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Mission Statement

Bellevue Youth Debate uses debate to develop middle and high school students into strong, creative problem solvers by teaching them public speaking skills, empowering self-confidence, and engaging in thoughtful policy-oriented conversations. We are dedicated to increasing the accessibility of debate by eliminating financial and educational barriers preventing students from engaging in debate activities so they can discover their beliefs, learn about policy and current events, and share their knowledge with the larger community. 

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Evan Yi 

Founder, President, Program Director

Evan is a public policy student at Stanford University and has been a coach at Bellevue Youth Debate since 2022. He competes with Stanford Debate Society and Stanford Mock Trial, with his team winning regionals in 2025. He was the captain of Newport's Lincoln-Douglas program, where he finished first in the Puget Sound District twice (2021 & 2022), was a finalist (2022) and quarterfinalist (2021) at the WA State Championship, and earned top placements at 11 local circuit tournaments (2020-2022). Beyond debate, Evan is interested in economic mobility policy, and he researches cash transfers, guaranteed income, and broadband policy with the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. He is also passionate about legal advocacy, with experience at the SF District Attorney's office, Eastside Legal Assistance Program, and KCBA Legal Clinics.

"I founded this organization the summer after my junior year of high school to bring debate to middle and high school students in the most accessible way possible. When I was younger, I was very shy and uncomfortable talking in front of large audiences. Debate not only taught me how to write cases and do research, but it also gave me the confidence to present my ideas. I've had a lot of fun as a debater, and I am excited to provide that experience to other students."

~ Evan Yi

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Stanley Huang

Advanced LD Head Coach

Stanley is a student at Newport High School and has been a coach at Bellevue Youth Debate since 2023. Stanley has 3 years of debate experience in both the Lincoln-Douglas and Parliamentary formats. In 2025, Stanley placed 4th at the WIAA Washington State Debate Championship, and he has earned numerous awards at local tournaments. He first started debating with Bellevue Youth Debate as an 8th grader, where he helped the team place 1st in the league. Outside of debate, Stanley is the vice president of Newport's DECA program and enjoys playing soccer with his friends.

"Joining Bellevue Youth Debate has allowed me to turn from a quiet, hesitant person to a confident speaker and critical thinker. Debate has allowed me to become a more educated person and build great relationships too. So, after competing in the middle school program, I became a coach to help other young students find their voice and experience the amazing benefits of debate as well."

~ Stanley Huang

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Bradley Chen

Advanced Parliamentary Head Coach
Bradley is an IB student at Interlake High School and has been a coach at Bellevue Youth Debate since 2023. He has 3 years of debate experience in Parliamentary and Lincoln-Douglas with both Bellevue Youth Debate and Interlake. He has competed in local and national competitions at the middle and high school levels. Outside of debate, Bradley composes and performs at award-winning national-level music compositions. For the last two years, he has been a part of the Young Composers Workshop at the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

"Before the debate, I was very outspoken on my ideas and very questioning of the opinions and statements of others. Furthermore, I often found it hard to look at something from different points of view. However, since debate, I have become much more aware of the different perspectives of others and reasons as to why they support those beliefs. Due to the free lessons that I received from Bellevue Youth Debate as a middle schooler, I feel motivated to pay it forward and pass down my knowledge to future debaters."

~ Bradley Chen

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Kaitlyn Bai

Novice LD Co-Head Coach
Kaitlyn is a student at Eastside Preparatory School and has been a coach at Bellevue Youth Debate since 2024. Kaitlyn has 4 years of debate experience in Parliamentary, Lincoln-Douglas, and Public Forum with both Bellevue Youth Debate and Eastside Preparatory School. She has earned top placements and speaker awards at many parliamentary tournaments, attended and placed at national-level Lincoln-Douglas tournaments, and gone undefeated at multiple Public Forum tournaments. Outside of debate, she enjoys reading, writing, and drawing.

"I believe debate is one of the best extracurriculars a student can participate in. It has helped deepen my critical thinking, research skills, and speaking abilities, as well as having introduced me to a great community of people and many new friends. Nevertheless, many barriers to entry exist for kids trying to participate in debate, and I hope I can help Bellevue Youth Debate in its mission to give each and every student an opportunity to succeed in this activity."

~ Kaitlyn Bai

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Oliver Chen

Novice LD Co-Head Coach
Oliver is a student at Interlake High School and has been a coach at Bellevue Youth Debate since 2024. He competes in Lincoln-Douglas through Interlake at both the local and national (TOC) level. He qualified for the WIAA Washington State Debate Championship in 2025 and has competed in various national tournaments such as the Stanford and Berkeley Invitationals. As a middle school graduate of the Bellevue Youth Debate program, he seeks to continue to give back to the community by sharing as much of his time and resources as possible to support the growth of every student.
 

"I first joined debate as a 7th grader to express my opinions that were often contained by my introverted personality. Throughout my experiences as a debater, I have enjoyed exploring current event topics and taking on the voices of different perspectives around the world. Personally, I have been fortunate to have the right people and resources to help me progress in this activity, but have unfortunately seen many talented individuals trapped behind financial barriers. I was privileged enough to join at the start of this program and experience first-hand the benefits. I now coach middle schoolers as a way to make a positive impact on the next wave of debaters." 

~ Oliver Chen

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Ruike Pan

Coach
Ruike is a student at Eastside Preparatory School and has been a coach at Bellevue Youth Debate since 2025. She founded the Lincoln-Douglas debate program at Eastside Preparatory School, and has 7 years of debate experience in Parliamentary, Public Forum, and Lincoln-Douglas. In 2025, she was the Puget Sound LD co-champion and the 5th-place speaker at the WIAA Washington State Debate Championship. Beyond debate, she is passionate about political science, greatly enjoying her week as a Senate Page intern. She also loves studying history and international relations, being nominated for the 2024 Lampros Award at the UCI Ethics Center under the mentorship by Professor Paa-Kwesi Heto for his research on "Embedded Power: Global Value Chains and the United States’ Global Power."

"My passion for debate was shaped by the hardworking community I met at tournaments and the lessons I learned from challenging experiences of research and public speaking. I joined Bellevue Youth Debate to interact and coach promising middle schoolers, and in the long term, popularize and strengthen the future debate community across Washington."

~ Ruike Pan

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Ryan Lee

Coach
Ryan is a student at International School and has been a coach at Bellevue Youth Debate since 2024. He has been involved in debate for 2 years, participating through Bellevue Youth Debate and Interlake. He has competed in local and national tournaments at both the middle and high school levels, winning multiple awards. Outside of debate, Ryan enjoys participating in various regional and national math competitions. His team has consistently qualified for state competitions for the past 2 years.

"Debate has helped to shape me into who I am today. When I first began, I was quiet and introverted, often unwilling to share my thoughts. However, Bellevue Youth Debate has helped empower me to speak up and express my opinions. I now coach middle schoolers as a way to give back to the debate community and help them find their voice."

~ Ryan Lee