May 1 was National College Decision Day, and as in years past, we have witnessed tremendous excitement and curiosity from the community.

We could not be prouder of our volunteers in the Class of 2026. They lead with dedication, compassion, and strength, while learning about the value of service, forming meaningful relationships within and across our community, and strengthening their communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. In post-program surveys of this year’s graduating class, 100% of volunteers affirmed that volunteering was a valuable experience, 100% would recommend Eloquence Academy to a friend, 85% feel more prepared for college, and 83% had meaningful opportunities to take leadership.

As they graduate high school, our volunteers will pursue gap years, higher education, internships, study abroad, and inspiring career opportunities—and we are excited to evolve alongside them. Below are the college choices of all our volunteers. 100% will matriculate to a four-year institution.

Amherst College
Arizona State University (2)
Barnard College
Boston College
Brown University
Carnegie Mellon University
Columbia College (4)
Cornell University (5)
Clemson University
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Emory University (3)
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgetown University (2)
George Washington University
Hamilton College
Harvard College (8)
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2)
Middlebury College
New York University (2)
Northwestern University (4)
The Ohio State University (2)
Princeton University (2)
Swarthmore College
Stanford University (2)
Tufts University (2)
University of Texas, Austin
University of Texas, San Antonio
University of California, Berkeley (2)
University of California, Los Angeles (2)
University of Chicago (2)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Pennsylvania (2)
University of Pittsburgh
University of Virginia
University of Washington
Washington & Lee University
Wellesley College
Williams College
Yale College (5)

Join us in celebrating the impactful contributions and journeys of three of these seniors: Erika Chiu, Rudri Soni, and Jonathan Zu. Each has been a driving force behind our mission in their own right. To get involved with the volunteer program, please apply here.

Erika Chiu

Erika joined the organization during her sophomore year. She served as a Program Management Intern (10), San Francisco Regional Director (11-12), and Service Learning Fellow (12). Reflecting on her experiences as a volunteer, Erika shared: “Volunteering with Eloquence Academy has significantly strengthened my skillset. Since starting as a coach after my freshman year, I've developed leadership, communication, and program management abilities while advancing my commitment to educational equity in my community. Through directly working with students and leading service initiatives, I strengthened my capacity for organization and collaboration in real-world settings.”

This fall, Erika will attend Cornell University and study Statistical Science in their College of Arts & Sciences. Go Big Red!

Rudri Soni

Rudri joined Eloquence Academy during her freshman year, as only the third volunteer in the organization’s history. She served as a Assistant Director of Outreach (9), Director of Community & Global Partnerships (10), Fundraising Associate (12), and Los Angles Regional Director (9-12). Reflecting on her experiences as a volunteer, Rudri shared: “Eloquence Academy gave me experiences that were transformative for my skill and knowledge as a young student. It brought me into a community of caring, driven, and accomplished students that I could connect with immediately. More than anything though, empowering students in the way they speak, about themselves and the subjects and people they care about, gave me hope and joy as they learned how to express themselves.”

Rudri will study Economics and Psychology, with a minor in Spanish, at Brown University in the Class of 2030. Go Bruno!

Jonathan Zu

Jonathan joined Eloquence Academy during his freshman year. He served as Director of Eloquence Academy Canada and Vancouver Regional Director (9-12). Reflecting on his experiences as a volunteer, Jonathan shared: “Being at Eloquence Academy has given me the unparalleled opportunity not only to spread debate opportunities to students across British Columbia and Canada, particularly in regions where debate programs are not readily available, but it has also prepared me to properly conduct outreach, work with organizations and institutions to create change, and meet amazing people!”

This fall, Jonathan will attend Columbia University in the City of New York and study Economics and Political Science at Columbia College. Roar, lion, roar!

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Eloquence Academy, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and 509(a)(2) public charity dedicated to increasing equitable academic debate opportunities for rural and historically underserved students. The Academy has offered live debate programs for 3,000 students, partnerships with 116 schools and nonprofit organizations, and online debate resources for 16,084 students. EA stands as the largest youth-led debate accessibility nonprofit in the world and has prepared students across 50 states and 102 countries for college readiness, career engagement, and community impact. Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.