The speech and debate team competed at the University Interscholastic League regional tournament in Congressional Debate on Wednesday at the Berry Center.

Senior Samantha Tran placed second out of over 120 competitors and advanced to the UIL state tournament. Senior Jason Chen, sophomore Aarya Joshi and freshman Laila Hassan also advanced to the final round.

For first-time competitor Hassan, the biggest challenge at the tournament was not getting in her head.

“When I got to the tournament, I was really nervous,” Hassan said. “I was told that UIL regionals for Congress is a pretty competitive tournament, so I was definitely doubting myself and feeling unprepared before my round.”

Despite her doubts, Hassan was still proud of the progress she made.

“Looking back, I’m really happy I was able to advance to finals,” Hassan said. “Even though I didn’t place high enough to qualify for state, I’m glad that I was able to learn from people who have been doing the event for a long time.”

While Hassan’s debate career is only beginning, Chen is nearing the end of his “passion of so many years.” This year, Chen hopes to qualify for state and the Tournament of Champions.

“I’ve competed in debate for four years,” Chen said. “The most memorable part of the tournament was when I found out that I had broken to finals, and this tournament has shown me what passion and hard work can achieve.”

The UIL state tournament will take place in Austin from Jan. 7-8. Preliminary rounds will be held at the University of Texas at Austin, and the final round is held in the State Capitol.

To learn more about the debate team and stay updated on future events, visit its Instagram at @bellairedebate.