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NYCUDL Welcomes New Staff Members

Ahead of the 2025-2026 debate season, we welcomed four new members to the NYCUDL team. They are all lovely, hard-working people with a genuine passion for our mission. We can’t wait for you to meet them!

Eddie Fitzgerald | Senior Program Manager

 

Eddie has been involved in debate for over 20 years and currently serves as the Senior Programming Manager at NYCUDL. Before joining the League, he competed in both high school and college debate and went on to work as the Director of Speech and Debate for middle and high school programs across multiple formats. Eddie believes deeply in the transformative power of debate to help students find and express their voice. His goal is to support all students in becoming effective advocates for themselves and the causes they care about.

Education:​

M.A. Urban Education: Teaching & Learning in Urban Schools, New Jersey City University
B.S. Interdisciplinary Studies: Cognates in Philosophy, History, & Religion, Liberty University

 

Amelia Andujar | Program Coordinator

Amelia is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where she started her debate career competing in Public Forum for four years. She has been involved with the NYCUDL for over five years volunteering as a Summer Leader, teaching Debate Club, and assisting with bilingual curriculum development. She completed her undergraduate degree at Emory University and her Masters degree at the University of St Andrews in Scotland as a Bobby Jones Scholar. She is excited to join the NYCUDL family full time, and hopes that debate can impact the lives of our students as it did her own.
 
Education:​

B.A. Sociology and Film & Media Studies, Emory University
M.Litt, Global Social and Political Thought, University of St Andrews

 

 

Jaliah Smith | Program Coordinator

 

Jaliah competed in both speech and debate throughout her time at Cornell University, where she was nationally ranked in speech and served as a student coach. That experience sparked her passion for helping others find their voices. In order to stay connected to debate before heading to law school, she relocated from Southern California to New York City to work with the NYCUDL. She believes that debate is a powerful tool for improving literacy and empowering students – especially those from underserved communities like the one she grew up in.

Education:​

B.A. Philosophy and Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Cornell University

 

Denizcan Ozdemir | LAC Fellow

Denizcan has been involved with the NYCUDL since 2017. He started at the League as a public forum debater, became a volunteer judge, and then worked part time at NYCUDL workshops and summer camps. He recently earned his degree in Political Science and Human Rights from Columbia University, during which his main academic and professional focuses were education access and equity. He is excited to return to the organization that helped him find his voice as a young debater, especially as he embarks on his journey to law school!
 
Education:​

B.A. Political Science and Human Rights, Columbia University