Two students from Oregon’s Portland Public Schools were winners of the 2026 Urban Debate National Championship sponsored by the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues.

Everett Murray and Alexandra Diaz-Arbor, students at Portland’s Roosevelt High School, earned the winning trophy at the recent two-day tournament at Harvard College in Massachusetts.

On a 2-1 decision, they beat Caleb J. and Javier V., the team from Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy in the Dallas Independent School District. Each of the four debaters received $5,000 in scholarships funded by Boies Schiller Flexner LLP.

A total of 42 teams from 20 Urban Debate Leagues across the country participated in the tournament. The topic for debate was whether the United States federal government should significantly increase its exploration and development of the Arctic.

Murray and Diaz-Arbor are members of the Portland Debate League, which was launched in 2019.

Murray, a graduating senior who plans to continue with debate in college, credits debate with developing multiple skills.

“I enjoy the discipline of it,” Murray wrote in an email interview with the Urban Educator. “Debate rewards people who stay composed under pressure, stay multiple steps ahead, and remain precise when others may be emotional or disorganized. It's also a place where all of your ideas are constantly challenged, which forces you to adapt your worldview and practice critical thinking.”

He said he believes debate “teaches skills most students never develop early enough: critical thinking, research, communication, and control under pressure. It also gives students the space to engage in college level research, and the motivation to do it rigorously enough to win competitions. The creative process of designing your own arguments and policy is unmatched by any other academic activity.”

Murray has been awarded an $8,000 scholarship to join the debate team at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash,. in the fall. After graduation, he is interested in pursuing a career as a lawyer.

Shawn Swanson, the head speech and debate coach at Roosevelt High School, commended Murray and Diaz-Arbor in an email to the Urban Educator for fostering a strong community of mutual support among their fellow debaters. "Everett and Lexi are incredibly focused and determined to be the best," Swanson wrote.

Students on the debate team at Roosevelt High School can participate in tournaments without having to pay any fees. The school raises funds to cover the costs of tournament fees, meals, travel, and hotel accommodations. In June, Murray and Diaz-Arbor will be heading to the 2026 National Speech & Debate Tournament in Richmond, Va. To make a donation, please click this link.