SVUDL Welcome Gaganpreet Kaur to the Team!
Gaganpreet Kaur has been a part of the SVUDL family for 8 years now, starting off as a debater at Silver Creek High School. She stayed with SVUDL as an alum judge and later, assistant coach but now joins the team as its new Administrative and Program Coordinator.
For Gagan, this is an amazing opportunity where she gets to work with the same people she once looked up to. She elaborates on her experience by stating, “To me, it was a little surreal to be on the other side of things, where I'm the one giving pep talks, making sure everyone is okay, and coaching the students during practice. It's not everyday that you get to return to an organization that's served you and helped you succeed.”
Looking back, Gagan has been with SVUDL for quite some time and that has clearly impacted her during her formative years. “I used to be so soft spoken and never advocated for myself or others, but that quickly changed after I discovered debate. Being a debater really emphasizes the ability to articulate your ideas clearly, which has shaped the way I operate in any setting. I always tell people that I can't imagine going back to being the person I was before I joined SVUDL, since I don't know who that person is anymore,” she states.
SVUDL is more than just a nonprofit organization for Gagan. It's home to many of the folks she once considered to be her role models, but now she’s in the position of being the role model for the current students. She states, “I genuinely enjoy watching the students grow and become more comfortable when speaking out. I love when students come back to me and tell me that they had a great time or that their rounds went well. The joy that they get from Speech and Debate makes being their role model so rewarding.”
Gagan is now even more excited to be in this new role where she can support students from an administrative point of view. The one thing she is the most excited about is helping host her first tournament. She further explains that, “I know my first tournament in this role is going to be really special to me. That's when we get to see the students come out and compete. The post-round discussions show you how passionate the students are about what they're doing here. Not only that, it's a demonstration of work that everyone is willing to put in considering the judges, staff, and even students are taking time out of their weekend to participate in Speech and Debate.”
As a former debater, who debated with not only SVUDL, but at San Jose State University as well, Gagan has been in the debate space for a very long time. Her advice to current SVUDL students is “that any losses aren’t a reflection of who you are as a person. As someone who spent an entire year debating and lost every round that year, it made me think I was a failure and that I wasn’t doing good enough. However, I had to remind myself that I wasn’t debating to win rounds, I was debating to have fun and learn new things.”
Congratulations to Gaganpreet Kaur on joining SVUDL as their Administrative and Program Coordinator! She is excited to support students in this new capacity.
