A fiery debate, arguments jumping back and forth between two sides. A crowd of interested listeners at a panel, eyes directed toward the podium. A multifaceted class discussion, each student adding a different perspective to the conversation. What do these have in common? For senior Valerie Li, it is the idea of speaking outing, making an impact and offering a new point of view.

A debater since middle school, Valerie joined the upper school team in her frosh year to continue studying policy and its impact on others. She observes that her style, Lincoln-Douglas, has allowed her to contribute uniquely to class discussions. 

“Debate has a big impact in terms of the way I explain myself and in the way I think about a lot of different topics and ideas,” Valerie said. “I’ve been in positions where I don’t believe in what I’m talking about, but I still advocate for that side and learn about a different perspective.”

This holistic approach to viewing the world has spread to influence Valerie’s community at school.  Close friend and classmate senior Sahngwie Yim has worked with Valerie on developing cases for several different topics and appreciates having a debate companion with a strong sense of self and confidence.

“The ability to talk about everything and bounce ideas off of each other is something that sets her apart,” Sahngwie said. “She can consider lots of different viewpoints but still stay true to herself and know what she believes, and she has a very good idea of who she is, what she values and what she hopes to be.”

With the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of Valerie’s debate tournaments were online when she joined the program, causing her to miss much of the team bonding that would typically occur throughout the year. Despite this setback, speech and debate teacher Greg Achten watched Valerie develop leadership and camaraderie with her teammates, quickly becoming a supportive member of the debate community.

“Valerie has done a great job of making other kids in the team feel like they’re valued and important members of the team,” Achten said. “She has been a very positive force of the team. She has taken on a real leadership role within our team culture and blossomed both socially and intellectually.”

Debate plays a large role in Valerie’s life, but she has also pushed for change outside of her community with her advocacy. With the rise of AAPI protests and activism during her frosh year, she was selected to speak at a rally as a youth representative by local elected officials and later hosted a panel herself on the importance of representation in government. Her nonprofit, Lantern Foundation, aids children with health and educational barriers in rural China and stems from both her passion for aiding children and her cultural identity.

“I do love working with kids a lot,” Valerie said. “I also care a lot about Chinese American relationships because they’re reflected in my identity, and making sure that people in America learn about issues in China is a way to achieve that. I care about policy and how that affects people. My work and nonprofit encapsulate all of this.”

To bring her experience with policy to school, Valerie co-founded Harker Amnesty with close friend senior Avery Jones, who shares an interest in human rights and debate. Having worked closely with Valerie throughout the year, Avery testifies to Valerie’s perseverance and drive.

“In high school today, a lot of people do things just for college applications, but for Valerie, all she does is genuine,” Avery said. “When she has a cause she cares about, she’ll go out and do something about it all the way.”

Whether through her work in Amnesty, Lantern Foundation or debate, Valerie strives to persevere and dedicate herself to advocating for change in her communities and in beyond. With her outlook on the world driving her decisions, Valerie aims to make her actions count for more than just herself.

“In every activity I do, there’s always an element of making sure that my work can impact people,” Valerie said. “In what I’ve done, there are times when people question what I do or if what I’m doing is correct. For me, what is most important is that what I’m doing can have a tangible impact on someone else. As long as I believe that an impact can occur, then I want to do that regardless of what other people think.”