouragement and constructive guidance, helping them continuously improve. She brings to Athens the skills and experience to motivate and empower students, and she’s thrilled to share her passion for effective communication.
Charlie Garcia-Spiegel
Instructor
Charlie joins Athens from the City College of San Francisco, where he is pursuing studies in Studio Arts and Communication Studies. As co-captain of the CCSF Forensics Team, he specializes in Public Address events, Oral Interpretation of Literature, and Impromptu Speaking. His competitive achievements include medals at the California Community College Forensics Association State Championship and the Phi Rho Pi National Championship, as well as numerous awards at local and regional tournaments. In 2025, he was named the Northern California recipient of the Tony Bernacchi Forensics Scholarship and was invited to present his nationally recognized persuasive speech at the Northern California Forensics Association Spring Fling Awards Showcase. With over a decade of experience in public speaking and education, Charlie most recently served as a tutor for CCSF’s Communication Lab. As an educator, he is passionate about reimagining traditional speech events through unconventional approaches, using performance as a tool to engage with life experiences, and centering joy as the foundation for learning and success. Outside of tournaments, Charlie enjoys rehearsing his speeches for two adoring dogs and one mostly indifferent cat.
Zach Waters
Instructor
Zach Waters is the current Co-Director of San Francisco State University’s Forensic Speech and Debate Team, and is concluding a Master’s of Arts program in communication studies with an emphasis on qualitative research methods and rhetoric.As a community college and university competitor from 2018-2021, Zach was successful in a variety of Interpretation of Literature, Limited Preparation, and Platform Speaking events at regional, state, and national tournaments. Most notably, he received bronze awards in Dramatic and Duo Interpretation on the national level, and Top Speaker at the Northern California Forensics Association’s spring championship. After receiving his Bachelor’s of Arts in communication studies at San Francisco State University in 2021, Zach’s career in education began by assisting forensic programs on the college level. Throughout their time at SFSU and as an assistant with Solano Community College, Zach has assisted numerous students in developing their public speaking and debate skills. His students have found great success in Forensics in such events as Extemporaneous, Informative, and After Dinner Speaking, as well as Parliamentary Debate. As a new addition to the team at Athens Debate for Fall 2025, Zach is excited to join a team that is centered on inclusivity by focusing on helping students access the craft of speech and debate, and develop effective communication skills and practices that will assist them in their current and future academic pursuits.
Zoie Wong
Instructor
Zoie Wong is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley in both Sociology and Data Science. Collectively she has 8 years of Speech and Debate experience where she competed in Lincoln Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, Congress, and various interpretation events. She has been teaching at Athens for 3 years. During her time as a competitor, Zoie placed top 15 for Lincoln Douglas in California, top 6 in the Bay Area, and made it to national tournaments such as Yale and Glenbrooks. Although her favorite activities to compete in are debate events, she also competed at the CA state tournament for DUO Interpretation and competed in Oratorical Interpretation throughout her high school career. Now, she spends her speech and debate career teaching at Athens and judging tournaments, finding joy in connecting with students, and sharing her passion for the activity. In her free time, you can find her reading critical literature and laughing over the newest pop culture reference.
Emma Mink
Instructor
Emma Mink holds a bachelor's degree in communication studies from San Francisco State University and is finishing her master's with an emphasis in theory and rhetoric. As a scholar, Emma brings a deep understanding of how persuasive communication works, making her especially well-equipped to guide students in the art of debate. She began her career through teaching oral communication courses at the university level and is trained and published in the field of critical communication pedagogy. Overall, her background combines academic insight with effective student-centered teaching. Emma joined the Athens Debate team in Spring 2025 and has loved being part of a community that prioritizes student growth, critical thinking, and intellectual curiosity and creativity. To Emma, teaching speech and debate at Athens means empowering individuals to be strong, informed, and compassionate communicators who are prepared to make a positive impact in their communities and beyond. She especially enjoys working with beginner students who have public speaking apprehension and watching their confidence and speaking skills grow over time!
Fallon Ennis
Instructor
Fallon Rose is a senior at UC Berkeley, currently completing her senior research thesis on the role of intuition in oncological diagnostic medicine. Having completed three years as a varsity parliamentary debater in high school, Fallon has a natural inclination towards fast-thinking, real-world-applicable argumentative and constructive communication. These skills serve her greatly in her academic pursuits, especially in the development of her thesis, which requires careful examination of resources, precise analysis and cohesive explanations. Her strengths are also reflected in her involvement with her school’s newspaper as a weekly opinion columnist. Fallon is additionally known for her exceptionally strong spoken presence, especially in the realm of speech. She competed in numerous speech cohorts, with her personal favorites being humorous interpretation and duo. Her first competitive speaking experience in 2019 landed her team a second-place ranking in duo interpretation, and she qualified again as a finalist for the Jon Schamber Invitational in 2020. Fallon is passionate about the speech and debate, and attributes much of her creative drive to her positive experiences with it. She is very proud to represent Athens, largely because she hopes to empower young speakers to recognize the value of their voice in the world. Whether advocating for oneself or those around them, Fallon feels firmly that S&D equips students with the courage and knowledge necessary to speak with purpose– and that these skills can change lives within and outside of the classroom.
Claire Sawyer
Instructor
Claire holds a B.A. in Science, Technology, and Society from UC Berkeley and has competed for six years in Parliamentary Debate, World Schools, and a wide range of extemporaneous, prepared, and interpretive speaking events. She is a two-time Nationals qualifier with top finishes at regional and invitational tournaments, and as a member of UC Berkeley’s third-ranked national Model UN team, she earned Outstanding Delegate awards at conferences including Harvard, Columbia, and USC. Claire has coached and mentored hundreds of students across the Sacramento region, the Bay Area, and internationally, with her students going on to attend top universities such as Harvard, Princeton, and Berkeley. She loves teaching at Athens because speech and debate has been transformative in shaping not only her reading and writing skills but also her confidence and professional success. Claire is passionate about mentoring the next generation of debaters and strives to bring the same skills, experiences, and sense of fun to the classroom that made her own journey so impactful.
Matheno Frazier-Bey
Instructor
Matheno has over 15 years of Speech and Debate teaching experience and is a graduate of the Debate-Kansas City program. In high school, he won back-to-back City Championships, placed 2nd at the JB Fuqua National Urban Debate Tournament, and earned numerous national accolades, including competing at the inaugural Urban Debate National Championship in Chicago. A respected mentor in Baltimore’s urban and collegiate debate communities, he studied Sociology at Towson University, where he competed for four years. Matheno has also served with AmeriCorps VISTA and other organizations, bringing values of mentorship, service, diversity, and civic engagement that make him a perfect fit for Athens.
Meesha Reiisieh
Instructor
Meesha graduated from American University in Washington, D.C., with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Psychology, where she competed in parliamentary debate and led the #1 ranked Model UN team in North America. She is currently pursuing a Juris Doctorate at Santa Clara University School of Law. Meesha's speech and debate journey began at Cupertino High School, where she competed in Congressional Debate, Impromptu, and Oratorical Interpretation, qualifying for the Tournament of Champions three times, placing in the top 10 in the state for Oratorical Interpretation, winning 1st place at the James Logan tournament, and achieving finalist positions at the Berkeley, Stanford, SCU, and ASU tournaments. Meesha later returned to coach at Cupertino High for two years. Beyond debate, Meesha has worked at a news agency, multiple non-profits, and the U.S. Senate for Senator Dianne Feinstein. Since 2020, she has served in elected office for the Rancho Rinconada Parks and Recreation Department. To Meesha, teaching speech and debate allows her to give back to the activity that shaped her and opened countless doors, helping students discover their own potential.
Amulya Donthi
Instructor
Amulya brings over 12 years of experience in speech and debate as both a decorated competitor and seasoned coach. In high school, she was the top-ranked individual in the San Francisco Bay District and earned state & national recognition in events such as Oratorical Interpretation, Extemporaneous Speaking, and multiple formats of Debate. Amulya has coached students across elementary, middle, high school, and collegiate levels in all major speech and debate formats. A graduate of the University of Southern California, she also held leadership roles in Model United Nations and represented the university in conferences across the country. Her wide-ranging coaching experience and commitment to student growth make her a valuable part of the Athens Debate team.
Brennan Mock
Instructor
Brennan is a Masters graduate from George Mason University. During his time as a competitor, Brennan was the national top speaker in Impromptu, Extemporaneous and Informative speaking. Brennan was also the recipient of the Bovaro-Tabor award at Phi Rho Pi nationals, making him the overall top performer of the entire national tournament. Brennan currently is the assistant coach to George Mason University, one of the most prolific college speech teams in the country. During his time coaching, Brennan has coached the American Forensics Association national champions in extemporaneous, impromptu, informative, communication analysis and persuasive speaking. Brennan was also awarded the Taylor-Collie National Coaching Fellowship award for his coaching talents. At Athens, Brennan has coached dozens of state and national champions over his three years teaching with us. Brennan is focused on teaching students how to use critical thinking skills through the avenues of speech and debate. His passion focuses on using debate as a pathway for students to improve their own lives through advocacy.
Rashon Leday
Instructor
Bio coming shortly
Bo Liang
Instructor
Bio coming shortly
Fatima Hernandez
Instructor
Bio coming shortly
Mason Crump
Instructor
Bio coming shortly
Ethan Jennings
Instructor
Bio coming shortly
Executive Director and Founder
Sachin is the founder of Athens Debate. Sachin has 20 years of experience teaching Speech and Debate. His students have achieved champion-level success at the local, state, and national levels. He completed his undergraduate degree Summa Cum Laude from UC Berkeley and his Masters of Public Policy from the top ranked policy school in the country, UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy. Before starting Athens Debate, Sachin used his experience in Speech and Debate to find success in the real world. Sachin has worked in political and policy roles at the United States Senate, White House, San Jose City Council, the Governor of California, President of the UC System, and the Mayor of San Jose. He enjoys teaching students how to make debate come alive for them and be applicable to their future pursuits. Speech and debate changed his life and he hopes to do the same for all of his students.
Michael Epley
Vice President
Mike Epley is the Vice President of Athens Debate. He has a degree in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Rhetoric from University of San Francisco, where he captained the debate team. A successful collegiate debater, Mike is a multi-time regional, state, and national champion, and he was voted Northern California Forensics Association Debater of the Year in 2013. Mike has taught speech and debate for over a decade, and he’s been with Athens Debate since 2019. As an instructor, he brings energy, humor, and passion to the classroom. As an executive and administrator, Mike is steadfastly dedicated to student empowerment through the development of critical thinking, writing, communication, argumentation, and public speaking skills.
Anand Sundaram
Director, Tournaments and Supplementals
Anand comes to Athens from UCLA where he studied Applied Math. Anand's was a nationally renowned debater in high school, reaching semifinals at UC Berkeley twice, late elimination rounds at Stanford, and qualifying for the State Championships and the Tournament of Champions. Anand has several years of teaching experience and has coached at prestigious programs like the Monta Vista High School debate program.
Dr. Adam Tomasi
Associate Vice President & Advanced Debate Instructor
Adam earned his Bachelors in History and Communication from Wake Forest University and his PhD in World History at Northeastern University. Adams Tomsai was a high-school Lincoln-Douglas debater, He was a three-time elimination round participant at the Tournament of Champions (TOC). He reached the Quarterfinals of TOC his sophomore and senior years, and Octafinals his junior year. His senior year, Adam was the #1 seed at the TOC in 2015. Throughout his LD career, Adam was invited to multiple round robins at Harvard University, the Bronx High School of Science, West Des Moines Valley High School, and Presentation High School. Adam was a two-time Massachusetts State Debate Champion - his sophomore and senior years, and championed the Wake Forest invitational as well. Adam has displayed versatility in traditional LD, Policy arguments, Kritiks, and theory debate. As a college Policy debater, Adam reached elimination rounds at multiple national tournaments and was considered for a second-round bid to the National Debate Tournament (NDT) in my sophomore, junior, and senior years. His senior year, Adam and his partner were the Second Alternate team at the NDT. He was also a two-time ACC debate champion and three-time finalist.Adam has also been a briefs writer for Champion Briefs since 2015.
Graysen Stille
Instructor
Graysen is a graduate from University of San Francisco with his Bachelors in Philosophy focusing on Philosophy of Technology. He has been involved in Speech and Debate for the past 14 years as both competitor and coach. Throughout his career, Graysen has received various accolades from the Texas Forensics Association, CEDA, and had successful results debating with Athens Vice President, Mike Epley. As a coach, Graysen has brought teams to incredible highs on the collegiate and high school circuits including multiple national champions, TOC finalists and top speakers. His former students have gone on to compete for UC Berkeley, Harvard, and Georgetown to name a few. Graysen's teaching philosophy maintains student agency enabling their intellectual and academic fascinations to bring about competitive success.
Dr. Tim Elizondo
Instructor
Timothy joins Athens Debate after serving as the Director of Columbia College’s Speech and Debate Program, which he founded in 2005. Timothy holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Studies (with an emphasis on Rhetorical Criticism) from Arizona State University. He also earned his Doctorate from Bowling Green State University in the field of American Culture Studies. In addition to teaching at Athens Debate, Timothy is currently serving in his 18th year as a tenured faculty member at Columbia College (where he teaches courses in Communication and Philosophy) and recently completed a two-year term as the Vice President of the Yosemite Faculty Association. As creator of Colombia College's Speech and Debate program, Timothy led his team to a series of consecutive Gold Medal Sweepstakes awards at the California collegiate level. Timothy was been recognized as the “Coach of the Year” by the Northern California Forensics Association and is especially proud of his team’s qualifications into the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence. As an assistant coach of Arizona State University’s Individual Events team, Timothy’s students reached the semi-finals of the American Forensics Association’s National Championship in route to a team sweepstakes award. Timothy’s love for Forensics began in high school as he floundered in the novice level for his first year of competition. He found himself inspired by the activity and, more importantly, the level of intelligence, creativity, and drive displayed by the people the activity gathers within their community. As a high school competitor, Timothy rose in the ranks to earn the National Forensics League’s distinguished “Quad Ruby Award” for his efforts in Lincoln Douglas Debate, Original Prose and Poetry, and Impromptu. Timothy continued his competitive career in college as he earned his first State Championship title.
Drake Pough
Instructor
Drake is a graduate of Wiley College, home to one of the most prestigious speech and debate program's in the country. Drake also holds a Masters of Fine Arts from Western Illinois University. Drake has over 10 years of teaching experience in speech and debate. He has coached numerous local, state, and national champions. Drake, is an expert in Speech. Drake is a multiple National Champion in Speech. Drake has an incredibly engaging teaching style, is loved by his students, and really makes his classroom come alive.
Dr. Nicky Smith
Instructor
Nicky holds a PhD in Philosophy and a Master of Arts in Sociology from UC San Diego and UC Berkeley. At UC Berkeley, Nicky taught UC Berkeley Masters and Undergraduate students for almost a decade including in Communications, Political Science, Global Studies, and History. Nicky graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Education and Social Policy. Nicky was Clinton Fellow, Udall Scholar, Humanity in Action Fellow, and Critical Language Scholar. At Northwestern, Nicky co-founded a debate and advocacy association and completed additional scholarly and advocacy work at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, Universidad Panamericana, Tongji University, and the University of Jordan. Nicky has 19 years of experience coaching and competing in Debate, with multiple state championships and late elimination rounds at the nation's most prestigious tournaments, including Harvard, Valley, the NSDA/NFL National Championship, and the Grand National Tournament. Last year, Nicky taught debate for the advanced lab at the Stanford National Forensic Institute, for James Logan High School (winning the top two awards at the 2022 National tournament), and for the Online Debate Institute. Nicky specializes in case construction, rebuttal speeches and rhetorical skills, adapting to a variety of judges (traditional/circuit/different regions), extemporaneous argumentation, unique kritiks, and building on intersectional perspectives that can expand the Forensics arena. Nicky has led and looks forward to continuing to lead countless students to use debate to become more engaged in the classroom and articulate, informed, and active leaders in their schools and wider communities.
Grayce Marlowe-Alpers
Instructor
Grayce Marlowe-Alpers is a homegrown Athens Debate alum, entering her third year as a senior member of the Athens Instructional Team! Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree from University of California Davis, Grayce had an enormously successful debate career with Athens, winning numerous accolades at local and national tournaments in multiple events, including champion of the Santa Clara University Dempsey Cronin Invitational in Lincoln Douglas deabte. Grayce has first-hand experience learning and mastering every aspect of the Athens Debate curriculum, making her one of Athens’ most effective teachers! Grayce is one of Athens Debate’s most sought after teachers for her ability to connect with students and make debate come alive. She specializes in Lincoln Douglas debate, and empowers students daily to make thoughtful observations and analyses of current events. In true Athens fashion, Grayce fosters a classroom environment that hones critical thinking skills that extend beyond the tournament and classroom.
Brianna Yang
Instructor
Brianna Yang is thrilled to join the Athens team this year. As a college competitor, Brianna has earned five awards in IPDA debate and has also experience with a wide range of events including Impromptu, Platform Speaking, and Extemporaneous Speaking. She finds great fulfillment in supporting students with encouragement and constructive guidance, helping them continuously improve. She brings to Athens the skills and experience to motivate and empower students, and she’s thrilled to share her passion for effective communication.
Charlie Garcia-Spiegel
Instructor
Charlie joins Athens from the City College of San Francisco, where he is pursuing studies in Studio Arts and Communication Studies. As co-captain of the CCSF Forensics Team, he specializes in Public Address events, Oral Interpretation of Literature, and Impromptu Speaking. His competitive achievements include medals at the California Community College Forensics Association State Championship and the Phi Rho Pi National Championship, as well as numerous awards at local and regional tournaments. In 2025, he was named the Northern California recipient of the Tony Bernacchi Forensics Scholarship and was invited to present his nationally recognized persuasive speech at the Northern California Forensics Association Spring Fling Awards Showcase. With over a decade of experience in public speaking and education, Charlie most recently served as a tutor for CCSF’s Communication Lab. As an educator, he is passionate about reimagining traditional speech events through unconventional approaches, using performance as a tool to engage with life experiences, and centering joy as the foundation for learning and success. Outside of tournaments, Charlie enjoys rehearsing his speeches for two adoring dogs and one mostly indifferent cat.
Zach Waters
Instructor
Zach Waters is the current Co-Director of San Francisco State University’s Forensic Speech and Debate Team, and is concluding a Master’s of Arts program in communication studies with an emphasis on qualitative research methods and rhetoric.As a community college and university competitor from 2018-2021, Zach was successful in a variety of Interpretation of Literature, Limited Preparation, and Platform Speaking events at regional, state, and national tournaments. Most notably, he received bronze awards in Dramatic and Duo Interpretation on the national level, and Top Speaker at the Northern California Forensics Association’s spring championship. After receiving his Bachelor’s of Arts in communication studies at San Francisco State University in 2021, Zach’s career in education began by assisting forensic programs on the college level. Throughout their time at SFSU and as an assistant with Solano Community College, Zach has assisted numerous students in developing their public speaking and debate skills. His students have found great success in Forensics in such events as Extemporaneous, Informative, and After Dinner Speaking, as well as Parliamentary Debate. As a new addition to the team at Athens Debate for Fall 2025, Zach is excited to join a team that is centered on inclusivity by focusing on helping students access the craft of speech and debate, and develop effective communication skills and practices that will assist them in their current and future academic pursuits.
Zoie Wong
Instructor
Zoie Wong is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley in both Sociology and Data Science. Collectively she has 8 years of Speech and Debate experience where she competed in Lincoln Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, Congress, and various interpretation events. She has been teaching at Athens for 3 years. During her time as a competitor, Zoie placed top 15 for Lincoln Douglas in California, top 6 in the Bay Area, and made it to national tournaments such as Yale and Glenbrooks. Although her favorite activities to compete in are debate events, she also competed at the CA state tournament for DUO Interpretation and competed in Oratorical Interpretation throughout her high school career. Now, she spends her speech and debate career teaching at Athens and judging tournaments, finding joy in connecting with students, and sharing her passion for the activity. In her free time, you can find her reading critical literature and laughing over the newest pop culture reference.
Emma Mink
Instructor
Emma Mink holds a bachelor's degree in communication studies from San Francisco State University and is finishing her master's with an emphasis in theory and rhetoric. As a scholar, Emma brings a deep understanding of how persuasive communication works, making her especially well-equipped to guide students in the art of debate. She began her career through teaching oral communication courses at the university level and is trained and published in the field of critical communication pedagogy. Overall, her background combines academic insight with effective student-centered teaching. Emma joined the Athens Debate team in Spring 2025 and has loved being part of a community that prioritizes student growth, critical thinking, and intellectual curiosity and creativity. To Emma, teaching speech and debate at Athens means empowering individuals to be strong, informed, and compassionate communicators who are prepared to make a positive impact in their communities and beyond. She especially enjoys working with beginner students who have public speaking apprehension and watching their confidence and speaking skills grow over time!
Fallon Ennis
Instructor
Fallon Rose is a senior at UC Berkeley, currently completing her senior research thesis on the role of intuition in oncological diagnostic medicine. Having completed three years as a varsity parliamentary debater in high school, Fallon has a natural inclination towards fast-thinking, real-world-applicable argumentative and constructive communication. These skills serve her greatly in her academic pursuits, especially in the development of her thesis, which requires careful examination of resources, precise analysis and cohesive explanations. Her strengths are also reflected in her involvement with her school’s newspaper as a weekly opinion columnist. Fallon is additionally known for her exceptionally strong spoken presence, especially in the realm of speech. She competed in numerous speech cohorts, with her personal favorites being humorous interpretation and duo. Her first competitive speaking experience in 2019 landed her team a second-place ranking in duo interpretation, and she qualified again as a finalist for the Jon Schamber Invitational in 2020. Fallon is passionate about the speech and debate, and attributes much of her creative drive to her positive experiences with it. She is very proud to represent Athens, largely because she hopes to empower young speakers to recognize the value of their voice in the world. Whether advocating for oneself or those around them, Fallon feels firmly that S&D equips students with the courage and knowledge necessary to speak with purpose– and that these skills can change lives within and outside of the classroom.
Claire Sawyer
Instructor
Claire holds a B.A. in Science, Technology, and Society from UC Berkeley and has competed for six years in Parliamentary Debate, World Schools, and a wide range of extemporaneous, prepared, and interpretive speaking events. She is a two-time Nationals qualifier with top finishes at regional and invitational tournaments, and as a member of UC Berkeley’s third-ranked national Model UN team, she earned Outstanding Delegate awards at conferences including Harvard, Columbia, and USC. Claire has coached and mentored hundreds of students across the Sacramento region, the Bay Area, and internationally, with her students going on to attend top universities such as Harvard, Princeton, and Berkeley. She loves teaching at Athens because speech and debate has been transformative in shaping not only her reading and writing skills but also her confidence and professional success. Claire is passionate about mentoring the next generation of debaters and strives to bring the same skills, experiences, and sense of fun to the classroom that made her own journey so impactful.
Matheno Frazier-Bey
Instructor
Matheno has over 15 years of Speech and Debate teaching experience and is a graduate of the Debate-Kansas City program. In high school, he won back-to-back City Championships, placed 2nd at the JB Fuqua National Urban Debate Tournament, and earned numerous national accolades, including competing at the inaugural Urban Debate National Championship in Chicago. A respected mentor in Baltimore’s urban and collegiate debate communities, he studied Sociology at Towson University, where he competed for four years. Matheno has also served with AmeriCorps VISTA and other organizations, bringing values of mentorship, service, diversity, and civic engagement that make him a perfect fit for Athens.
Meesha Reiisieh
Instructor
Meesha graduated from American University in Washington, D.C., with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Psychology, where she competed in parliamentary debate and led the #1 ranked Model UN team in North America. She is currently pursuing a Juris Doctorate at Santa Clara University School of Law. Meesha's speech and debate journey began at Cupertino High School, where she competed in Congressional Debate, Impromptu, and Oratorical Interpretation, qualifying for the Tournament of Champions three times, placing in the top 10 in the state for Oratorical Interpretation, winning 1st place at the James Logan tournament, and achieving finalist positions at the Berkeley, Stanford, SCU, and ASU tournaments. Meesha later returned to coach at Cupertino High for two years. Beyond debate, Meesha has worked at a news agency, multiple non-profits, and the U.S. Senate for Senator Dianne Feinstein. Since 2020, she has served in elected office for the Rancho Rinconada Parks and Recreation Department. To Meesha, teaching speech and debate allows her to give back to the activity that shaped her and opened countless doors, helping students discover their own potential.
Amulya Donthi
Instructor
Amulya brings over 12 years of experience in speech and debate as both a decorated competitor and seasoned coach. In high school, she was the top-ranked individual in the San Francisco Bay District and earned state & national recognition in events such as Oratorical Interpretation, Extemporaneous Speaking, and multiple formats of Debate. Amulya has coached students across elementary, middle, high school, and collegiate levels in all major speech and debate formats. A graduate of the University of Southern California, she also held leadership roles in Model United Nations and represented the university in conferences across the country. Her wide-ranging coaching experience and commitment to student growth make her a valuable part of the Athens Debate team.
Brennan Mock
Instructor
Brennan is a Masters graduate from George Mason University. During his time as a competitor, Brennan was the national top speaker in Impromptu, Extemporaneous and Informative speaking. Brennan was also the recipient of the Bovaro-Tabor award at Phi Rho Pi nationals, making him the overall top performer of the entire national tournament. Brennan currently is the assistant coach to George Mason University, one of the most prolific college speech teams in the country. During his time coaching, Brennan has coached the American Forensics Association national champions in extemporaneous, impromptu, informative, communication analysis and persuasive speaking. Brennan was also awarded the Taylor-Collie National Coaching Fellowship award for his coaching talents. At Athens, Brennan has coached dozens of state and national champions over his three years teaching with us. Brennan is focused on teaching students how to use critical thinking skills through the avenues of speech and debate. His passion focuses on using debate as a pathway for students to improve their own lives through advocacy.
Rashon Leday
Instructor
Bio coming shortly
Bo Liang
Instructor
Bio coming shortly
Fatima Hernandez
Instructor
Bio coming shortly
Mason Crump
Instructor
Bio coming shortly
Ethan Jennings
Instructor
Bio coming shortly