Joseph Campanella

A lot of people told me that debate would give me essential skills when they were convincing me to join, but I didn’t realize the impact it would have until I experienced it. Debate helped me with the basics, like being able to present in front of a group of people, but probably the most important thing it taught me was how to research and then tie that research into conversation. This skill has helped me in so many ways, especially when it comes to interviewing for internships. Being able to learn about a company, understand what the company can teach me, and incorporate that into my interview answers has been extremely beneficial.

Right now, I’m a second-year computer engineering major at Georgia Tech, and there have been many times in my academic career where I’ve felt that debate prepared me for this. Most notably, in my freshman year, I was part of a research lab where I had to present all my findings in a final presentation to a board of people. Without debate, I don’t think I would have been able to organize such an intricate presentation, let alone stand up and speak in front of all those important people.

I’m proud to say I was part of debate because of the skills it taught me. If I were giving advice to someone joining the team, I’d tell them not to take the time for granted. Learn as much as you can before you must apply these skills in the real world. Overall, debate is an influential part of my life, both in the friends I made and the skills I learned.