Hear From Louisville’s Participants in the 2025 Sister Cities International Debate Challenge!

The World Affairs Council of Kentucky & Southern Indiana, in partnership with the Wilson Wyatt Debate League, sent representatives from Atherton and Trinity High Schools to compete in the Sister Cities Youth Debate Challenge in Chengdu, China. Participants were allowed to complete as a result of Louisville’s sister city relationship with Jiujiang, China. Cities in the United States that have a sister city relationship with a Chinese city were able to join the challenge.

Both teams from Louisville shined brightly in the competition. Trinity High School’s team advanced to the quarterfinals, while the team from Atherton High School won the entire tournament! Coaches Amy Zuccaro of Trinity and Rachael Castillo of Atherton were tremendously helpful in helping their students not only make it to China, but to compete at the highest level in an international academic competition. Below are testimonials from three of the students who attended detailing their experiences!

Rylan Cole (Atherton High School)

The Wilson Wyatt Debate League gave my public forum debate partner, Julia, and me the experience of a lifetime by allowing us to compete in the Chengdu Sister Cities Debate Tournament in Sichuan province, and our entire experience was absolutely incredible. We arrived on the first day and attended a debate orientation to get acquainted with our competitors and the Chengdu area. We quickly became friends with all the competitors from the American sister cities and spent our days exploring before the competition commenced.

Some highlights of our trip were touring both a public and a private school, where we spoke with Chinese students and learned more about their country. At the public school, we made dumplings with the students, talked about their lives in China, and connected on WeChat, where we still chat today. At the private school, we were able to play frisbee with the students, and because it was another IB school, we were able to share our experiences with IB and learn about theirs, which led to a really cool moment of connection. Additionally, touring the panda zoo, visiting the cultural exchange center, and, in general, exploring the city with Ms. Castillo made the experience incredibly fulfilling. 

As for our actual debate experience, it was a day and a half of debate; we had multiple rounds of standard debate the first day before advancing to quarter finals and eventually semifinals, where we competed against another American team. After advancing, we went on to the finals the next day, where we won by unanimous decision.

Our performance at the tournament was incredibly nerve-racking and unexpected, and it has filled us both with so much gratitude.We would like to thank the Wilson Wyatt Debate League for offering this opportunity to us, Ms. Castillo, our wonderful coach, who gives so much of herself to our speech and debate chapter and for supporting us selflessly, the entire Atherton Debate Team for sticking by us, practicing with us, and just being amazing people, and all members of the Chengdu debate league for allowing us to visit their beautiful city.

Julia Keeney (Atherton High School)

The experience was truly incredible. China is practically as far away as you can get from the United States and the culture is so vastly different from American culture that the entire journey felt entirely distinct from anything I've ever experienced. The American perception of China tends to be pretty negatively skewed, especially influenced by China's communist history.

I really did not know much about China before travelling there and this experience absolutely shaped my perspective for the better. China is incredibly technologically advanced; Chengdu specifically was one of the most incredible cities I've ever been to. There are, of course, massive skyscrapers, but the city was also shockingly green. The food was so unique and delicious -- entirely different from Americanized Chinese food (I didn't have lo mein once). Chengdu is in the Sichuan province of China, which means it is the home of the Sichuan peppercorn. This peppercorn is unique because, rather than being spicy, it is numbing.

The pepper is in the majority of the food in Chengdu, so I ended most meals with a pins-and-needles sensation in my mouth. The competition itself was also an incredible experience. I was really proud to see all of our hard work rewarded. Meeting both the American and Chinese students was so fun; the cultural exchange we had with the Chinese students was very eye-opening. Overall, it was one of the best things I've ever done and I'm so grateful for the privilege I had to be able to do so.

Chase Wissing (Trinity High School) 

 Since 2017, this opportunity has not been available. In August, that changed! The Chengdu debate challenge trip was won by both Atherton and Trinity. This trip meant so many things for myself and the way that my future may go. The process of getting a visa, and going through everything took some time, but it was worth it for the outcome. 

When we landed in Chengdu, I cannot remember being excited about anything as much as that. The art, the different culture, the people. It was all so different, and I could not wait to experience it. Our tour guide sent us to our hotel where my partner and I got to explore the hotel and meet the other kids that are also debating in the Chengdu Youth Debate Challenge. Being in China for a week and experiencing Schools, Food, Pandas, and the shopping, was so amazing. Out of everything my favorite experience (beside the food) was getting to see students from different schools and talking to Chinese students about their lives. Did you know that they spend almost the entire beginning of their life at just school?! I was shocked culturally.

Above all this experience cannot be replicated and I am so happy that I got to have this opportunity.