Student Spotlights: Nguyen Quangh Vinh & Willa Mulhovo

Jan 10

Learn more about two of our international students, Nguyen Quangh Vinh and Willa Mulhovo, and their experiences in our debate classes!

Nguyen Quangh Vinh

Nguyen Quangh Vinh lives in rural Vietnam. His family’s monthly income of $250 comes entirely from manual farming (rice, fruit, trees) on a small family farm and sits well below the threshold of VND 11 million/month ($425/month) to file annual income tax returns. Access to educational opportunities are limited in his region.

We paired Vinh with a volunteer in Pennsylvania for weekly, 1:1 sessions. Vinh bonded with our volunteer, asked probing questions, and even considered how issues like environmental protection manifest differently in the United States and Vietnam. In the words of Vinh, “I want[ed] to learn debate to develop more critical thinking and speak up for myself at school for issues like violence, environmental protection, and women’s and children’s rights. I developed teamwork skills, connected more with friends, and have more diverse access to knowledge beyond school knowledge.” Debate gave Vinh a voice, and the tools to become an effective community advocate.

Willa Mulhovo

Willa Mulhovo lives in a suburb of Luanda, Angola. After persuading her favorite teacher to advise the debate club at Colegio Angolano de Talatona, Willa registered herself and four friends for an international extemporaneous debate tournament hosted by the National Debating League in Cape Town, South Africa. With little preparation or training, they placed second. Surprised by her success and motivated to continue improving, Willa asked her parents to research high-quality, affordable debate programs, when they discovered Eloquence Academy.

We paired Willa with volunteers in New York and Washington for weekly, 1:1 sessions. Willa received coaching in organizing speeches, avoiding filler words, and collaborating with her partners mid-round. She demonstrated exceptional commitment and growth, joining sessions early, taking meticulous notes, and participating in practice rounds and drills. By the end of the program, Willa not only improved her skillset, but emerged as a leader. She now mentors emerging debaters at her school.

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Eloquence Academy, Inc. is the world’s largest youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing equitable academic debate opportunities for rural and historically underserved students. The Academy has offered live debate programs for 3,600 students, partnerships with 122 schools and nonprofit organizations, and online debate resources for 16,084 students. It has prepared students across all 50 states and 102 countries for college readiness, career engagement, and community impact. Follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.