As the school halls empty, the sound of clicking of keyboards fills C-119 as debate co-captains Mahi Shah and Cyrus Esmailzade prepare for their next debate tournament. In quiet moments between their intense discussions and strategy sessions, there’s a shared sense of pride and determination to surpass their accomplishments.

Emerging from their underdog status with their strong commitment for debate, the duo’s resilience and evolving chemistry have inspired the team. Despite their initial challenges, the duo has excelled in national debate tournaments, fostering a winning team spirit.

Even though the team has brought successful results from recent tournaments, the captains’ journey wasn’t always filled with support, especially when they were junior debaters.

“People were like, ‘Oh, this team, no one ever really knows about them,’” Mahi said. “We were kind of the underdogs of the elimination rounds, and we weren’t expected to go super far.”

Despite such doubts, Mahi pushed through with her confidence in her debate skills.

“I try not to think a lot about what other people think of my debate ability because I have confidence that I’m able to execute as a debater,” she said. “It is also partially proving myself for nationals to the people who think that we’re still not deserving of being where we are right now.”

Aaron Kim, a 2022 U-High graduate who is on the debate team at Emory University, thinks that Cyrus excels in his preparation and research.

“I think he’s the best researcher in high school currently,” Mr. Kim said. “Obviously, the debating also comes along with a lot of the research, but I would say his strong point right now is his research.”

Their individual abilities are not the only factor that has brought them to their current level of competition. The substantial amount of time they’ve spent with each other has deepened their understanding of each other and coordination.

“We’ve debated or talked for so long with each other now that we know what each other’s strengths and weaknesses are in debating against different styles,” Cyrus said. “We know how to help each other out, especially when things get really tense.”

Their ability to form this synergy also comes from their deep commitment to debate.

“What has held us as such a good partnership is that it’s really been the two of us for a lot of time,” Mahi said. “We were the only ones that were interested in being at such a high level in terms like wanting to be a top team in the country, and that requires going to a lot of tournaments.”

Even though they’ve reached their goal of being a top 10 contender in the country, their ambition continues to drive them to work harder.

“I think the drive to just be at the top,” Cyrus said. “The drive to win and be at all these tournaments, especially the national ones, which are coming up, just keeps us motivated to try and work our hardest to do really well.”

Such dedication was key to reshaping the team’s culture with stronger bonds and a more structured environment.

“We were able to recruit a lot more novices, and we were able to establish a consistent practice schedule as well as kind of just building a team culture of people that really got to know each other,” Cyrus said. “We were the ones leading it all and being at the center.”

The duo has influenced the team’s morale.

“They have an incredible work ethic,” teammate Ayush Mishra, a junior, said. “They go to a lot of tournaments and always try to bring their best game. I think to some extent, their love and passion for debate permeate throughout the entire debate team and program.”