Debating has been my main hobby (and sometimes my main occupation) for the last 5 years. I have spent the better part of those years learning how to debate and then transferring those skills to my club and to the Bulgarian Debate Association. I have worked with numerous clubs throughout this time to learn how to best teach my own club. I was the president and then co-president of the club for 3 years and to this day I do my best to help in whatever way I can everyone in the club. This is what I aspire to do in the Leeds Debating Society, I want to support the society after my term has ended, I want people to be able to connect and to know how to continue improving it. I see a lot of talent in the debate society. I see people that inspire to greatness, which I believe I can help them achieve. Debating in general is a hobby that most of all teaches is how to communicate, hoe te be an adequate person and help, lead and reach goals you never thought possible. In the last year, debating in the Leeds Debating society has brought happiness, success, and inspiration to my day-to-day life. It gave me stuff I could never ask for; it gave me purpose and most importantly it gave me great friendships that I will cherish for life.
Now for the more boring part. I believe that I am qualified to be president because of certain skills I believe I posses that can help me lead and prosper. Those skills have been developed through multiple accomplishments in my debating carrier. People associated with my club, have won 11 National Debate Competitions, 3 regional ones and have qualified for the finals to 20+ National and regional ones. I have seen my club grow from the 4 students we were in the beginning of 2020, having a Zoom call every now and then to 40+ members that come to every weekly scheduled meeting, talking passionately about debate, and doing everything in their power to sustain and continue our legacy as one of the best debate clubs in Bulgaria. Going to different competitions not only involved dealing with finances, seeking sponsorships, and leading people to different parts of the country for them, signing legal documents or drafting ones when needed, taking responsibility for 20 or 30 people at a time and dealing with issues in the best way possible. I believe I can provide educated skills that have been developed through hardship and passion, that little to no people can provide.
Outside of going to competitions and meetings, my personal greatest achievement for the entire time I have been a part of the leadership of the club is being in charge of organising annual national debate competitions in my school. In 2022, I organised the first National Debate Competition in Bulgaria after the covid-19 lockdown, in the same year I organised a competition that started the process of Bulgaria being the host of the biggest debate competitions in the world - the European University Debating Championship 2023 and the World University Debating Championship 2026, I was also a part of the volunteer team and the social team at the EUDC 2023. In 2023 I organised the biggest independent national debate competition in Bulgaria which had 52 teams competing in it. I had to show great leadership skills during my presidency, organising the different meetings and competition, I learned the hard way how impossible it may be, to be respectful and kind but fair and responsible at the same time. In 2024 (a few days ago), I organised yet another competition.
This is what I truly aspire to – I want to organise Leeds Open 2025. I know that it will be hard, and it will require a lot of time, attention, and expertise, which I believe I can provide. I plan to invite current and past WUDC, WSDC, AUDC, EUDC champions, finalists and provide great adjudication, feedback, and opportunities for all. I have ideas about fundraising, about scholarships, about university support which I believe can be useful for both casual and competitive debate, as it can improve competitive skills and those people are genuinely fun and inspiring for casual debate. I will be tabbing the competition myself and will ask my ‘tab friends’ to come along – I have tabbed 7 in-person national competitions and to the date of the vote – 3 major online ones – Sofia Online Open 2024 ( 80 team competition), Sofia pre-WSDC Online 2024 ( 170 people competition) and Sofia Online Open part 2 2024 ( 90 team competition).
I believe that I have showed a lot of love and compassion for the people in my community and under my leadership and contributed a lot to helping people grow and become more independent which is what leadership is all about. And this is what I want to do in the Society I truly love and admire, I want more people deeply involved in the society and in debating in general, I plan to talk to different societies around the university for future collaborations and honestly I just want to continue having fun in the hobby I have dedicated my life to ( if you ask my parents haha).
Sorry, this is probably way to long, but yes the main idea is vote for me, because I believe I can begin the change that this society needs
