Riverdale Country student advances to national championships in the Ronald Reagan Debate Series

Alice Goldberg placed first at the New York regional competition of the series this spring, earning a coveted spot in the national tournament. In July, she will face off with some of the best high school debaters across the U.S., each vying for the title of “The Next Great Communicator" and a chance to win  $50,000 in college scholarship awards.

While this will be Goldberg’s first appearance on the national stage, the 17-year-old is well-versed in the art of debate, having spent nearly three years perfecting her persuasive speaking skills.

Prior to this year’s regional tournament, Goldberg participated in competitions as part of a team or alongside a partner, but the Reagan debate series featured a different format.

“I had never actually done an individual debate before, so I was excited to try out my own skills in the Ronald Reagan,” she expressed. “It was really exciting to win.”

Goldberg’s motivation for joining the debate club was her passion for history, particularly  the Roman Empire, the Napoleonic battles of the French Revolution and both World Wars. She also noted Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill rank among her most admired historical figures.

The teen fondly recalls her first high school debate, in which she was tasked with arguing whether rivalries and competition between major world powers, like the U.S. and China, cause more harm than good. The topic remains one of her favorites to date, tickling her curiosity about how nations are drawn into wars and conflicts.

In this year’s regional tournament, Goldberg faced off against an opponent over whether U.S. education should be managed by states, rather than the federal government. In the format of the competition, they alternated roles – advocating for both sides of the hot-button  issue. In March, President Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, although completely abolishing the agency would require congressional approval.

“Alice’s remarkable performance [at regionals] embodies the principles championed by President Ronald Reagan, showcasing a commitment to civil discourse and cultivating unity through mutual understanding,” Dr. Richard Schroeder said, chief education programming officer of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, which runs the competition.

To prepare, Goldberg followed her familiar routine of building a case from the ground up. She starts by jotting down her initial ideas before digging into newspapers, research papers and online articles “It’s important to do your research for these tournaments, because believe me – you’re going to get challenged on the facts,” Goldberg explained. “But this one was a lot more intensive than [previous competitions.]”

Once her research is complete, Goldberg formulates her main contentions – the heart of her argument – and carefully crafts the reasoning to support her conclusions.

Although the national championship topic remains a mystery, Goldberg is eager to discover what they’ll discuss. Joining her on the all-expenses-paid trip tournament is her debate coach.

“I would say I’m just really excited to meet all the other kids who qualified for these tournaments and see what their arguments are, but also what they’re like,” Goldberg said.

But for the self-described bookworm, one of the biggest thrills will be visiting the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where the national championship will take place.