Congratulations to the 2026 John Dawson Leadership Award Winner: Ansor Abdulhamidov!

Named in honor of one of SVUDL’s co-founders, the John Dawson Leadership Award recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional leadership, commitment, and integrity within their Speech and Debate community. This year, Ansor Abdulhamidov of Mt. Pleasant High School stands out as a student who embodies these values both in and out of competition.

Beyond serving as Mt. Pleasant High School’s de facto team captain and SVUDL Student Leadership Council representative, Ansor is a steady and supportive presence for his peers. He consistently models strong sportsmanship, treating teammates and opponents with respect. Even after difficult or controversial losses, he maintains composure and positivity, setting a standard for others to follow.

Ansor has also demonstrated leadership beyond the classroom and competition space. This semester, he collaborated with Caitlynn Balangue (William C. Overfelt High School) to organize an inter-school scrimmage that was largely student-led and student-organized. The event brought together students from multiple schools and created additional opportunities for practice, connection, and growth within the league.

Despite facing challenges as a team throughout the season, Ansor has remained committed to debate with a consistent willingness to learn and improve. His persistence has translated into personal competitive success, including earning 1st place speaker in World Schools Debate at the 2026 SVUDL Larry Itliong Tournament. More importantly, his attitude has helped sustain and uplift those around him.

For Ansor, debate is more than an extracurricular activity. He says, “What drives me to continue to be part of the Mt. Pleasant team is the desire to make change in my community…one of my goals is to popularize speech and debate at MP.” His dedication is evident not only in his performance, but in the way he shows up for his team every day. In addition to debate, he founded the UNICEF club at Mt. Pleasant High School, further demonstrating his commitment to leadership and community impact.

Ansor says that debate is important to him “because it helps people share their ideas fluently. I know many people who are smart, but are too shy to speak on stage or with confidence…Jobs and companies look for people who act confident in their skills, and confidence doesn't come naturally from anywhere else but debate.”

Ansor’s leadership is defined by consistency, humility, and care for others. He leads without seeking recognition, and his impact is felt across his team and the broader debate community. Congratulations to Ansor!