Congratulations Alice –  an amazing achievement

Alice, Year 11 at Korowa, is set to compete in the 2024 World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) this July in Belgrade, Serbia. 

After excelling in school debating competitions, Alice was invited to trial for the State team. Over five weeks of intense debates, she earned a spot to represent Victoria at the National School Debating Championships (NSDC) in Adelaide. Competing against teams from across Australia, her team secured the championship title. 

Due to her outstanding performance, Alice was invited to represent Australia at the WSDC. She is one of only five students selected and the only Year 11 student among her Year 12 teammates. This is a significant commitment alongside her studies, with the team meeting every Sunday to practise under the guidance of their coach, a student from Melbourne University. Preparation is key with teams only given their topic an hour before each debate, they really have to think on their feet and be able to research and form arguments quickly. 

Alice has been passionate about debating since Year 7, participating in the Debating Association of Victoria (DAV) competitions and Model UN interschool debating over the years. She has also been the recipient of the ‘Swannies’ award two years running. This award is given to the speaker in each region and grade who has the highest average speaker score after completing at least two debates during the year. 

When asked about her passion for debating, Alice said, “I really love debating. It’s fun, you get to meet lots of people and learn about the world. Great for developing your critical thinking skills too.” 

As she prepares for the WSDC, Alice is most excited about “meeting people from across the world, with more than 80 countries competing.” 

We are incredibly proud of Alice and wish her all the very best as she represents Australia!