Koby Shnekendorf

Instructor

Koby is co–vice captain of the JMHS Public Forum Debate Team. He has earned three bids to the Tournament of Champions. He is ranked 23rd in Virginia by the National Speech and Debate Association in Public Forum and was ranked 48th nationally in 2024 by the National Symposium for Debate. He is also a two-time finalist in the Washington Arlington Catholic Forensics League. Outside of debate, he enjoys playing guitar, practicing MMA, and reading.

Trisha Upadhyay

Instructor

Trisha is co-captain of the Chantilly High School Public Forum debate team. She qualified as a Double Octofinalist at the George Mason Patriot Games Classic. She is an experienced debater, having competed at the varsity level tournaments in the Washington Arlington Catholic Forensic League as well as in VHSL tournaments. In addition to debate, she enjoys crocheting and playing the piano.

Kaelyn Alimusa

Instructor

Kaelyn is a senior at Rock Ridge High School and has been a part of their Public Forum debate team since freshman year. Over the past three years, she has been competing in the Washington Arlington Catholic Forensic League, and has placed and qualified for Metrofinals with her partner. Outside of debate, she enjoys playing basketball and volleyball, as well as traveling.

Jason Reznikov

Instructor

Jason is a Junior at Madison High School and is a Varsity Competitor on the Public Forum Debate Team. He began his debate career earning a silver medal for an undefeated record in the Novice division. He has since qualified for Varsity Metrofinals twice and has received an NSDA Degree of Excellence for an extensive and successful debate record. Outside of debate, he enjoys studying politics and watching movies.

Shrigouri Kommireddy

Instructor

Shrigouri Kommireddy is a varsity member of the Woodson High School Policy Debate Team and has served as co-president of her school’s debate club, where she has taught and mentored fellow debaters for over two years. As a competitor, she earned second place at both the Regional and Super Regional tournaments, qualified for and attended the State Championship, and placed in the top four statewide. Beyond debate, Shrigouri enjoys listening to music, reading, writing, and spending time with her friends.

Charlotte Ross

Instructor

Charlotte is co captain of the Potomac School speech and debate team. She is ranked 4th overall in the state of Virginia and 61st in the nation by the national speech and debate association. She has also made it to elimination rounds at several prestigious national tournaments such as the Harvard University invitational and NSDA nationals. Outside of debate she enjoys running and hanging out with friends.

Natalie Nguyen

Instructor

Natalie Nguyen is a senior at Oakton High School and a varsity debater on the policy debate team. She has medaled in various Washington Arlington Catholic Forensics League (WACFL) tournaments and is a two-time Metro Final qualifier at both the JV and Varsity levels. Outside of debate, she likes long-distance running, reading, and volunteering in her local community.

Neel Kamath

Instructor

Neel is a junior at JMHS and has been competing in public forum debate for 2+ years. He has competed in multiple WACFL tournaments over this time and has qualified for and competed in Metrofinals in both years. He was also a quarterfinalist at the 2025 Patriot Game. Outside of debate he enjoys listening to music and playing sports.

Sophia Kim

Instructor

Sophia has three years of competitive debate experience and a strong passion for public policy. With extensive experience in mentorship, she is dedicated to helping new debaters build confidence in research, argumentation, and public speaking. As a mentor, Sophia strives to make debate both approachable and challenging, encouraging students to grow as thinkers, speakers, and leaders. Outside of debate, Sophia enjoys playing violin and reading.

Bianca Doru

Instructor

Bianca is a member of the JMHS public forum debate team. Having attended a prestigious FBI leadership intensive, she is highly educated in often debated topics regarding foreign policy and homeland security. She has an extensive background in teaching, even working for the Smithsonian Associates. Outside of debate she enjoys reading, dancing, and painting.

Ashley Chen

Instructor

Ashley specializes in policy debate and has earned numerous awards, including multiple local WACFL tournament victories and individual speaker honors. She placed 2nd with her partner at the Policy Virginia High School League (VHSL) state competition and received a 3rd place individual speaker award. Ashley has also qualified twice for the NCFL Grand National Tournament, advancing to elimination rounds. Beyond debate, she enjoys playing basketball and dancing. 

Lara Krentel

Instructor

Lara Krentel is a junior at James Madison High School and a varsity member of the school’s debate team. She has competed in numerous tournaments, including the Tournament of Champions Digital Series and the Washington-Arlington Catholic Forensic League (WACFL) events, and qualified for Metro Finals in her first year of competition. Debate has been a useful outlet for her to develop her communication skills, refine her analytical thinking, and engage with complex issues. Over the coming year, she is eager work with younger students, she hopes to inspire them to find their voice and explore challenging ideas with confidence and curiosity.

Disha De

Instructor

Disha is a varsity public forum debater and has been competing since 2022. She is a senior and excited to be a mentor at Odyssey Debate Academy. Debate has taught her skills like critical thinking, evaluating arguments, and diplomatic communication. She placed 2nd at WACFL 1 (2023) and 7th at Metrofinals the following year. Being on the Rock Ridge public forum team, she has been reinvited 3 times to the incredibly selective team. She is passionate about helping younger debaters grow as speakers and collaborators. Apart from debate she dedicates her time to serving as the president of Rock Ridge's Model United Nations Team, playing chess, & piano.

Suhav Gopalani
Instructor

Suhav is a varsity member on the Oakton High School Policy debate team. He has served as a debate coach for Policy and is a current board member of Oakton Debate. As a competitor, he earned numerous accolades across all divisions of WACFL Policy Debate, including over five top finishes and two finals qualifications. Outside of debate, he enjoys music, thriller movies, and hiking.

Isabelle Edwards

Instructor

Isabelle is a varsity coach on the Oakton High School Public Forum debate team. She has been debating for over five years and has won several regional and local tournaments in the VHSL and WACFL circuits. Outside of debate she enjoys reading, working out, and hanging out with friends.

Zoe Morrin

Instructor

Zoe Morrin is a junior at James Madison High School and a varsity member of the school’s debate team. She qualified for Metro Finals in her first year of competition and has since competed numerous times. Zoe is passionate about helping younger students discover how enriching it is to speak up, think critically, and share their ideas. Her goal is to make debate engaging, welcoming, and confidence-building for every student.

Aiyla Khawaja

Instructor

Aiyla is a sophomore at James Madison High School, she has competed in multiple WACFL tournaments and gone to VHSL regionals. She greatly enjoys debate as it allows her to understand multiple perspectives, break down complex issues through analysis, and learn new ideas and concepts. Aiyla has always had a passion for teaching and nurturing younger students and is excited to start instructing through “Odyssey Debate”. Aiyla has exhibited her passion for mentoring through a program where she taught younger kids about technology in rural areas of Pakistan. Outside of debate, she enjoys art, traveling, reading, and watching new TV shows.