National Civics and Debate Champion, Saaya Lijo

Elijah Nuebel, Student Editor • November 16, 2023

Saaya Lijo is a junior here at Apopka High. She is a top student in the junior class and is heavily involved around our campus. On November 12th, Saaya took home the Championship at the National Civics and Debate Championship, placing 1st overall. In the individual events, Saaya placed 6th in Congress, 2nd in Extemporaneous debate, and 7th in Impromptu Speaking, out of around 400 competitors.

How did it feel hearing your name being called on stage as Champion of NCDC?

It felt really nice but, it felt better seeing the team waiting for me off the stage. I felt better seeing that support. It was just really an unreal environment. I didn’t know what was going on in my head. The team supporting me when we were first coming up for Sam and I’s first awards, seeing the team standing up and getting all excited, was really special. Then when it was down to me and Christian Bailey for national champion, I just saw that they were waiting outside on the corner. Seeing them waiting for me after I won the national championship was really special. Seeing them get all excited made me feel more excited than I actually was.

Saaya standing with her numerous trophies, courtesy of @apopkadebate

How have you worked to get to this point?

I started debate as a freshman and I think it’s just more of just jumping into it and putting focus and determination into debate throughout the past two years.

What’s next (in debate)?

There is TOC (Tournament of Champions), Harvard, which would be a really nice team experience. I’m excited for Catholic Nationals and all the upcoming debate tournaments.

What else do you do around school besides debate?

I’m on the tennis team. I’m in all the honors societies, and then I’m also in stuff like class council. I have my own club, Step to Med, and that’s a nonprofit organization. We educate people about what’s going on in the medical society or things like what different career pathways they can take. And we eventually want to open up to fundraising for lower developed countries that don’t have access to health care or have lesser access to health care. That’s something that we have in our future. I would say that’s my favorite club, other than debate.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I love Suits. Suits is a lawyer show. It’s so good. Watch it, I highly recommend it. It teaches you a lot about debate too.

About the Contributor

Elijah Nuebel, Student Editor

I’m Elijah Nuebel, a senior at Apopka High. I have been on The Blue and White for the last two years as a staff writer, and this year I am proud to be the student editor for the 2023-2024 school year. I was born to an American father, and a Dominican mother, and have lived in Apopka my whole life. I grew up with one sibling, my twin, Samuel. My upbringing has allowed me to have a wide variety of experiences, allowing me to be fair and moderate on most issues. Around school, I am most heavily involved in the newspaper and our lacrosse team, among other clubs and organizations. Outside of school, I am an avid sports fan, supporting our local professional teams and Florida State for collegiate athletics. I'm also into video games, cooking, chess, and music. This school year, I hope to make the most of my senior year, by having fun, graduating from both Valencia and Apopka, and getting into colleges that are a good fit. As editor, I aspire to do my part in continuing our shared goal of producing quality content for the newspaper. And always, remember to smile!