June 23, 2024 | By Marisa Suescun
BDL Debaters Join Suffolk Class of 2028
The Boston Debate League and Suffolk University are thrilled to announce the inaugural winners of the four-year, full-tuition Suffolk BDL Debate Scholarship: Dayana Ulloa Serrano (Brighton High School class of 2024) and Gabriel Ponce Lemus (Everett High School class of 2024).
Suffolk has long been BDL’s preeminent partner in a collaboration that has deepened and broadened over the past decade. Suffolk’s President, Marisa Kelly, serves on the BDL Board. Suffolk hosts the vast majority of the events BDL hosts each year, including debate tournaments, Debate Camp, educator institutes and graduate classes, the Resolved Capstone Showcase, and even an end-of-season Debater Dance. The Suffolk BDL dual enrollment debate course has engaged 60 debaters over the past 6 years, with another 15 enrolled for next fall. The Suffolk debate team, led by BDL alum and Suffolk student, David Rivera ‘26, and with the support of Suffolk Director of Debate, Frank Irizzary, hosted the country’s first college policy debate tournament in Spanish this year.
This is the first year of the Suffolk BDL Debate Scholarship, which is awarded each year to two graduating high school seniors who are active BDL debaters. The purpose of this scholarship is to:
Dayana and Gabriel, both competed in the BDL’s Debate en Español division, traveled with the BDL to NYC and Minnesota representing the BDL Debate en Español community, and are leaders in their school and BDL communities. Dayana and Gabriel will be first-year students this fall at Suffolk University and new members of the Suffolk debate team, joining fellow BDL alumni David Rivera, Marcela de Souza, and Maeve Dufrene.
Dayana and Gabriel recently sat down on the Suffolk campus with BDL’s Director of Programs Marisa Suescun to reflect on their debate journey and their aspirations for the future. To read the entire conversation, click below.
In 2021, Kim Willingham was named Executive Director – the first woman and first Black leader – of the Boston Debate League. Before being named ED, Kim served as the BDL’s Director of Culture and Engagement and prior to that as an Instructional Coach on the Debate-Inspired Classrooms team. Throughout her 20+ years in education, Kim has held multiple leadership positions. She began her career as a Teach for America Corps Member in the Crescent City – New Orleans, LA – where she taught 6th grade ELA and Social Studies. Kim earned an EdM from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a BS from Eastern Michigan University. Her experience also includes several years in school leadership and education consulting. Originally from the Motor City, she now resides in Dorchester with her two children. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time in nature. Kim is grateful for the joy she gets to experience daily working with the students, teachers, volunteers, and staff of the BDL community.