Josiah believes debate is one of the best ways to cultivate a love of ideas, truth, strategic thinking, and persuasive communication. He is passionate about helping students grow not only as competitors, but also as leaders who think, plan, and communicate with confidence and integrity. Josiah competed in Stoa speech and debate for four years, qualifying for Nitoc each season. During his career, he earned tournament championships across Team Policy, Parliamentary Debate, and limited-preparation speech events, including first place in Team Policy at Colonial Classic (34 teams), first place in Parliamentary Debate at David Helton Forensics Forum (46 teams), and first place in both Impromptu and Apologetics at Clash of the Cape. In the 2023–2024 season, his Team Policy partnership finished with a 31–2 affirmative record, the highest win-rate among Nitoc-qualifying Team Policy teams that season, and advanced to Nitoc outrounds as the #1 preliminary seed with a 6–0 record. Josiah then concluded his senior season with an 11-3 record and third-place finish in Team Policy at Nitoc. As a competitor and coach, Josiah has written seventeen original Team Policy affirmative cases across a wide range of policy issues. Having debated and coached both first- and second-speaker positions, he understands how successful partnerships divide responsibilities, communicate strategically, and complement one another throughout a round. He specializes in helping students construct excellent affirmative cases, develop strategic vision, and become adaptable and winsome debaters in-round. He believes that students should have the confidence to never lose a round in which they believe in their position. He teaches students to think like strategists, understanding not only their own arguments but also how those arguments interact with and overcome opposing positions. Josiah is deeply invested in his students' success. He enjoys researching alongside them, developing arguments, judging and reviewing practice rounds, prepping Parliamentary debate, and helping students build the confidence and critical-thinking skills that extend well beyond competition. This fall, Josiah will attend Patrick Henry College, where he will compete in Moot Court while continuing to pursue his interests in evangelism, government, and business. He is excited to help STOA competitors discover and hone their abilities as they bring God glory through debate.
