SVUDL Advisory Committee: Exploring A Wider Range of Career Paths

Michael Caulkins's own career journey demonstrates how Speech and Debate skills translate across disciplines. Starting as a mechanical engineer, he went on to earn his law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law, where he served as Senior Production Editor of the Santa Clara High Tech Law Journal. Today, he represents leading technology companies in complex patent litigation involving everything from wearable devices and smart home technology to telecommunications and semiconductor chips.

"What resonates most about SVUDL's mission is its focus on giving young people a real chance to be heard and to succeed, no matter their background," said Michael. "When I was growing up, I spent ten years working with Bridges to Community, helping build homes for earthquake victims in Nicaragua. That experience showed me how much it means for someone to have support and to know that others believe in their potential. SVUDL's work feels like a natural extension of those values."

"My personal connection to Speech and Debate comes from my journey through law school and my career in IP litigation," Michael explained. "I've seen firsthand how crafting arguments, thinking on your feet, and advocating for clients can open doors and build confidence. I appreciate how transformative it can be for young people to start building these skills early."

"I use the skills developed in Speech and Debate every day in my practice," he continued. "Whether I'm working with my team to solve a complex legal issue or preparing for a hearing, critical thinking and clear communication are essential. I see these skills in action all around me—colleagues using them to analyze complex technical issues, present clear arguments in court, and work closely with experts and clients to build strong cases."

Annie Matheu’s life story began with her parents immigrating to the United States from China. She learned English when she started school, and leveraged skills learned mainly in debate to ultimately land jobs on Wall Street, Google, and now Waymo. Speech and Debate played a major role in that trajectory.

“There are so many skills that debate hones, but I think the most universal ones are skills like these: public speaking, active listening, rapid analysis, argument construction, critical thinking, clear communication, technical research, and intellectual strategy. Debate taught me to think on my feet. I learned how to recover from loss and disappointment. I went from ‘fake it until you make it’ to developing true confidence through repetition and continued practice. I gained all these universal skills from debate!” she emphasized.

Annie remembers aspects of being a high school debater that stay with her to this day. One memory in particular is a piece of incredible advice from a debate coach: Don’t visualize success - what’s the point? Visualize failure - then solve all the ways it can go wrong.

“I loved the diligence and research in pre-round prep. I also enjoyed trying to think of all the arguments and counter-arguments and then investing the time and energy into designing rebuttals and strategies. It was the first time I had engaged in intellectual competition. It was thrilling to learn that just as you can train your muscles to get stronger to compete with opponents in a sports environment, you can also train your brain to get stronger to compete with opponents in a debate environment,” she recalled.

Annie recognizes that the skills of Speech and Debate are essential for anyone in any field whether navigating a career or everyday interactions. “I think conflict in any environment – whether academic, work, or interpersonal – is unavoidable. The skills you learn in debate such as thinking before speaking, communicating clearly and succinctly, and seeing another side's point of view really gives you a step-change in being able to handle and resolve conflict,” she reflected.

We're honored to have Michael and Annie leading this evolution—helping SVUDL students explore new career possibilities that their Speech and Debate skills can help them uncover.