Local Students Shine at 2025 East African Debate Championship
The East African Debate League unites talented debaters to discuss issues that are important to the Twin Cities’ local East African community. The 2025 topic centered around the question of what type of educational spaces support East African students better: integrated or culturally-specific classrooms. It was an invitation for the students to reflect on their own experiences, grounded in information they learned from existing research and advocacy.
The East African Debate League was developed to provide East African middle and high school students the opportunity to gain the cutting-edge academic skills debate provides. In the process of learning how to defend the pros and cons of both sides of the issue, participants built crucial argumentation, public speaking, and critical thinking skills.
At the championship tournament, students had the opportunity to earn two types of awards: partnership awards and team awards. Partnership awards are given to the debate partners with the top win/loss records. Speaker awards recognize the students who had the strongest individual performances, awarded top points by our trained judges.
We want to recognize the achievement of top competitors at the Middle School and High School division of our Championship tournament:
East African Middle School Debate Championship Results:
Partnership Awards (Top 5)
- Champions: Ugbad Abdi, Muna Ahmed, & Najma Abdi (Sullivan)
- 2nd Place: Nasteho Muhumed & Muna Ahmed, Mohamed & Shukri (Sullivan)
- 3rd Place: Yussef Mohamed & Abdullahi Shukri (Sullivan)
- 4th Place: Zema Yohannes & Belen Yohannes (Capitol Hill Magnet School)
- 5th Place: Madina Sharokhi (Northeast Middle)
Speaker Awards (Top 10)
- Top Speaker: Zema Yohannes (Capitol Hill Magnet)
- 2nd Place: Belen Yohannes (Capitol Hill Magnet)
- 3rd Place: Najma Abdi (Sullivan)
- 4th Place: Madina Sharokhi (Northeast)
- 5th Place: Naima Abdullahi (Sullivan)
- 6th Place: Muhsin Jama (Sullivan)
- 7th Place: Muna Ahmed (Sullivan)
- 8th Place: Azhar Ahmed (Sullivan)
- 9th Place: Sumaya Ahmed (Northeast)
- 10th Place: Sakaria Mohamud (East African Magnet School)
East African High School Debate Championship Results:
Partnership Awards:
- Champions: Salman Oof & Ayan Ahmed (Thomas Edison)
- 2nd Place: Ayub Ahmed & Zakaria Osman (Thomas Edison)
- 3rd Place: Anisa Suber & Ahmed Abdi (Thomas Edison)
- 4th Place: Gudon Abib & Khadra Jama (Roosevelt HS)
- 5th Place: Yusra Khadif & Oumlhar Abdella (Thomas Edison)
Speakers Awards (Top 10)
- Top Speaker: Isra Ismail (Heritage)
- 2nd Place: Shukri Bana (Roosevelt)
- 3rd Place: Salman Oof (Thomas Edison)
- 4th Place: Sabrin Ahmed (Roosevelt)
- 5th Place: Ayan Ahmed (Thomas Edison)
- 6th Place: Zakaria Osman (Thomas Edison)
- 7th Place: Ayub Ahmed (Thomas Edison)
- 8th Place: Dahaba Sharif (Washburn HS)
- 9th Place: Anisa Suber (Thomas Edison)
- 10th Place: Gudon Abib (Roosevelt HS)
A special thank you goes to all the coaches who have worked diligently to prepare their teams for success, and to Washburn High School for graciously hosting this championship. Your hospitality and support helped create an environment where our students could excel.
Our Students in Action
Students carefully read their evidence during a debate round.
Highly-ranked competitors proudly received medals from MNUDL staff members.
One of our trained debate judges times the students as they prepare their next speeches on the fly.
Our Edison High School team coach proudly takes photos at the award ceremony.
Edison High School’s East African Debate team poses with their coach.
Find more pictures from the event at Marina Que Photography.
Thank you to Youthprise, Ka Joog, and MN DEED for partnering to make this work possible through the African Immigrant Youth Career Development Grant Program.
